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Primary Education staff and students host Maths sessions for local children
Our Primary Education staff and students hosted two sessions at the Ermine Library. -
Tennyson Discovery Sheds New Light On Victorian Poets
Lincolnshire Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson owned an original copy of William Blake’s masterpiece Illustrations of the Book of Job, a Lincoln academic has discovered. The book, which consists of a series of engraved prints by Blake published in 1826, has been part of the Tennyson Research Centre at Lincolnshire County Council for many years. The discovery by Dr Sibylle Erle is significant as the book had been archived as part of Tennyson’s collection of Old and New Testaments Bibles. Until now Blake scholars were unaware that Tennyson owned one of the 150 original copies of Blake’s Job. “This discovery is of international importance,” said Dr Erle, Senior Lecturer in English at Bishop Grosseteste University. “It poses the question, what did Tennyson make of Blake? “Tennyson probably acquired the book before the publication of the first major Blake biography in 1863, which reignited interest in Blake and his work in the mid-nineteenth century. It’s important to realise that Tennyson got hold of his copy before the Blake revival started. Tennyson has been compared to Blake but now there is evidence that Tennyson was interested in Blake. “I’m still working on the implications of this possession. The interesting question is: who else would have seen it? The Rossettis? Tennyson kept it with some other illustrated books in a prominent position on his drawing room table on the Isle of Wight, where they would have been placed to entertain visitors and to stimulate conversation. “The real discovery is the list of books on Tennyson’s drawing room table. Blake’s Job was one of many illustrated books Tennyson chose to have on display. Blake did his own illustrations but Tennyson couldn’t. Illustrations, of course, were crucial to Victorian book illustration. What did Tennyson make of Blake, his artistic independence and relationship with his audience? That is what I want to think about and find out about.” Grace Timmins, Collections Access Officer at the Tennyson Research Centre in Lincoln, commented: “It’s very pleasing when the unexpected significance of an item is discovered. Connections do emerge in the rich range of material here, but Dr Erle’s visits were particularly fruitful in an unexplored area.” Blake’s biographer Alexander Gilchrist wrote that “The engravings are the best Blake ever did: vigorous, decisive…” while the art critic John Ruskin claimed “Blake is greater than Rembrandt”. Dr Erle has been working on an online exhibition about Tennyson’s copy of The Illustration of the Book of Job. The website can now be found at https://www.lincstothepast.com/exhibitions/tennyson of the books and other items from the Tennyson Archive are on display at Lincoln Central Library from now until 30th September 2013. Dr Sibylle Erle is Senior Lecturer in English at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. She teaches mainly 18th and 19th-century literature and researches into text/image relationships, Anglo-German relations and problems of representation. -
Royal Seal of Approval for BGU Cornerstone Building
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will officially open the new library and student services building at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln next month. The Princess Royal’s visit on Friday 15th February will round off a momentous year for the institution, which has celebrated its 150th anniversary and earned the right to use the university title for the first time. The £2.75 million Cornerstone Building at BGU, which was refurbished and extended last year, houses the university’s library and its student support and advice teams. During her visit The Princess Royal will meet dignitaries including the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Muriel Robinson OBE, the Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Karen Lee, the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Revd Christopher Lowson and Lincoln MP Karl McCartney. She will also meet staff and students at BGU and visit BG Futures, the university’s business incubation centre, and the university’s coffee shop Curiositea. Reporters, photographers and TV crews are welcome to attend. Full details and timings of the visit will be sent to the media nearer the time. “Everyone here is looking forward to The Princess Royal’s visit with tremendous excitement,” said Professor Muriel Robinson, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University. “We are very proud of our new Cornerstone Building and we’re delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness to open this fantastic facility. This event will cap an amazing 12 months for this institution, during which time we have celebrated 150 years of education in Lincoln and become recognised as a university for the first time.” The Cornerstone Building houses 135,000 resources including books, journals, audio-visual resources (DVDs, CDs), ebooks and a renowned Teaching Resources Collection, including children’s books, resource packs and puppet bags. It is also home to BGU’s Student Advice and Learning Development teams, bringing all the support students need in a first-class new facility. ——- 1 January 2013 Notes to editors: The timings of The Princess Royal’s visit will be released to the media in early February. The Princess Royal will also be visiting Lincoln College and Lindum Construction on 15th February. -
