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Working Together to Find the Missing MFL Links
By James Foster I am currently doing a PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at BGU and as part of my British Council ITT Scholarship I was invited to the House of Commons to attend an All Party Parliamentary Meeting on MFL. The meeting was chaired by Tonia Antoniazzi MP and involved speakers from Cardiff University and leaders of Welsh university/school collaborative initiatives, the practitioners delivering them and students benefiting from them. Present also were representatives from Routes into Languages Cymru, the MFL Student Mentoring Project and a variety of UK universities. Part of the meeting’s aim was to talk about the MFL Student Mentoring Project in Wales which is a 5-year long project with the aim of increasing GCSE uptake in MFL. One shocking statistic presented at the meeting was that last year only 64 pupils in the whole of Wales took German A-level, reflecting the current state of MFL in the rest of the United Kingdom. Another interesting topic later in the meeting came from a representative from Anglia Ruskin University who is currently promoting the theme of linguistics as a GCSE topic, something which I personally would be very interested in seeing. Could this be one of the missing links in the struggle to promote MFL as a subject? In my opinion MFL has many cross-curricular links and linguistics would provide a link with the sciences, however for me the decline in foreign exchange visits poses a bigger threat. Exchange visits offer pupils the opportunity to apply what they are learning and see the relevance but in the past few years these have declined The meeting finished with open questioning by anyone present at the meeting and after being adjourned was followed by a networking session in the Committee Room. Thank you to the British Council for inviting me to go as part of their ITT scholarship and to BGU for letting me have the day off placement to go! If you are interested in a career that offers you the opportunity to shape future generations then our wide range of PGCE courses are for you. With over 150 years’ experience in training and crafting expert educators there is nowhere better than BGU. For more information visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team. Are you a current or former BGU student? Have you done something you think should be shouted about? Then contact our PR Team to share your achievements. -
BGU Ambassadors Discuss International Business during Embassy Visit
Staff and students from the Business (Team Entrepreneurship) course at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) were invited to visit the Finnish and Hungarian Embassies in London to discuss opportunities to promote international business initiatives. Chris Jackson, Senior Lecturer and Team Coach on the TE programme, received an invitation from the Finnish Embassy via the regional Honorary Finnish Consul, Camilla Carlbom-Flinn, who is keen to promote the ongoing relationships that BGU’s Business and Enterprise team have built with Finnish organisations. Chris was joined on the visit by his academic colleague Pete Tasi along with students Daria Pipczyenka and Chris Sandham. The main topic of discussion was promoting the forthcoming Team 4 Learning (T4L) event that will be hosted at BGU next February. T4L is an international event that brings together students, team coaches and alumni connected with the Team Academy (Tiimiakatemia) programme (which forms the basis of BGU’s TE course). For next year’s event the team at BGU are planning to broaden the scope to include organisations who are now using Team Academy methods in their everyday business practice. The BGU visitors were received at the Embassy by Special Advisor Minttu Taajamo, who also invited colleagues from the Anglo-Finnish Chamber of Commerce and Business Finland. For Chris the trip offered an exciting opportunity to see representatives from BGU involved at the heart of international cooperation: “Daria and Chris did a first class job as ambassadors for BGU, and represented us well at the Embassy. This was an incredible learning opportunity for them. The Embassy were very supportive and we now need to continue discussions with them to see exactly what this support could look like in practice and how we might be able to collaborate further.” While in London, BGU’s ambassadors were also able to visit the Hungarian Embassy where they met with the Science and Technology attache, who was a colleague of Pete Tasi at the Budapest Business School. A Hungarian national, Pete has joined BGU for a year, to work on both the BA (Hons) Team Entrepreneurship and BA (Hons) Business courses. Pete discussed the positive impact this meeting could have on both the students involved and the wider BGU community: “We encourage our students to get out and meet prospects and build active networks, so it seemed crazy not to make the most of this opportunity and show them the potential of real networking. "We explained about the nature and scope of our work at BGU and it looks as if there are opportunities for us to collaborate further, which is pretty exciting. We already have an invitation to return and meet with some Hungarian start-ups based in the UK at an event organised by the Embassy.” If you’re interested in a future in international business or in starting your own company, our business courses are the perfect path to take. You can find more information on them on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. Better yet, why not attend one of our Open Days and experience BGU first hand? -
BGU Collaborate on Original Play and Exhibition to Mark the 2018 Armistice
In the approach to Armistice Day 2018, BGU staff and students have been supporting the production of an important new play to mark the end of the centenary years of the First World War. -
Students Experience the Positive Power of Singing
Second Year Psychology students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) worked with Liz McIntosh from 'Sing it Loud' (www.singitloud.org) to experience the positive power of community singing. The practical workshop formed part of the ‘Psychology in the Arts and Communities’ module from the single honours Psychology degree course and applied the theoretical elements of the course into first-hand experience. The students were able to explore participant feedback and the experiences of groups Liz works with around Lincolnshire, discussing topics such as relieving rural isolation, loneliness, supporting carers, providing people with a routine and enabling people to withdraw from day to day worries and immerse themselves in a positive activity with others. Thomasin Nicholds, one of the Psychology lecturers at BGU, described the positive impact that these practical sessions could have on the students’ learning: “The session gave students the chance to work together in a small group on something new and outside of their usual learning experience giving them a chance to understand more about themselves and each other. "The experience was then related back to theory and research related to individual and community wellbeing, with students testing their understanding of engagement, inclusion and benefits of participation.” In the build up to the session the students also listened to a local radio interview where Liz was representing a community singing group that is made up of people with dementia and their carers, enabling them to come together and share in music, which can be a trigger for positive memories and give people something to share when their lives are radically changing due to the onset of dementia. For more information on our Psychology courses and how you can join in with the innovative research taking place at BGU visit our website, contact our Enquiries Team or attend one of our Open Days to experience the University first hand. -
‘Echoes of Contempt’ within Church history explored at book launch
Last week Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) hosted the public launch of ‘Echoes of Contempt’, the latest book from Methodist minister the Reverend Bruce Thompson. Covering centuries of religious history, ‘Echoes of Contempt’ explores Jew Hatred, especially in relationship to the Christian Church, from the time of the early Church to today. The launch, held in the BGU Chapel, opened with introductions and reflections from local Jewish and Christian leaders. These were followed by an interview with the Reverend Bruce Thompson led by BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Rod Whiting. Attending the event Mark Plater, Senior Lecturer in Theology at BGU, commented: "Bruce has provided valuable input on this topic to my Holocaust Education module for many years now, and it is great to see his ideas and passion now summarised in book form. “The text is a well written, but hard-hitting read, and I commend it wholeheartedly." There are lots of exciting events taking place at BGU throughout 2019. To keep up to date on what is coming up you can visit our website or to host your own special event contact our Conferencing team. -
Busting the myths keeping you from your future
Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers available. Not only will you have the opportunity to make a long lasting, positive impact on the lives of your students, you’ll be able to see the results of your hard work first hand as your students learn and develop. -
BGU Launches First Distance Learning Degree Programme
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) School of Social Sciences have collaborated closely with the Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) to design the University’s first distance learning degree programme. -
BG Futures Provide Carrington Communications with the “Perfect Stepping Stone” to Success
In January 2018 digital PR agency Carrington Communications began their journey as a tenant of the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre. After a highly successful year, and with expansion and new premises on the horizon, Carrington’s Founder, Rob Tomkinson, shares his start-up story and explains how the support of the BG Futures team has helped the company reach its goals. Since graduating from university Rob has always worked in PR. After moving to Lincolnshire he observed a gap in the market for an energised digital PR agency, thus sparking the inspiration for launching Carrington Communications: “No one in Lincolnshire was doing digital PR, even though the city, and region, was growing fast and there was a big need for it. I decided to build an agency that would be known for the quality of its work and the impact it had on its customers, above anything else.” Although Rob’s PR expertise had been refined over the years, owning his own business proved challenging in its own way, he used the examples of others’ success to try to determine his own: “I looked at other business owners around me who I respected - what sets them apart, in my view, is being brave enough to take the bold decisions - that’s what I’ve tried, and keep trying, to do; if the figures stack up, then we can make it work.” However, Rob is not one to become too comfortable in terms of measuring success: “I hope I never think I’ve become a successful ‘entrepreneur’ - there’s a danger and complacency in that which I want to avoid at all costs!” When asked about top tips for aspiring entrepreneurs, Rob placed significant importance on getting the “‘boring’ backroom bits right from the start”, building new relationships with other business people who share your values, and finally: “Delegate! That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way a couple of times. I thought I was holding on to my early clients out of loyalty to give them the best service, but in reality they got a better service once I brought in the team here in to work alongside me.” Alongside these lessons, finding the right environment to thrive in has also been key for Carrington and in BG Futures they feel they found the perfect place for any start-up: “It’s been so good for us. Even though it was exciting when we took on our first office, it was pretty daunting too. The team at BG Futures gave us everything we needed. It’s a perfect stepping stone for new businesses looking for their