It has been a privilege to share my findings with colleagues from different spheres of education. Presentations have included conferences, local authority events and guest lectures.
Keynotes (Invited)
Engaging with Education
Back to School – How can brands best support teachers in the classroom? London Capital Club, London – December 2nd 2014
I was invited by British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) to speak alongside directors of Tesco PLC and Zone Limited about engaging with education. My message was clear – think about your motivation in wanting to engage with schools. Teachers do great things and they want what is best for the children in their school. I was honoured to be able to represent the teaching profession at this session and to act as an advocate for teachers everywhere.
Subject to Change: Social Media, Education and Contentious Literacies
Better Tools, Better Learning II Conference, Goethe-Institut Riga, Latvia – September 25th-26th 2014
I was invited by the EEPG (European Educational Publishers Group) to speak at their international conference at the Goethe-Institut in Riga, Latvia. The conference was organised and hosted by Zvaigzne ABC Publishing House. I talked about the current position of literacy in our society and how this had instigated deep changes in what it means to be literate in our society. I also talked about the concept of habitual learning in the communicative landscape. I then shared my own research and case studies about classroom application of theories of multiliteracies and multimodality.
Connected Classrooms – Fusing traditional and new literacies
Digital Literacies Conference, University of Greenwich – May 22nd 2014
This keynote explored the ways in which traditional and new literacies can be ‘fused’ to create a curriculum which develops meaningful and relevant literacy practices. It included an exploration of the changing nature of literacies in society and the resulting impact on classroom practice.
Maximising the Potential for Interactions Online
Managing the Safe Use of Social Media and Online Gaming Conference – Capita Conferences – April 30th 2014
This presentation focused on the role of the school in the safe use of social media in society. I also shared practical examples of how I have used social media and technologies to promote a new literacies approach to learning, while taking account of e-safety principles to maximise opportunities for online learning.
Subject to Change: Social Media, Education and Contentious Literacies
New Literacies, Digital Media and Classroom Teaching Conference, University of Tasmania – September 3rd 2011
This keynote explored the ways in which social media and Web 2.0 technologies have fundamentally changed the way in which young people engage with literacy and meaning making in the real world. I then explored the ways in which various social media are used in society as well as examples of classroom practice which have embedded social networking systems to engage, challenge and inspire learners.
A fixed point in time and pedagogy – Bringing the new into the primary classroom
ESRC Seminar Series: Children’s and young people’s digital literacies in virtual online spaces
Sheffield Hallam University – May 2010
This paper focuses on the changing nature of literacy in our society and how education has remained fixed on traditional notions of literacy within a school setting. In contrast I will present a range of ways I have promoted virtual literacies within my Year 2 classroom through projects linked to the development of new literacies. This includes the use of Twitter as means of developing intergenerational literacy and chroma-key techniques to create children’s imagined worlds in virtual spaces. The paper will also extend the paradigm of New Literacy Studies (Street, 1997) to demonstrate how ‘simulated literacy events’ in a virtual space can transcend into the ‘real’ world to stimulate literacy learning through meaningful contexts.
Conferences and Workshops
Multiliteracies in the primary classroom (Invited)
NATE Inset – Durham University – June 2008
During this presentation I discussed the findings of my initial research into the effects of technological multimodality on writing achievement. I also shared some of the new media activities that I had developed with my class.
Multiliteracies in Action (Invited)
UKLA International Conference: Identities, Cultures and Literacies– July 2008 at Liverpool Hope University
During this presentation I discussed the findings of my initial research into the effects of technological multimodality on writing achievement. I also shared some of the new media activities that I had developed with my class.
Multiliteracies and Meaningful Learning Contexts
UKLA International Conference: Building Literate Communities – July 2009 at the University of Greenwich
During 2009 I worked with a digital literacies task group to write a series of evidence responses for colleagues such as Sir Jim Rose and Becta. We then presented and snapshots from different classrooms as part of a symposium at the University of Greenwich. My presentation revolved around the use of multiliteracies pedagogy through film, critical literacy and the use of social networking systems (Twitter). Members of the symposium group were: Martin Waller, Lynda Graham, Angela Colvert and Jackie Marsh.