New look at BGU as students arrive on campus
Students arriving for the start of the new academic year at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln this week have found that a number of improvements have been made to the campus. The university has spent around £6.5 million over the summer on upgrading accommodation, catering facilities and learning spaces. A new modern accommodation facility for 126 students has replaced an older hall of residence, and together with the extensive refurbishment of Constance Stewart Hall has resulted in a net increase in rooms on campus of 23. The dining facilities in Constance Stewart Hall are being replaced by a new building closer to the new accommodation block and the university’s quirky Alice in Wonderland-themed café Curiositea has been refurbished and enlarged. On the teaching side a new Psychology lab has been created for students who are enrolling for the first time on BGU’s psychology degree course, which can be studied in conjunction with a number of different subjects. The £6.5m investment is the latest stage in a programme of improvements at Bishop Grosseteste University. Last year £2.5m was invested in an extension to the library – the Cornerstone Building- which is now home to Library Services and the Student Support and Learning Advice teams. A £250,000 project to remodel the campus main entrance and reception area was also completed last year and £75,000 was spent on converting Bishop Greaves Theatre into The Venue, a state-of-the-art digital cinema which can also stage theatrical productions. “We have a beautiful campus in uphill Lincoln but we never stand still and we are always looking at ways in which we can improve the student experience here,” said Stephen Deville, Director of Resources at Bishop Grosseteste University. “Students are very discerning these days and we’re confident that the investments we’ve made on campus in recent years will make BGU a very attractive destination for them.” -
Archaeology Lecturer Made Member of Chartered Institute
Bishop Grosseteste University lecturer Dr Craig Spence has been made a member of the new Chartered Institute for Archaeologists – and he’s looking forward to strengthening relationships between the institute and the university. The CIfA has been awarded chartered status and Dr Spence, Senior Lecturer in History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at BGU, thinks the change is timely. The university has launched a new undergraduate joint degree in Archaeology and History alongside its existing Master's in Community Archaeology, and the courses will benefit from closer links with the CIfA, says Dr Spence. “One of the aims of the new degree is to provide students with employability skills to prepare them for working life in the field,” he said. “The CIfA will support this with its Student Member status opportunity. As members, students receive direct support and information from the institute and, once graduated, are eligible to apply for full membership and all the benefits that come with it.” The CIfA’s Student Membership gives budding archaeologists access to training opportunities and a variety of magazines and journals as well as use of Society of Antiquaries of London library. “We encourage all of our students to make use of this fantastic opportunity and I’m looking forward to further developing a relationship between BGU and the CIfA in the future,” Dr Spence added. The CIfA, which achieved chartered status last month, is a national professional organisation which represents the interests of archaeologists both in the UK and overseas. It sets standards, informs on professional practices and provides its 3,100 members with up-to-date information and developments in the field as well as training and networking opportunities. The new BA (Hons) Archaeology and History joint honours degree at BGU is the first of its kind in Lincolnshire and will allow students to get hands-on with the past and explore civilisations and societies from throughout history in a practical and interesting way. BGU currently offers single honours History and the new joint degree which starts in September 2015 was launched last October by Julian Richards, well known for his TV appearances on Meet the Ancestors and Blood of the Vikings. To find out more about all of the history and archaeology courses on offer at the university contact Dr Craig Spence: craig.spence@bishopg.ac.uk. -
BGU History in the Media
