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I Love My Brain Conference

June 2009

Inspired by last years ‘The Business of Learning’ conference and the result of collaboration between Clevedon School, Gordano Leading Edge and the ISSP, the idea behind the ‘I Love My Brain’ conference reads like a recipe – 

 

‘Take eighty students, from eight schools and arrange into mixed school teams. Place into a large local university. Add some excellent key note speakers (‘edutainer’ Dave Kealing, neuroscientist Dr Paul Howard-Jones and the juice master Jason Vale), sprinkle in a few professionally run workshops, and stir with some student ambassadors. Leave the whole lot to simmer for three days.’

 

The result? A unique educational experience that gave students the chance to meet, work and make friends with people from different backgrounds. The real challenge was overcoming the difficulties that are encountered when working as part of a group to a pressured deadline. Judging by the standard of the work, and the smiles on everyone’s faces, it would seem the students overcame this challenge admirably!

 

Teachers also had the chance to work together on a project based around the Personal Learning Thinking Skills (PLTS) framework. Over the duration of the conference ‘Team Teacher’ worked with the AST’s to produce a design for a website that will support the implementation of PLTS in schools.

 

One of the great things about this sort of event is the friendships and contacts made remain when everyone has packed up and gone home. The teacher collaboration has now developed into a North Somerset PLTS teacher research network, including Sidcot School, and will support developments with the new secondary curriculum - creating opportunities for 21st Century Learning. The students have set up their own Facebook site to keep in touch with all of their new friends.  This truly is an example of how collaboration can break down social barriers and stereotypes and provide opportunities for all.

 

 

 

 Links:

 

Information on the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills Framework

 

Download an evaluation of the 2008 conference

 

 

Professor Paul Howard-Jones

 

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