Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools

David Miller is Director of the Innovation School at Kelvinside Academy. David has had a long career in education and in 2008 was the recipient of the Guardian Award for UK Teacher of the Year. In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and made a National Teaching Fellow of the UK Teaching Awards.Since 2008, David has been a consultant with BBC Learning and a Judge for the UK Teaching Awards, the Scottish Education Awards, for the Institute of Ideas – Debating Matters. David is a Visiting Fellow on the Masters in Teaching and Learning for Edgehill University, and a Visiting Tutor to postgraduate students of Glasgow University’s Faculty of Education.David has been a Lead Researcher on an EU Lifelong Learning Programme looking at Digital Storytelling and the use of emerging technologies in the English Classroom.In 2012, David was head-hunted to act as Chief Learning Architect for a Kuato Studios, building educational games that utilised next generation Artificial Intelligence. The games went on to win a number of international accolades, including a special mention at President Obama’s final Science Fair in 2016.In, 2018, David became Director of the Innovation School at Kelvinside – a unique partnership with NuVu in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Questions asked on the Learning on Fire Podcast Interview1. Who are you?2. What does your life look like now and how is it different from when you were growing up?3. What was valuable about your school experience?4. Which teachers do you remember and why?5. Who did you admire when you were young?6. What was it about that person that had such an impact?7. What was the best piece of advice you have ever been given and who gave it to you?8. What advice would you give your younger self?9. What does your future look like?10. What podcast, book, video, film, song or other resource has had the biggest impact on your life and why? Websitehttps://www.kelvinside.org/innovation-school Social media information Twitter: @davidmiller_uk Resources mentionedSparky’s Magic PianoLord of the Flies – William GoldingThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock – T.S Eliot

Towards a balanced and broadly-based curriculum was the theme of the National Association for Primary Education conference in March 2021. The keynote lecture was given by Dr. Tony Eaude.This is a follow up Q&A that I hosted and taken from a subsequent Facebook live event. NAPE has been a long term supporter of the Education on Fire podcast and I have been involved with the association for over 5 years, the last 18 months as vice chair. I thought this discussion was very insightful and wanted to give you the opportunity to hear it.The original full lecture can be found on the NAPE YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/YI_tiHvKxOkTony suggested four main arguments for a balanced and broadly-based primary curriculum:that the law states that schools must offer this (as it does) and that Ofsted expect this (at least from 7 years old);one based on how children create coherent, robust and flexible identities, enhancing their well-being and founded on a sense of agency;one based on a conception of democratic citizenship in which children are increasingly enabled to deal with complex ideas right from the start; anda social justice one that such a curriculum will open up opportunities from which many children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will otherwise be excluded.Questions & comments from conference delegatesRetired HeadteacherDr Eaude’s argument for a balanced and broadly based curriculum is compelling. Moving forwards, is it possible for schools to work with the current National Curriculum Framework to achieve this? Do Academies, rather than Local Authority schools, have the most potential and freedom to develop such curriculum experiences?Where (in England) is curriculum innovation to be found at present?What is the National Association of Primary Education’s role in this argument?As a student in my final year of an undergraduate course, I am currently working on an assignment about my own educational philosophy which very much aligns with Dr. Eaude’s Schiller speech. Embarking into my NQT year in September I know the best way to change this is starting in my own classroom. However big questions arise with that:What can I do beyond that? If there is not enough support or like-minded colleagues,How can I reach out to ensure this way of teaching the curriculum is opened up on to all the children in the community?Where can I find more support?For more information about Dr. Tony Eaude please visit his website https://edperspectives.org.uk/More information about NAPE is available at https://nape.org.uk/To find out more about Christian Schiller HMI please click on the link belowhttps://nape.org.uk/publications​The Schiller Book, published by NAPE, ‘In His Own Words’, can be purchased for only £5.The full lecture can be found on the NAPE YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/YI_tiHvKxOk

Aidan Whytock is the founder of Sharpen, the new platform for smart note taking. A successful actor and entrepreneur, Aidan has drawn on his background to design a tool specifically for the education sector to provide a revolutionary new way to access and apply learning.Sharpen fills a real gap in the education landscape for more efficient online collaboration between learners, teachers, and peers. By combining real-time communication with lesson notes that can be recalled and revisited instantly, Sharpen facilitates better, more collaborative peer to peer revision in a personalised and interactive way that effectively takes the user back in time.Drawing on the proven methodology that learners remember more when multiple senses are stimulated, Sharpen replicates this within the platform, empowering learners to create smart notes to remember more and perform better.Websitehttps://sharpennotes.comSocial Media Informationhttps://www.facebook.com/sharpennotesShow SponsorXientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C AHomepage: https://xientifica.com/Twitter @xientificaShow SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journalnTUPXxrfYcbOlaWxEKtn