first office. The location’s great, the offices are peaceful, the internet’s good and the on-site coffee shops are perfect for client or team meetings. Working around other start-ups has been really beneficial, as have the workshops that they run here - we even hosted our own for other tenants on doing PR on a budget. We’re pleased to be growing but sad to be leaving too - I’d recommend BG Futures to anyone.” Becky Goodman, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures, expressed her team’s pride at being a part of Carrington’s growth: “It is great to see how Rob has developed Carrington from a one person business in a small unit, to one with a team expanding to one of our largest units within just 18 months, and although we will miss the team being with us within BG Futures, it is great that we have been able to give them the initial support and foundations upon which they will continue to build their business. And as with any of the businesses that start their journey with us in BG Futures, they never really leave us, just relocate” If you have got a vision for your own business but aren’t sure where to begin then the BG Futures team are the perfect place to start. With facilities and expert support available in their incubation centre, they’ll be able to get you on the road to success. Visit our website or contact them today to see how you can start your own adventure. -
Academics complete international project exploring personalised learning
Academics from the School of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have completed work on an Erasmus+ project this month, attending the final meeting in The Netherlands to showcase their output. The Erasmus+ project, on Personalised Learning in Primary and Secondary education phases, included research teams from The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland and the BGU UK team. The academics involved from the School of Teacher Development were; Dr. Emma Clarke, Kevin McLaughlin, Shaun Thompson, Dr. Jonathan Wainwright and Aimee Quickfall. The BGU team joined the project in January this year, taking over from a school partner in Lincoln, and quickly became part of a strong research group across Europe during visits to The Netherlands and Sweden in the spring. Their output is the 'teacher profile' - a tool for teachers across Europe to assess their own level of personalised learning practice, with advice and targets if they wish to increase their level of skill in this area as Dr Clarke explained: “The toolkit is deliberately non-judgemental, for teachers to use individually or with peers. It avoids suggesting that some teaching approaches are better than others - but will support practitioners who wish to develop key personalised learning skills.” As part of the final project meeting, the Erasmus+ team presented to teachers and leaders in The Netherlands. Returning from the meeting Aimee commented: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in this European project, with researchers who have different backgrounds, settings and perspectives, but who share a passion for improving education and professional development for teachers. We have built relationships with our partner teams and hope we can continue to develop our links and projects.” The completed project will 'go live' in the autumn of 2019. If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps. -
BGU wellbeing research reaches a wider audience at national conference
Academics from the School of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), Dr. Emma Clarke and Aimee Quickfall, presented their on-going wellbeing research at a British Education Research Association (BERA) special interest group, last month. The BERA Mental Health, Wellbeing and Education special interest group support researchers in education who are looking at the mental health and wellbeing of students, teachers and children. Their July event included presentations from The Education Support Network, Professor Andrew Ravenscroft from the University of East London and Dr. Elizabeth Nye from the University of Oxford. Following the event Aimee explained how the diverse nature of the attendees made the BERA group the perfect place to present their research: “The attendees were hugely supportive and interested in our research methods and findings. We have made links with other universities and organisations who have the same passion to improve conditions for teachers and trainee teachers that we have, and we look forward to working with them in the future.” The research project at the centre of Aimee and Emma’s presentation, which has so far included projects in Finland, Denmark and at two universities in the UK, has been carried out by Shaun Thompson, Sue Lambert, Hannah Wells, Dr. Claire Thomson, Dr. Emma Clarke, Aimee Quickfall, a team of student researchers on the BGU PGCE Primary programme and Professor Jonathan Glazzard at Leeds Beckett University, as well as faculty members in The University of Eastern Finland and UCC in Copenhagen. For Dr. Clarke the opportunity to work with student researchers on the project was a particular highlight: “The interviews and other methods were enjoyable for researchers and participants. We particularly enjoyed working as a team with student researchers, who helped to design the research and to keep it strongly focused on the student experience of the PGCE.” Strands of the project have used photo-elicitation to capture the daily experiences of being a teacher trainee, as well as drawing timelines of the whole programme in terms of well-being and semi-structured interviews to talk through the photographs and timelines. The team have also used a simple 'see-saw' model for trainees to consider their resources and challenges and whether they can balance these. The team are now building in sessions for trainees on the PGCE Primary to think and talk about their well-being based on their pilot study findings, as well as rolling out the well-being research for a second year with Leeds Beckett University and international collaborators. If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps.
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