November has been a busy month for the past and present staff and students of our History and Humanities courses. Five members of staff and two former BGU students have contributed to the latest volume of the Survey of Lincoln series: North of the River Witham. The BGU staff involved and their contributions comprised of: Dr Mick Jones - the archaeology of the area Dr Chris Bonfield - Lincoln’s early schools Dr Hazel Kent - cinemas Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall - The Drill Hall Dr Andrew Jackson - the Cooperative Society. Lesley Clarke, a former BGU student, provided chapters on Greyfriars and the Central Library while Helen Durham along with Professor Heather Hughes of Lincoln University, presented a chapter on the visitor economy in central Lincoln. The support of BGU to this volume is recognised in a feature within the Lincolnshire Echo, (25 November). Earlier in the month, our Head of School of Humanities Dr Andrew Jackson made an appearance at the BBC Radio Lincolnshire Armistice Day Live Broadcast on 11 November. He spoke about his work on the WWI home-front poet, Bernard Samuel Gilbert and was joined by Maureen Sutton, local poet and folklorist, who read out a few of Gilbert’s wartime poetry in dialect. For more information about our History courses, please click here. -
Foundation Degree Sets Dad of Three on Road to Learning
A father of three from Boston set off on the road to postgraduate study by enrolling on a Bishop Grosseteste University foundation degree course at Boston College. This week Dave Callow (37) will graduate with an honours degree from BGU at Lincoln Cathedral – and he is now set to embark on a master's course at the University of Lincoln. Dave left school at 16 with a good set of GCSEs, and after studying Art and Design at Boston College he tried factory work, landscape gardening and office roles, but he didn’t settle into a permanent career. After becoming a full-time dad he realised he needed a rewarding occupation. “I wanted to be an example to my kids,” he said. “I didn’t want to be coming home to them feeling miserable from a job that left me unfulfilled.” He approached Boston College for careers advice, began volunteering at his local school and re-took his Maths GCSE. In 2012 he enrolled on the BGU Foundation Degree in Applied Studies (Learning Support) at Boston College and soon found himself being challenged to think about his work in school in fresh and interesting ways. “It awakened a thirst for knowledge,” said Dave. “I wanted a deeper understanding of social issues and injustices. At my work setting I found I was suddenly more aware of the complexities of children’s lives outside of school. “The connection between what we were learning in the modules and the day-to-day work was so strong; I felt drawn to working with families and to making a positive contribution to society.” One of the benefits of BGU’s collaborative partnership with Boston College is the opportunity it offers to people to study locally, said Dave. “At that time, as a full-time Dad in Boston, I just couldn’t have gone anywhere else. It gave me such an important step on the way.” At the end of his foundation degree in Boston Dave stepped up to the BA (Hons) degree in Applied Studies in Education at BGU in Lincoln. “I’ve loved the experience of being in a university,” he said. “The BGU campus is lovely, the library is amazing and the tutors are nice and helpful. I like the structure of the progression year - the way the modules had been planned allowed us to become more independent as the year passed.” As he neared the end of his degree Dave knew he wanted to continue studying, so he spoke to careers staff at BG Futures and undertook an in-depth psychometric test. He applied for the MSc in Social Work at the University of Lincoln and within a few weeks he had been offered a place. Dave recognises that he has come a long way since he started. “When I think now about the first presentation I had to do on my foundation degree, it was one of the scariest days of my life! But now, at the end of the honours degree, I feel much more confident in my ability, my knowledge and myself. Even though I’ve finished my degree, I’m still reading about the things I’ve studied – it’s definitely unleashed something within me that wants to go on learning.” BGU’s Foundation Degree in Applied Studies is a work-related programme that enables working practitioners (or experienced volunteers) to study alongside their work and family responsibilities. Students choose from three pathways: Learning Support, Early Childhood or Children & Youth Work, according to their work role. The course is validated by the university and delivered at three colleges in Lincolnshire – Boston College, New College Stamford and North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe – as well as at BGU in Lincoln. It usually runs over two years. -
BGU students shadow national book awards
BGU Education Studies students are taking part in the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) book awards shadowing scheme this year. This national scheme takes place annually and offers students the chance to vote for their favourite new children’s book in a range of age group categories, 'shadowing' the official UKLA awards panel which includes teachers and literacy experts across the UK. The author selected by students nationally will receive a special award at the UKLA international conference in July. A group of 17 second year BGU Education Studies students volunteered to meet with lecturer Dr Helen Hendry and children’s librarian Janice Morris for four lunch-time meetings throughout this year’s second semester. They chose the 3-6 age range as the books are quick to read and fun to talk about! The meetings are informal and include time to talk about likes, dislikes and reactions to the text and illustrations. The students have been trying out the books on willing children of friends and family, and during school placements. They also used the official UKLA