Maccs Pescatore is the CEO of Montessori Centre International (MCI), a leading provider of, and facilitator in the provision of Montessori training and education in the UK and around the world. It provides the sector’s marker of quality assurance through its Standards & Training Accreditation Review (STAR) framework. Resources are made available to parents and carers through its online hub, the Montessori Network.MCI is part of The Montessori Group, a central hub for Montessori philosophy in the UK.The Montessori Group also includes Montessori St Nicholas, which carries out social impact programmes and initiatives. In 2020, the charity partnered with Leeds Beckett University to create the International Montessori Institute.Maccs trained as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand before moving into industry. She spent 13 years with Tate & Lyle Plc and ASR Group in the FMCG sector where she held a variety of senior finance positions in divisions in the UK and Europe.In recent years, working alongside commercial and operational colleagues, she has combined her passion for business with her affinity for working in changing environments, being instrumental in turning around underperforming businesses, repositioning and moving organisation into new markets.https://www.montessoritraining.org.uk/Social Media InformationTwitter: @Maccs_Pescwww.linkedin.com/in/maccspescatore/£50,000 for the first year of a scholarship supporting Leeds Beckett Montessori degree students The International Montessori Institute, a centre within the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University (LBU), has launched a scholarship programme to support the next generation of Montessori educators. The Institute was established in August 2020 and will provide the UK’s first dedicated undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Montessori education. Funded by the Montessori Group, the first scholarships of £2,000 each will be awarded to 25 students who are studying on the BA (Hons) Primary Education Accelerated Degree (Montessori) in the 2021/22 academic year. The relationship between the Carnegie School of Education and the Montessori Group means that further scholarships will be awarded in the future years of the partnership. This scholarship will be first awarded in the next academic year, with applicants to LBU able to apply for the scholarship as part of their application to the university. Leonor Stjepic, Chief Executive Officer of the Montessori Group said: “We are so pleased that the Montessori St Nicholas charity is able to support new teachers in this way. We hope that this funding will broaden access to higher education study for a significant number of students and in doing so, enhance the experiences of the children who will be guided and supported by the next generation of high-quality teachers. The experiences of trainees as they prepare to work in the education sector can be greatly affected by financial constraints; we want to ensure that students taking the Montessori pathway will have the best possible start to their experience with the International Montessori Institute.”The Montessori model of education is unique in encouraging young children to learn through curiosity with an emphasis on individual progress and giving children opportunities to engage with the learning environment.  Centre Director of the International Montessori Institute, James Archer said: “We are delighted that these scholarships will be available to support people as they study the Montessori Method at degree level. Education for opportunity, social inclusion and reconstruction is one of the four key strands of our work and we are therefore thrilled to offer these unique scholarships. The opportunities provided by these scholarships will be truly transformational to people choosing to come and study at the International Montessori Institute, and in turn they will help to transform the lives of the children they work with through their careers. “The BA (Hons) Education (Accelerated Degree) Montessori, gives students the opportunity to gain a full BA degree focussed on the Montessori philosophy of education. The programme prepares students for a fulfilling career working with children across primary and early years phases drawing on the Montessori method.” Applications are now open for BA (Hons) Primary Education Accelerated Degree (Montessori) for the 2021/22 academic year. To find more about the programme and to apply please visit: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/primary-education-accelerated-degree-montessori-ba/ Show SponsorXientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’ Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C A Homepage: https://xientifica.com/Twitter @xientifica Show SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

After a long career in business, Ed Peisner founded the Organization for Social Media Safety in 2016 after his teenage son Jordan was viciously assaulted in West Hills, CA. The attack was filmed and uploaded to social media by an associate of the attacker. The video went viral, viewed by millions, and Jordan was left with serious and life-long injuries from the assault. Ed decided to dedicate himself to the goal of ensuring that no other family had to endure such a terrible ordeal.Now, Ed travels the country as the National Education Director for the Organization for Social Media Safety teaching thousands of students, parents, and educators how to stay safe on social media.Marc Berkman serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS) where he has grown OFSMS into a prominent national consumer protection organization that has taught social media safety skills to thousands of students, parents, and educators across the country and developed essential social media safety legislation like Jordan's Law, the nation's first law to deter social media-motivated violence.Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of Congress and the California State Assembly. During his time as a legislative aide, he developed and helped pass into law numerous legislative initiatives to protect vulnerable children and families.Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley.He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA.Websitewww.ofsms.orgSocial Media Informationhttps://www.facebook.com/ofsmshttps://twitter.com/socialmedsafetyhttps://www.instagram.com/org4socialmediasafety/Show SponsorXientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’ Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C A Homepage: https://xientifica.com/Twitter @xientifica Show SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

Just Like Us is the charity for LGBT+ young people. Their mission is to empower LGBT+ young people to make education more inclusive, and they work directly with educators at all types of schools. It was founded five years ago for a simple reason: growing up LGBT+ is still unacceptably tough. You can book a school talk (these are taking place online currently, including with pupils at home) and get involved with their Pride Groups programme. Don't forget to sign up to School Diversity Week, which is the annual celebration of LGBT+ inclusion and takes place every summer.www.justlikeus.orgTwitter and Instagram: @JustLikeUsUKResource mentionedMagnetic Field - I thought you were my boyfriendShow SponsorXientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’ Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C A Homepage: https://xientifica.com/Twitter @xientifica Show SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

