Creativity in Education: International Perspectives

Creativity has become a buzzword across all disciplines in education and across all phases, from early years through to tertiary education. Although the meaning of creativity can change vastly depending on the global educational setting, it is impossible to ignore the applicability and relevance of creativity as an educational tool, philosophical framework and pedagogical approach.
Image of the cover for the book "how to make the most of your research journal": a journal surrounded by items used for journaling

Support for students taking on research projects

This is a link to a webinar organised to offer support for students taking on research projects. My contribution was based on my book Making the Most of Your Research Journal.

Book: Lived Experiences of Ableism in Academia

Deeply embedded in personal experiences, this perceptive book provides examples for universities to develop inclusive practices, accessible working and learning conditions and a less ableist environment.

Research impact poster

This is an example of a prize-winning research impact poster.
Image of one slide from the presentation depicting a quote from a participant: Invisible disability in the academy is exhausting, peers & work conditions constantly overlook my needs. They have difficulty grasping fluctuations & often it's easier to just shrug off my needs.

Disability post-lockdown

This post is a link to a recording from an event held on the 25th November 2020 via the University of Birmingham, where I was asked to discuss disability experiences before and after Covid19 Lockdown.

Strategies to manage academic life

This is a post I wrote in July 2018 about how neurodiverse, chronically ill and disabled academics manage their academic life. This was published as a guest post on the Chronically Academic blog.

Article: Embodied reflection within dance training

This article explores where the somatically inspired pedagogy of teaching reflective practice through a creative and embodied approach sits within dance training.

Article: Using LEGO® to understand emotion work

This paper presents how LEGO® can be used in workshops to explore doctoral students’ emotions around the complex and solitary experience of a PhD research.

Identity boxes

In this post I describe what identity boxes are, how I developed the idea and why identity boxes can be used in research.

Using audience response systems for teaching

In my experience using audience response systems in secondary or higher education can improve participation and engagement amongst learners.

Time management

A cyclical process of reading, writing and editing is only possible if you leave enough time. Time management is therefore one of the key skills to learn when entering University life. The easiest way to introduce effective time management is by preparing schedules.

How to make writing more academic

In tutorials students often tell me that they are not confident regarding their writing skills and they ask me how to make writing more academic. Every University, every faculty and even departments will have their own philosophy relating to writing, so these guidelines must be adhered to. However, I personally think that students' attempts to make writing more academic often result in less structured and weaker essays.

Lesson planning: The hook, a good starter

It may look simple to deliver the hook but in reality planning for the hook should not be underestimated, after all you need something very catching to get your students' attention so they become interested in your lesson.

Methodology and methods – what are they?

When preparing a practice-based enquiry or research you will need to ask yourself how you will answer your research question or test your hypothesis. The methodology and methods section of a proposal or write-up lays out these ground rules and approaches you take.

Reflective model according to Gibbs

This is a brief description of how the reflective cycle according to Gibbs works.

The bilingual’s relationship with language

Having a bilingual child does not necessarily mean that the child’s relationship with languages is an easy one. It is possible that your bilingual child simultaneously loves and loathes languages.