criteria to consider the relationship between words and illustrations, the author’s use of language, and to try to choose the book which young readers would want to read over and over again. Helen Henry said “involving the Education Studies students in shadowing the UKLA book awards is a fantastic way of widening their knowledge of current high quality children’s literature. This will be important for many of their future careers in education. “Through our informal discussions and consideration of the award criteria they really get a chance to think about what children gain from sharing stories and how picture books can be a powerful tool in the classroom. “This project also highlights the wonderful selection of children’s books and teaching resources in our library and encourages our students to use these when planning creatively on placement in partnership schools. It is a real pleasure to share the books with our students and debate and discuss our favourites!” Two students who respond to the shadowing event in an innovative way, perhaps by involving pupils and schools, can be nominated to attend the UKLA conference and meet the authors. At the end of May the student shadowers can vote individually online for their chosen winner. BGU students clearly know their books for children as last year both of the groups' favourites won their UKLA categories. Richard Byrne's 'This book just ate my dog' won the UKLA Students Award and Alex T. Smith ‘s ‘Little Red and the very hungry lion’ won the overall UKLA Book Award 2016 for its age range. We will find out in July if our students can pick a winner again! Do you want to get involved with the shadow book awards next year? Find out more about studying Education at BGU. -
Sandford Award Winners Announced
The winners of the 2017 Sandford Award have been announced with 37 heritage sites from across the UK receiving the honour. The Sandford Award is managed by Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln in partnership with the Heritage Education Trust. The Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles. Almost 500 sites including historic houses, museums, galleries, places of worship, gardens, landscapes and collections – have received an Award since the scheme began in 1978. Found out more about The Sandford Award here. The winners are: Abbey House Museum and Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Attingham Park, Shropshire Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire British Motor Museum, Warwickshire Cardiff Castle, Wales Chawton House Library in Hampshire Cooper Gallery- Barnsley Museums Corinium Museum, Gloucestershire Coventry Cathedral Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms, Bath Geevor Tin Mine, Cornwall Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, Norfolk Hull and East Riding Museum Jane Austen's House Museum, Hampshire Jewish Museum London Knole, National Trust, Kent Lamport Hall, Northamptonshire Leeds Castle, Kent Leeds City Museum, West Yorkshire Lion Salt Works, Cheshire M Shed, Bristol Mansfield Museum, Nottinghamshire Museum of English Rural Life, Berkshire National Football Museum in Manchester The Navan Centre & Fort, Northern Ireland Norwich Castle Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Scotland Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre, Northern Ireland Temple Newsam House, West Yorkshire The Englefield Estate, Berkshire The Geffrye Museum, London Valence House, London Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Weald and Downland Living Museum, West Sussex Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Cheshire Weston Park, Shropshire Winding House Museum, Wales Verulamium Museum, St Albans York's Chocolate Story -
New edition of popular resource celebrates family diversities
The Family Diversities Reading Resource at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln has been updated to mark its tenth anniversary. Originally produced at BGU by Janice Morris, Teaching Resources Librarian and Richard Woolley, then Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, the booklet showcased over 100 high quality children’s picture books. “Children live in a variety of homes – of different sizes, in houses or apartments, in trailers or on boats,” said Janice. “They also live with a diverse range of others, including one and two-parent households, with mum and dad, dad and dad, mum and mum, grandma or an uncle, with siblings or in public care. Some have a parent who works away from home, or who stays away from home. Some live between two homes.” The Family Diversities Reading Resource helps those involved in education or caring to identify high quality resources to use in classrooms, libraries and in the home. Janice and Richard (now Deputy Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester) began refreshing this key educational resource last year, and have incorporated 50 more titles into the 2017 edition. The updated resource is published as a joint venture between BGU and the University of Worcester. Many of the books listed in the resource can be found in the Teaching Resources Collection at BGU and at The Hive, the public and university library, in Worcester. Family Diversities is free to download as a pdf document. It is freely available to all educational and not-for-profit groups.
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