This solo episode with Mark Taylor is a catch up about what is going on within Education on Fire.We have some shoutouts to listeners who have got in touch and give details of the free resources available at EducationOnFire.comIf you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiserShow SponsorXientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’ Five pupils (each with particular gifts) are thrust into a fight for survival and exploration that opens up the beauty and wonder of nature, science and the universe.Xientifica SOS inspires children to look at the world with fresh eyes and curious minds. Riddled with riddles and poetry! It uses the Power of Narrative to help understand concepts deeply and remember facts. Children learn best whenever they are interested in something and enjoying themselves. This book does just that. It offers a new creative vehicle, to add to the Teaching and Learning toolbox and creates a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment – perfect at any time - but especially now.Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback Go to Amazon - or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) - go to Xientifica.com (with an X)...X I E N T I F I C A Homepage: https://xientifica.com/Twitter @xientifica 

Susie Harder, M.A., CCC-SLP is an experienced clinician who devotes much of her passion to working with children who stutter. She works in private practice and the school setting to help support children and provides workshops and consulting-based support to school districts across California. She recently created the Junior Authors Program (a revolutionary literacy-based platform).Susie has a history of designing and building successful programs. During her time in Fresno Unified School District (2011-2015), Susie designed and piloted a framework for 100 elementary schools, where specialty services successfully reduced student speech therapy time up to 5 years.Most recently (2020), when the Central California Creek Fire started and children from her hometown lost their homes, Susie started brainstorming how to best support these kids. When she couldn’t find enough resources, she simply decided to create it. Within a week, she had written a children’s book themed around what these kids had just experienced, found an editor, taken a course on children’s books, and started looking internationally to find the best illustrator.Her child- development skills guided her toward sharing this inspirational knowledge with kids. Thus, she created a unique platform to reinvent how children connect with literacy and books. Through the Junior Authors Program, children across the world vote to decide characters, setting, and story details of a book as it’s being created. Children get to see behind-the-scenes and connect with her through fun video posts and “Ask The Author Live” events, and are empowered by contributing to the content of the book from rough draft to published book on Amazon!juniorauthorsprogram.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/juniorauthorsprogramIf you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiserShow SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conferenceBOOKING CLOSES THURSDAY 4th March

At the start of 2020, Your Town launched a community campaign called We Are Next, a national campaign to get the next generation moving and more connected with health, fitness and their community.We Are Next have reached over 1600 kids across 10 schools, in two different towns in Hertfordshire. The original idea was to visit a further 90 schools reaching over 4000 kids across the UK; the restrictions in place due to COVID-19 have resulted in We Are Next adapting their original plan.We Are Next and The Ocado Foundation have created a Key Stage 2 lesson plan, activities and tools, which are all available to download online for FREE. The aim is to help educate children about the importance of health, wellbeing and exercise and the role that community plays in all three.They delved into some stats around fitness, health and wellness and discovered that less than 25% of children aged 9-11 are active for 60 mins a day, that only 1 in 12 young people eat 5 portions of fruit/veg a day and that 1 in 10 young people sometimes feel lonely.Knowing that teachers and parents alike, face challenges every day educating and raising the next generation to be healthy, happy and valuable members of their local community. Providing these resources for free, to use in primary schools or at home, they hope will encourage children to think about where they are from, their local town and its importance.2020 has been a difficult year and the significance of community has been emphasised, more so than ever. We Are Next and The Ocado Foundation are passionate about the next generation and creating opportunities for them. Despite adapting their strategy, their mission remains the same; to ensure children feel inspired and better connected to where they live and the communities they are from.To download the FREE lesson plan and worksheets, visit www.wearenext.ukInstagram: @yourtownukTwitter: @yourtownFacebook: @yourtowncicIf you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiserShow SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference

Inspire, involve and empower parents.‘MarvellousMe is a game-changer for parent engagement.’MarvellousMe engages parents by telling them about their children’s learning and success. It enriches family conversations about school and makes it easy for parents to help their children’s education and say: ‘Well done!’Delivering a positive teacher-parent partnership, MarvellousMe makes it easy for schools to implement the best practice prescribed by experts like the Education Endowment Foundation. To build and sustain excellent parent engagement and positive behaviour school-wide.Designed by a once disengaged dad, MarvellousMe is different from messaging systems, social media and solo teacher apps. It involves and equips parents with personal, positive and progress-led news, and gives leaders the ability to focus parent engagement on essential topics and school values, analytics to ensure whole school consistency and peace-of-mind that data is managed centrally, securely and in the UK under the GDPR.www.marvellousme.comSocial Media Information@MarvellousMeAppResources Mentionedhttps://ttrockstars.com/If you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiserShow SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference