The Education Show 2016

For many people in education circles this is the high point of the year.  For three days the NEC in Birmingham is humming to the sound of teachers, students, school leaders and yes, even us governors.  It is a place where you can get to grips with the finer details of the curriculum or Pupil Premium and then spend a while choosing some stickers for use as incentives, or a new stash of felt tip pens.

I decided to go on Friday the 18th for several reasons but the main one was the range of subjects in the workshop programmes.  Given that my main interest is in literacy and reading for pleasure, it seemed sensible to attend on a day that the workshops followed this thread.

For those who have never been before there are several things that I suggest you do:

  1. Wear very comfortable shoes
  2. plan your schedule for talks
  3. know what stalls you want to visit
  4. know what you want to buy
  5. bring a trolley/cabin suitcase with you.
  6. come as a group if possible as you can divide and conquer more stalls
  7. Get there as early as you can
  8. loads of water!
The main sessions that I attended were:
“Building a reading school”, Sheila Wood

For a librarian much of this was as natural as breathing air, but I think that it needs to be highlighted in some educational areas.  Sheila Wood is a great speaker who talks a lot of common sense and I found myself mentally cheering many of her comments and observations.  A fantastic speaker for any conference or training day.

“Assessing reading  without levels”, Chris Ratcliffe
For everyone working in a school there has been a lot of emphasis on how assessments can be made now that the government has removed the levels.  There are numerous packages on the market (many of whom were at the show) as well as the options of trying to use data that is already available in school.  Chris Ratcliffe helped steer a path through the maze and I am sure that many people felt more confident in the direction they wanted to go.
Getting ready for the new KS1 and KS2 English Tests, with Lesley and Graham Fletcher
this was actually a very practical session highlighting the changes to the papers for 2016.  We all received a six page handout with examples of the past and new content.  However the important part was that English teachers could ask specific questions about various elements and they received very in depth replies with examples.  As an outsider I found it fascinating, but I am sure that for any teachers in the audience it would have given then more confidence in dealing with the changes.

Education show 2016

Get your school reading for pleasure
 Scholastic Reading Hub

“Working with reluctant readers can be a challenge for any teacher or parent, and can often feel frustrating. There are a huge number of Reading for Pleasure charities in the UK who aim to help, and who can offer top tips on becoming a Reading Ambassador in your school.”

Speaker(s):Sheila Wood|Louise Johns-Shepherd, Chief Executive, CLPE|Claire Styles, Programme Manager, The Reading Agency |Cath Boulton, Head of Schools Business Development,National Literacy Trust |Jennie Albone, Head of Schools Programmes, BookTrust

This joint session gave the various organizations a chance to show the audience what they are about and how Education show.2016they can help those working in education.  I have been lucky enough to work with several of these charities over the years and they are all well known for some major projects.  However they all develop new programmes over the years, in order to cope with the changes in society, so this was an opportunity to find out about new activities that they will be promoting in the coming year.

Apart from these sessions I also spent a lot of time walking around the exhibitions and especially those that were associated with publishing.  It was good to meet up with friends from various publishers and to also ask questions at stands such as the National Memorial Arboretum and Teach Primary.  All told it was a very tiring and yet worthwhile day and I really would recommend it to anyone associated with education.

Thing 12 – attending Conferences

Possibly my favourite “Thing”.  I have to admit that I am a bit of a conference junkie, particularly if they are associated with children’s books.  I totally agree with all that Caroline has said and it is a shame that training managers and senior staff do not always think so as well.

The first conference that I ever attended was an AAL one (the precursor of Career Development group) and it was held in Scarborough in November 1972(?).  We ended up travelling back to Manchester in a Morris 1000 during a snowstorm on the M62; memorable but not for the right reasons.

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Did I mention cake?

My main conference links have been with Youth Libraries group, which I have attended most years since 1997.  Part of that has been because I was the exhibition manager for 10 years and chair of the group in 2010; the latter gave me the opportunity to set the theme for conference and work with others to create the programme.  This really made me realize what a tough job it is to co-ordinate all the speakers, workshops, publishers etc.  Many years ago I wrote an article for the Youth Library Review about attending conference for the first time.  Perhaps the piece of advice that still gets quoted is to take two cases (one inside of the other) so that you can carry all of the goodies that you pick up at exhibitions. I know this will depend on the type of conference but there are usually leaflets, cards, pens and books and even soft toys if you are lucky.

2015-04-11 11.00.01

And more cake!

 

Going to your first conference can be very daunting, even for the most gregarious people.  I know YLG in 1997 was terrifying to begin with.  Luckily an ex-colleague, Sarah Wilkie was on the organizing committee, so that made me feel better.  I was then lucky enough to be spoken to at the bar by another delegate, this was Miranda Mckearney and she was so kind, asking me about my background etc.  On hearing that I had worked in Portsmouth she introduced me to a librarian from there, it was Peter Bone and we have worked together at Waterlooville library.  Suddenly the world seemed a much smaller and friendlier place and I had a really great conference.

Since then I have become a regular at the School Library Association Conferences and they have greatly added to my knowledge and understanding of the special circumstances in schools.  I have also been to a couple of conferences for the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.  This is totally different in that it is not for a professional body but just for those interested in promoting books to children.

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Somehow I always seem to miss the Cilip Conference (Umbrella), but I must get there one year because the range of topics is something to really challenge me and it would give me the chance to meet colleagues in other areas of the profession.  I would definitely be taking my business cards with me.  Far from being on the way out I find that I receive a lot of cards and it is good to  be able to offer my own in return.  Perhaps the most important elements of the card were the design and the wording that I wanted on it.  It had to be professional yet friendly, informative and yet not overloaded with information.  I hope you all like what I ended up with.  Yes, I am rather keen on Owls.   2014-09-12 15.00.11

I suspect that for many of us the main issue about conferences is the cost.  Local authorities, schools and businesses are having to look at the amount they spend on training and a conference does not always highlight the ‘learning outcomes’, so it is imperative that we can justify our attendance in terms of benefits to our employer and additional skills in the workplace.  However I do think that we all have some responsibility for our professional development and if the subject matter is important then you should think about funding yourself. I understand that this is not possible if you are on a low wage, no wage or if travel costs etc put it all out of range.  Luckily there are still offers of support given by various professional bodies, so be on the lookout for this.

Well I am off to the YLG conference in Glasgow in October, so will get a chance to meet up with friends, learn a lot about Diversity in Publishing and find out what books are coming out in the next few months. I have also got two more conferences pencilled into the diary for next year.  Conferences are amazing events.  Not only do they provide information, discussion and news but they also act as a huge support mechanism for those who attend.  You learn things but you also have your own knowledge validated and your enthusiasm is boosted.  In this day and age these are important elements.  I hope to meet some of you at conferences in the future.

Just as a little footnote, I have signed up for an online conference run by Digital Shift in October.  Here is the link if anyone is interested.

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=1016943&sessionid=1&key=1A53E7363BFA13D45F7E562DDEA83B24&sourcepage=register&partnerref=ljeblast

“Reading for Pleasure:edgy, cool or just boring? Make it infectious and survive”

The last few months, since Christmas, have been a little odd due to some health issues.  I had got a list of events and conferences to go to and unfortunately have had to miss out on several of them.  However I have not been totally defeated and last week managed to get up to London for back to back events.  The first was a presentation of the autumn highlights from Walker books, with the added bonus of having the amazing Patrick Ness in conversation with his publisher, more on this will be found on “Margaret’s reading shelf” my book blog.

The second event was a School Library Association training day held at the Institute of Education. It was entitled “Reading for Pleasure:edgy, cool or just boring?  Make it infectious and survive” and was led by Angie Curran a highly experienced adviser in English and literacy.  it was good to get some new ideas, but also to have my knowledge and skills validated by what I heard during the day.

2015-05-07 09.21.24

Book trailers and authors’ blogs are a helpful addition to the library and     classroom.

 

 

 

 

A book corner

A book corner

It was also lovely to have the day in the library training room at the Institute and to have an opportunity to look at the resources they provide for students.  Two specific areas took my interest; the first was the series of book corners that had been set up, in order to model best practice for the students when they get out into schools.  These were bright, attractive and well themed, using books and other materials to engage the pupils.  The second area that I liked was a collection of older materials that had been put out for us to look at.  There were books and pamphlets from the early 20th century and we could see the great changes that have happened over the years.

The day itself was focused on secondary education and looked at a range of issues around supporting students and reading for pleasure.  there were six main points which were covered, they were:

  • why reading for pleasure is essential to pupil’s academic success             2015-05-07 13.38.50
  • review of schools’ current activities
  • adapting current reading activities to improve appeal
  • maximizing support
  • time management

The use of games and discussion groups meant that we all kept focused on the day and it became a very interactive learning experience.  The combination of subject, trainer and venue made this a very successful day.

Reading for Excellence conference

Thank you to the School Library Association for a really wonderful day about the importance of reading for pleasure. Most of the delegates appeared to be school librarians and hence already convinced of the importance, I hope that the conference gave them the evidence to go back and convince their senior managers as well.  We had a great selection of speakers, some I have heard before but others were new to me, even if I had read some of their work before.

We began the day with the inspirational Wendy Cooling talking  about how we enthuse children from a very early start, i.e. birth and how reading is a “head and heart activity”.   Reading to babies gives them the sounds and rhythms of speech, even though they don’t know the word and they need access to a wide range of books, which is why families should join the library as early as possible.  As librarians we should be modelling the act of reading – showing the parents how we do it, so that they are not self conscious about it, and of course enthusiasm is a wonderful thing. Books can transport us to another world and they can change our lives.  The process of reading is like a winding road, easy and difficult in turn and boys especially can be put off when it gets difficult.  Wendy felt that  all headteachers should have a book on their desk (to make the pupils inquisitive) and we need to make children aware of the possibilities.  She highlighted three things we should be doing for schools libraries

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Wendy Cooling

Share book knowledge with pupils and parents

Have ‘important’ picture books in secondary schools to remind pupils of when they loved books and stories

Signpost the library well  (e.g. footsteps on the floor, poems in the loos)

 

 

 

The second speaker was Dr Clare Wood from the University of Coventry and she was talking about reading research and insights into achievement .  This was a more academic talk and dealt with the issues that people find in learning to read.  She highlighted three sections

speech, rythmn and reading

comprehension

fluency and decoding skills speed

It seems that many with reading difficulties have problems in ‘hearing’ speech rythmns and that this lasts into adulthood. Some of these issues can be addressed in school, especially through specific small group work focusing on stress/intonation and timing.  Clare mentioned several areas that can be useful in improving outcomes.  These were technology and literacy, digital communication and reading groups. She spoke about a project that she had undertaken with the Reading Agency and the fact that schools seemed to prefer it as part of the curriculum, rather than as an extra-curricular activity.  She finishes her session by saying that the librarian needs to be VISIBLE to the children.

 

the morning finishes with Karen Goulding from the University of Reading talking about how to create a reading space.  this was based on work she had done at Reading University and highlighted the need for the library to be accessible to all, so that they facilitate the “presence, participation and achievement” of the users.  She felt that there were 6 elements that needed to be considered

2010 Disabilities Act                                                                                                         2014-11-14 11.40.35

Staff training, to include expertise, perception

New ways to engage

resources

Environment

Communication

This session would have been very useful for those with no background in libraries, but it did confirm that those of us who have been around for a while are still thinking along the right lines.

 

After lunch we split up into a series of workshops led by such experts as John Vincent leading on LGBTQ support, Sue Dixon on thinking skills and Prue Goodwin on Creating Readers.  I attended the latter, although I would have like to go to all three, however as I am not Hermione Granger I do not have an aid to turn back time.  Prue reminded us that reading for Pleasure is now implicit in the curriculum and on page 13 it states ” develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.”  She talked about the pleasures of getting lost in a book and asked for ideas from the group, these included:

emotionally engaged                                                                                                                        2014-11-14 14.01.40

fascinated by information

talking to other readers

being inspired by books

being absorbed by the narrative

an exciting challenge

attachment to a specific text – for life

As always Prue was inspiring and full of enthusiasm for reading and it is something that we need to be able to do in order to bring reading alive for the next generation.

 

The aftenoon was completed by a plenary session from Marilyn Mottram, the HMI Deputy National Lead for English and Literacy.  this was particularly useful as she spoke about the responsibilities of OFSTED and those areas that are for the goverment.  We did get confirmation that reading for pleasure does appear in the handbook and it is something that schools need to be working with.  She said that reading was “more than a cognitive act, it exposes hildren to other worlds, languages and information”  It is important that teachers are also readers. there is a need for schools to develop policies around reading as few of them have a clear policy on how students become readers.There also needs to be more effective CPD for staff.  She spoke about many of the challenges around encouraging reading, who sets the programmes and closing the gap for PP pupils.

Documents that were quoted included  “Reading by Six”  and “English at the Crossroads”.

This really turned out to be a very stimulating day with lots to think about and many ideas to bring home and try and put into practise.  The problem really is in bringing all of this to the wider audience and making them understand that this is not optional but actually a fundamental part of trying to improve literacy and learning at all levels.

 

You can find papers from the conference on the SLA website at this address.

http://www.sla.org.uk/reading-for-excellence-sla-one-day-conference.php#sn3128

Back from Conference

The past week has been particularly hectic for a large group of school librarians.  First we had the School Library Association conference in Manchester over the weekend and on Monday there was the announcement of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway book awards which had been shadowed by around 5000 groups nationally.  I was extremely lucky and attended both of these events, so I am now trying to catch up with sleep and all my emails etc.

I have a soft spot for Manchester as I spent 2 years there as a library school student in the early 1970s.  The city has changed dramatically, but it is still a hub for libraries and books, as I was reminded as I drove past the  world renownedJohn Rylands Library. There is also the newly refurbished central library, with the great round reading room, and the Cheetham’s Library which is part of the school.  The venue for the weekend was great with quite luxurious rooms (compared with student accommodation from past years) and all the talks, workshops, cake tastings within easy distance on the hotel mezzanine floor.

A comfortable sleep

A comfortable sleep

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We’re going on a Bear Hunt.

 

Whilst meeting authors and illustrators is the icing on the cake, conference is really about updating skills and gaining knowledge.  This is not just from the talks and workshops but also through the networking with colleagues from a range of other school settings.

There were two keynote sessions and both provided a lot of interest. Despite all my years in the profession and all the people I have met, I think this is the first time that I have had the pleasure of hearing Malorie Blackman speak.  She was in discussion with the lovely Wendy Cooling and the topics ranged from her role as the children’s laureate to her love of libraries and how they had been important throughout her life.  She was so full of enthusiasm and a wonderful ambassador when talking to members of the government.2014-06-20 15.06.01The second keynote session was by Niall  McWilliams, the head at Carterton Community School and winner of the School Library design award.  It was great to have a headteacher who was so supportive of the role that school libraries and their librarians have in the achievements of the school.

Workshops were wide ranging, from storytelling to EPQ  and also how librarians can work with publishers.  I particularly enjoyed author Steve Hartley who persuaded about 10 of us to step inside the most enormous pair of knickers that we had ever seen.

Really big knickers

Really big knickers

He also spoke about the importance of humour in connecting children to reading, something that we could all agree on.

It was also great to see the ever cheerful and brilliant Neil Griffiths, who as a headteacher many years ago had come up with the idea of Story-sacks.  He is wonderful at showing how storytelling SHOULD be done, so that the children are truly captivated by the experience.

Finally, I attended a workshop with Alyx Price from Macmillan and Harriet Bayly from Oxford University Press who were discussing how schools can work directly with publishers in a variety of ways.  This can range from reviewing proofs of new books to having author visits.  Publishers can also provide materials such as bookmarks which are always very popular with the pupils.

One of the really great things about a conference is usually the exhibition.  This one covered a wide range of areas for school librarians but it was rather short on publisher stands.  However those that did attend were friendly and very helpful, giving everyone a chance to catch up on what is new out there.  Overall this was a lovely conference which stimulated the mind and provided much needed time to talk to colleagues.