More than Animation: Fusing Digital Technologies with New Literacies (Invited)
Northern Grid Conference – 25th June 2010
During this workshop I talked about how ‘animation projects’ can be expanded to enrich children’s learning through New Literacy Studies and Critical Literacy approaches. I presented a project that is now in its second year and aims to use the Uncle Remus/Brer Rabbit stories as a means of exploring issues such as narrative, media and racial prejudice in an open and contextually driven manner. This project explored animation as a critical practice as well as allowing children to connect with storytellers using video conferencing.
Gardening with Google and other Web 2.0 Technologies (Organiser)
Growing Greener Futures Conference at Holy Trinity Rosehill Primary School – 22nd October 2010
An Eye on the Future: Towards a Primary Curriculum for Tomorrow (Invited)
Northern Grid Conference – 24th June 2011
This short workshop presentation explored the ways in which the primary curriculum can be developed to have an ‘eye on the future’ and embed New Literacy Studies into the ethos of classrooms. It included an exploration of class based film projects and whole school creative learning programmes.
Learning to Tweet and Tweeting to Learn – Twitter in the Primary Classroom
UKLA International Conference – University of Chester – Friday 16th July 2011
This acted as an introduction to using Twitter for both professional development and in the classroom. It includes snapshots of practice from the @ClassroomTweets project.
Multiliteracies Across the Atlantic – Skyping with the Wren’s Nest (Symposium)
UKLA International Conference – University of Chester – Saturday 17th July 2011
This presentation was part of a symposium as part of the Digital Literacies SiG within UKLA. The presentation examined a project that I planned which harnessed social media to collaborate with a museum in the USA. Other members of the symposium were Lynda Graham, Angela Colvert and Sigrid Jones.
Negotiating the Blogosphere (Invited)
New Literacies, Digital Media and Classroom Teaching Conference – University of Tasmania – Saturday 3rd September 2011
This 2 hour workshop explored the ways in which blogging can be used within education. It then included a practical activity where delegates set up their own classroom blogs.
The New Literacies Classroom (Invited)
UKLA National Conference: Multimodal Approaches to Literacy Teaching – Manchester – Friday 15th March 2013
The world is changing, but how do schools adapt to this change? We are faced with a multitudeof theories to promote new literacies and digital technologies in classrooms but embedding these can be problematic. This workshop therefore explored ways in which theories of New Literacy Studies, multiliteracies and multimodality can be translated into a real classroom setting. I shared research collected in my Year 2 and Year 5 classrooms where I use popular culture and digital technologies to promote a view of literacy that is consistent with the way new literacies work in the world, while still using statutory curricula.
Technology for Good
ICT for Education Conference (2016 and 2017)
An exploration of how digital technologies have instigated deep change in communication in both online and offline worlds, and a look at how technology can be used in creative and meaningful ways in school.
A Spoonful of Sugar: Embedding texts and creative contexts in the primary classroom
UKLA International Conference – University of Sheffield – July 2018
During this workshop, I shared approaches to the use of creative contexts and texts in the KS2 classroom.
Training Days
Multimodal and Critical Literacies
Stockton Local Authority Training Day
As part of the local authority’s remit to promote creative learning I was invited to operate a training day for teachers within the local education authority. The day included an overview of multiliteracies pedagogy, critical literacy and creative learning. Classroom application was discussion and colleagues completed an activity linked to digital storytelling.
Lectures
Literacy and ICT
Durham University School of Education
This presentation served as an introduction to the nature of digital technologies in the primary literacy curriculum for first year teacher-training students.
Multimodal Literacy
Durham University School of Education
This session build on the presentation I gave to first year students at Durham University. It offered a progression by allowing students to think about how theories of multimodality and critical literacy can be embedded in the curriculum.
Changing Literacies
Birmingham City University
This session explored how literacy has evolved in society and how the literacy curriculum can be adapted to take account of new literacy practices.
ICT Across the Curriculum
Stockton Local Authority
Delivered ICT training for SCITT students in the Stockton Local Authority.