BRIDGES FOR LEARNING: LITERATURE AND LITERACY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

Friday 24^th October 2008

 9.30 – 4.30 (Registration from 9.00) 

Venue: The Hilton Hotel, Neville Street, Leeds, LS11 5, situated next to Leeds Central station.  Tel: 0113 244 2000 

Conference outline and aims Recent initiatives, including the new literacy framework, stress the importance of making cross-curricular links, and advocate innovative approaches to learning and teaching within a creative curriculum. We are told that ‘The essence of creativity is in making new connections, and cross curricular learning encourages this process’. This conference asks what are the advantages of cross-curricular approaches? And how can we best use good quality literature to build the bridges between key aspects of literacy learning across the curriculum, to expand young minds and enable real learning?

Keynote speakers will draw on their expertise to offer a range of thought-provoking approaches to learning, exemplifying cross-curricular models and providing literary stimuli. Exciting, innovative practice will be showcased by leading practitioners in a wide range of workshops, and the Huddersfield Children’s Bookshop will be on-site so that you can get started straight away! 

Programme

9.00 Registration Tea and coffee on arrival 

9.30 Welcome and introduction: Nikki Gamble

9.45 Keynote 1: Jonathan Barnes: Cross-curricular learning 

10.15 Keynote 2 Sara Stanley: An exploration of philosophical thinking through picture books.

10.45 Break 

11.05 Workshop Choices 

12.15 Lunch and Bookshop

1.15 Workshop Choices

3.45 Tea, bookshop and book signing

4.30 Close 

Workshops  will address the following themes

• Bringing the past to life: History through fiction
• Bringing the Outside In: writing and the outdoor classroom
• Our Planet, our Future
• Learning from Photographs 
• Philosophy for Children
• Cross-curricular learning
• Literature and the Arts: refining response through drama, art and music

BOOKING INFORMATION 

Costs including lunch and  refreshments 

To book, complete the booking form and send  to Linda Rider, Write Away UK Ltd., 9 Notley Green, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7US 

Cheques payable to Write Away

Secure online booking using Paypal. Major credit and debit cards accepted.

Bookings accepted until 20th October £145

Enquiries or further information from This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 07751 595525

Speaker Biographies

Nikki Gamble is associate consultant at the University of London, Institute of Education where she runs courses for in-service teachers and English subject leaders. She is Director of Write Away UK and runs the Write Away website www.writeaway.org.uk. Nikki is a member of the board for the British section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Director of the 2012 IBBY International Congress. Recent Publications include Family Fictions (2001) (with Nick Tucker); Exploring Children’s Literature (2008) (2^nd edit.) Paul Chapman (with Sally Yates) Guiding Reading (2006) (2^nd edit) (with Angela Hobsbaum and David Reedy)  

Jonathan Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, with a wide experience of further, secondary and primary teaching, in England, Africa and the Far East.

He has worked closely on education policy for local and national museums and was education officer for English Heritage. In writing and research he has specialised in creative and cross curricular approaches to teaching, and the development of creative thinking, and has published books for both teachers and children. He co-led the cross curricular and nationally influential, Higher Education Arts and Schools (HEARTS) project in Canterbury for three years. His latest book, ‘Cross curricular  learning 3 -14’, was published in January 2007. 

 Jonathan’s research and keen interest in language, art, music, geography, history, RE and citizenship have resulted in the implementation of cross curricular modules which have now become a feature of all teacher education courses at his university.    

Sara Stanley is Foundation Stage Leader at Sparhawk Infant and Nursery School, Norwich. She is a Level 1 trainer for SAPERE (The Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education) and delivers training nationally and internationally with Maria Cornish through their consultancy “children thinking”. Her work focuses on raising the profile of creative thinking within the context of Philosophy for Children and explores how young children think and learn through the development of philosophical skills. Her pioneering work with philosophy journals for parents and children recently earned OFSTED recognition for outstanding practice. Sara is a BEd graduate of Homerton College, Cambridge where she specialised in English, drama and children’s literature, subjects which continue to strongly influence her work in Education. 

Greg Wallace is headteacher at Woodbury Down Community Primary school in Hackney. Recognised as an inspirational leader by Ofsted, the school has also featured on BBC news reports for its approach to school improvement. Greg’s recent presentation at the UKLA conference at the British Library was highly rated by delegates. 

John Mole In addition to writing poetry for both children and adults, John Mole is an accomplished jazz clarinetist, and has been known to combine poetry and jazz with other poet-musicians such as Roy Fisher and John Lucas. He has won several prizes for his poetry, including an Eric Gregory award, the Cholmondeley Award and the Signal Award, has been Writer in Residence at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and the Poetry Society's Poet in Residence to the City of London. He trained as a teacher and has worked in both America and Britain, and still often returns to schools to lead poetry workshops and readings. He will be rounding off our day with readings from his outstanding new collection ‘This is the Blackbird’, which is shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award.