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Theatre beyond barriers
BGU graduate tours sensory shows for PMLD audiences -
Empowering others through music therapy
Sabina Marr knew she wanted to be a music therapist since the age of 12. With a passion for music, a caring nature, and a fascination for the human mind, it made perfect sense to combine these elements of her personality and work towards a career in music therapy. Sabina added singing, the guitar, the piano and the viola to her list of talents, honing her own skills so she could use them to support others in the future. After gaining experience working for HCPT - a charity that works with young people and adults with complex needs - she enrolled on Bishop Grosseteste University's (BGU) Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion and Music course. Sabina said: "There were only a couple of universities in the whole country that offered this kind of course combination, so I went to look round BGU. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew I was in the right place. "The University's approach is completely person-centred and I felt immediately welcomed into its community. Throughout my course I had fantastic support from my tutors and I was given the opportunity to complete placements that improved my confidence and provided experience that would prove invaluable in my future career." After completing a Master's in Music Therapy, Sabina joined Chiltern Music Therapy in 2021 as a Music Therapist. The non-profit organisation provides Music Therapy, Neurologic Music Therapy™ and Community Music services across England and strives for 'a world where music therapy is the transformative thread in everyday life.' Clients range significantly in age, background, personal needs, and goals. Sabina says it's a misconception that music therapists only work with children and shares that 60-70% of her client base are adults. Sessions can be one-on-one or to a group of clients, and may be delivered in schools - including those for students with special educational needs - or in a clinical setting such as brain injury rehabilitation, residential care homes, mental health facilities and hospitals. When defining music therapy, Sabina said: “Every person has the ability to appreciate and respond to music. Music therapists use this connection to establish and develop therapeutic relationships with the people they are working with, in order to meet relevant physical, emotional, social, behavioural, cognitive and communicative goals. Sessions are tailored so that they are accessible and targeted towards individualised development. "Music therapy is an established psychological clinical intervention, and is an internationally recognised practice.” She emphasises that her goal is not to teach others how to play instruments or read music. She says: "I use music to achieve non-musical goals. For example, when working with someone who has had a stroke, I may use melody and familiar songs to improve their clarity and fluency of speech. If the person needs support learning to walk again, I may use elements of music, such as rhythm, to help with their coordination and balance. If the individual is suffering from low mood, we may use song writing or musical improvisation to explore these feelings. "With music, you don't have to rely on words to express yourself, which is really helpful for my non-verbal clients. It's important to tailor the sessions to the individual needs of the client so we can make sure we're on the right path to achieving their goals. "There are so many ways music can be used to improve lives. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing my clients progress and witnessing how much the sessions have helped them. Right now, I'm focusing on refining my expertise and continuing to use music therapy to empower others. " -
Special Educational Needs Disability and Inclusion (SENDI) students explore how disability is represented outside the classroom
BGU students studying on our single and combined SENDI degrees, embarked on a fieldtrip to the UK’s capital – to explore the perception of disability within society. -
British Education Research Association Shines a Light on BGU Project Aiming to Build Teacher Confidence in Supporting Pupils from Diverse Backgrounds
The British Educational Research Association (BERA) has published a new blog post highlighting the work of academics from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) who are leading a project to help trainee teachers gain confidence in teaching pupils from diverse backgrounds by developing teaching resources about BAME communities. The cross-departmental project, takes in work from three academics across different parts of the university; Dr Sheine Peart, programme leader for the Doctor of Education, Dr Hadiza Kere Abdulrahman, senior lecturer in inclusive education, and Dr Clare Lawrence, senior lecturer in teacher development. Speaking following the BERA coverage Dr Lawrence discussed the projects background: “This project builds on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work already being carried out in our secondary PGCE programme, which is promoted by Zoe Nye and Lyndsay Muir. This kind of collaborative work is very exciting, and I think that we have all enjoyed being involved.” To find out more about the project and to read the blog post in full click here. To create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
BGU deliver inclusive learning training in the Caribbean
Bishop Grosseteste University is supporting the Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) programme in the Caribbean which aims to improve the occupational skills and employability for disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability. -
BGU lecturer’s children’s book translated into Ukrainian to support incoming refugees
The dual language English-Ukrainian eBook will be available for schools and host families free of charge to help to support the acclimatisation of refugee children. -
BGU tutor goes stateside for convention
A Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) tutor recently delivered a paper at an international conference held in San Francisco. Dr Amy Webster was invited to attend the Modern Language Association's (MLA) convention as a speaker and spent four days meeting with fellow academics and exploring the city. Her paper about British series of children's classics was part of a panel with American Professors on children's literature and culture in the modern city. The paper drew upon Dr Webster's PhD, which was completed at the University of Cambridge. Dr Webster, who teaches on the Education Studies undergraduate programme and the MA in Children’s Literature and Literacies, was able to attend the convention thanks to MLA's travel grant and BGU's research fund. As one of few speakers at the conference from the UK, she was excited to present her research and explore the topic in a different context and culture. She said: "It was my first time attending this annual convention and it was lovely to be involved. I made some good connections with other academics which I hope will lead to collaborations in the future. "It was a great opportunity to identify where my researched overlapped and interconnected with that of other attendees, and we were able to enjoy some lively debate." A copy of Dr Webster's presentation can be found here. -
Teaching Internationally: student reflection on BGU
Friederike Vährmann was one of Bishop Grosseteste University's (BGU) Teaching Internationally students on placement with the University for an entire semester. Spending almost five months at BGU, Friederike took a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) module that helped her connect with students more than she would have if taking the placement back home in Germany. "The PGDE module was linked closely to the placement and offered support through weekly classes. This led to the experience feeling more structured and organised, as expectations were communicated clearly and the weekly sessions allowed me to consciously reflect on my experience." The placement was part of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) department and Friederike was involved in teaching English to people from foreign countries at various language levels. She found the idea of staff being divided into several separate departments and being given an office space was drastically different from schools in Germany."In my opinion this encourages collaboration and creates an incredibly supportive atmosphere between teachers of the same subject." The department also encouraged Friederike and other staff members to continuously ask questions and learn from each other. She noticed that a collaborative approach was taken when planning for certain activities and lessons that deviated from the lessons that had been developed over previous years. She was able to discuss student questions, teaching experiences, and concrete teaching methods with multiple, more experienced teachers - this helped Friederike improve her own practice."Another aspect that I found incredibly helpful was that I got detailed feedback from my mentor every single time I taught, which is a lot more than I have ever received during any placement or practical session." Overall, the PGDE module and the placement have been an invaluable experience in improving Friederike's teaching practice, developing her own style of teaching and becoming more confident in her abilities. The continued support, theories in how to approach planning, facilitating and assessing learning have helped Friederike gain experience and provided a clear guideline for future development. "I now know what I want to work on and have been given the tools to do so in an effective way. I have gained a different perspective with which to look at the educational system as the one in the UK is so different to the one in Germany and have adopted practices to better support and encourage students to reach their learning goals." Article on teaching Post-16 learners by Stefan Fusenich (Programme Leader -Initial Teacher Education (Post 16 and Further Education) published in InTuitonIf you're thinking of studying a PGDE please see the link to the course page below. -
Guernsey placement success for pGDE trainees
Bishop Grosseteste University students on pGDE courses (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education) in Sport, Performing Arts, Plumbing, Health and Social Care, Childcare, English and Engineering undertook a placement for a week at the Guernsey College of Further Education. All trainees on the programme have one main placement and the Guernsey visit was to enable them to see another setting beyond their own and also to show them different education system to BGU's. Guernsey was an experience that we would not of missed - it gave us an insight into the lifestyle of another teaching environment. We were made very welcome and as such were able to enjoy the culture and social experience. As a group it gave us the opportunity to bond and engage with fellow teacher trainers. Roger, pGDE student Guernsey College staff will be coming to the UK in the future for a reciprocal visit, where staff have arranged for them to spend some time in Further Education colleges where our trainees are based and a day at BGU. Input was provided to the colleges Continuing Professional Development (CPD) during the time trainees were with them on placement. This gave Guernsey an opportunity to develop relationships with trainees to fill any potential vacancies they have. This opportunity has allowed me to develop my skills as a facilitator. Working with the performing arts department in an environment that's so different from my current placement gave me great inspiration for carrying on my teaching practice. Keira, pGDE student What an amazing opportunity! Spending time with the staff at Guernsey Institute and gaining valuable insight into creativity within the English classroom was a treasurable experience. Thank you so much. Shelley, pGDE student Programme Leader Stefan Fusenich would like to give a shout out to the Guernsey colleagues... Jennette Heart Deputy Principal who supported me with the inception of the ideas, Lucy Mallet who co-ordinated the visit, and Venessa Mee, who arranged for me to deliver and trainees to attend the college's CPD day. -
MA student awarded scholarship
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) student Daniel Kuu-Erah who is studying an MA in Education and TESOL, recently received a GREAT Scholarship funded by the British Council and the UK Government’s GREAT British Campaign to study at BGU! When Daniel returned from a network event held in Birmingham (Edgbaston Stadium) for all GREAT scholars, he couldn't wait to tell everyone about it. It was an amazing programme, and an opportunity for me to meet great personalities from the UK and other parts of the world! Daniel Kuu-Erah Sophie Hadfield who is the BGU International Support Officer said: He showed me his GREAT Scholarship certificate and told me about the inspiring former GREAT scholars he met, as well as several dignitaries. As he progresses his dissertation, Daniel continues to consider his future next steps – he has been applying to undertake a PhD specialising in linguistic discourse analysis. Daniel is keen to see further promotion of BGU in Ghana as he would like other potential students benefit from the same positive educational experience he has received so far from BGU.
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