Rethinking Education

Kulvarn Atwal is the headteacher - or rather, head learning leader - of two schools in Essex, and the author of The Thinking School. Kulvarn completed his doctorate in 2016, His thesis focuses on the factors that impact upon teacher engagement in professional learning activities, with a particular focus on action research - a topic close to my heart that we barely even touch upon in this conversation. His research draws on theories of workplace learning to provide a practical, powerful, proven framework for school improvement. His ideas are now being used by schools throughout the UK and Europe. This is a fascinating conversation in which we discuss why we should be more positive about our education system, and recognise how effective and inclusive it is; why we need to rethink how we capture and evaluate and celebrate the achievements of young people; and how to transform a school by focusing on the professional learning and development of teachers. Links to interesting stuff we talk about: BOOK: The Thinking School, by Kulvarn Atwal: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-thinking-school-developing-a-dynamic-learning-community/9781912906024 RESEARCH ARTICLE: What Makes a School a Learning Organisation?, by Kools & Stoll (2016, OECD Working Paper): https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/5jlwm62b3bvh-en.pdf BOOK: The Fifth Discipline, by Peter Senge: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-fifth-discipline-the-art-and-practice-of-the-learning-organization-second-edition/9781905211203 BOOK: Situated Learning, by Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZVogAwAAQBAJ The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

The first part of James's interview with Ross McGill, aka @TeacherToolkit. Ross has worked in over 200 schools, colleges and universities across the UK, including schools in Belarus, Canada, Cyprus, China, Germany, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland and the UAE. Known online as @TeacherToolkit, the ‘most followed educator on social media in the UK’, Ross has built one the most influential education websites on the planet, sharing resources with 11+ million readers across the world. He has also sold over 60,000 books, the most recent being '60-second CPD: 239 ideas for busy teachers'. The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Dr Ian Cunningham has published seven books and over 120 articles and papers on topics relating to education, learning, leadership and organisational change. His latest book is ‘Self Managed Learning and the New Educational Paradigm’ (2020, Routledge). Ian is the founder, and chair of governors, of the Self Managed Learning College in Brighton, a democratic educational community for young people aged 9 to 16. His most recent academic post has been as Visiting Professor in Organisational Learning at Kodolányi János University of Applied Science, Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Other previous academic posts have included visiting professorships in education at the University of Utah, Middlesex University and the Technical Teacher Training Institute, Bhopal. Ian was also Chief Executive of the Roffey Park Management Institute from 1987 to 1993. Ian chairs Strategic Developments International Ltd. In this capacity, he has acted as a learning consultant to most of the world’s largest international companies as well as to the National Health Service, government departments, local authorities and the BBC. Most recently, Ian’s work has involved developing senior coaches at Tottenham Hotspur Football, and developing senior leaders at St George’s, University of London. Ian is a dancer with the Three Score Dance Company in Brighton. His last educational qualification (2011) was to qualify as an oxy-acetylene welder. Links to interesting stuff mentioned in the podcast: SMLC on Meridian news: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ4e6uorNSo SML in schools – part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZgq0WbeqnY SML at Uckfield – part 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2OaLsfc3t0 TEDx talk - Sam Watling on 'Our antique education': www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s1dnx The best thing about SML College: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkHcPEPUlBk Life at SML college: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZUi6Kxriqw The research Ian mentioned showing that adult literacy rates are better than younger students - www.jrf.org.uk/press/5-million-a…d-numeracy-skills. Social: Why our brains are wired to connect – the book by Matthew Lieberman Ian mentions toward the end of Episode 4: www.amazon.co.uk/Social-Why-brain…ct/dp/0199645043 The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

In this episode, James shares two excerpts from 'On becoming a person' by the pioneer of person-centred psychotherapy, Carl Rogers. The first is a definition of 'significant learning', a concept at the heart of the Rethinking Education podcast, and the second is an explosive speech Rogers gave at Harvard University in 1952, entitled 'Personal thoughts on teaching and learning'. A transcript of this talk can be found here: http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?11,178404. The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Dr Ian Cunningham has published seven books and over 120 articles and papers on topics relating to education, learning, leadership and organisational change. His latest book is ‘Self Managed Learning and the New Educational Paradigm’ (2020, Routledge). Ian is the founder, and chair of governors, of the Self Managed Learning College in Brighton, a democratic educational community for young people aged 9 to 16. His most recent academic post has been as Visiting Professor in Organisational Learning at Kodolányi János University of Applied Science, Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Other previous academic posts have included visiting professorships in education at the University of Utah, Middlesex University and the Technical Teacher Training Institute, Bhopal. Ian was also Chief Executive of the Roffey Park Management Institute from 1987 to 1993. Ian chairs Strategic Developments International Ltd. In this capacity, he has acted as a learning consultant to most of the world’s largest international companies as well as to the National Health Service, government departments, local authorities and the BBC. Most recently, Ian’s work has involved developing senior coaches at Tottenham Hotspur Football, and developing senior leaders at St George’s, University of London. Ian is a dancer with the Three Score Dance Company in Brighton. His last educational qualification (2011) was to qualify as an oxy-acetylene welder. Links to interesting stuff mentioned in the podcast: SMLC on Meridian news: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ4e6uorNSo SML in schools – part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZgq0WbeqnY SML at Uckfield – part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2OaLsfc3t0 TEDx talk - Sam Watling on 'Our antique education': https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s1dnx The best thing about SML College: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkHcPEPUlBk Life at SML college: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZUi6Kxriqw The research Ian mentioned showing that adult literacy rates are better than younger students - https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/5-million-adults-lack-basic-literacy-and-numeracy-skills. Social: Why our brains are wired to connect – the book by Matthew Lieberman Ian mentions toward the end of Episode 4: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Social-Why-brains-wired-connect/dp/0199645043 The Rethinking Education Podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.

Dr Debra Kidd is an experienced educator and a truly original thinker with some fascinating insights into what great education looks like, where things are going wrong currently, and how teachers and school leaders can work together to create a more hopeful, equitable future. She has taught in a range of settings across the sector, from primary schools to universities, for almost three decades. She now works with schools in the UK and internationally to develop innovative approaches to curriculum. Debbie has a PhD in education and is the author of four books, the most recent being A Curriculum of Hope. This is a fascinating conversation that explores our collective 'Stockholm syndrome' with regard to exams, the trouble with social mobility and why we should think instead about social growth, and Debbie’s call for what she refers to as 'pedagogical activism'. The Rethinking Education podcast is hosted and produced by Dr James Mannion. You can contact him at rethinking-ed.org/contact, or via @RethinkingJames on Twitter.