Project Highlights from Year 2

Here are some of the project highlights to date:

- Race and Cultural Diversity Induction Days for PG Primary and BA Year One trainees in Didsbury and Crewe. Milton Brown (SPACE project) and Anjam Anwar (Lancs. Council of Mosques) led sessions.
- DEP promotional video shown at PG Secondary Professional Studies sessions; copy to centre leaders
- 'Global Dimension to Geography' workshop for PG Secondary Geography trainees. Also judged 'How to build GD concepts into a field trip to Castleton' assignment. Gave prizes of DEP resources to best two groups (November)
- 'Global Dimension to Geography keynote speech/interactive session at first Oldham Borough-wide Secondary Geographers' training day. Also workshops on 'Understanding Sustainability' (Nov.)
- Project staff attending meetings of Equality Resources group to update policy and online support materials
- Escape to Safety (experiential exhibition on refugees and asylum seekers) sited on Didsbury and Crewe Campuses (Jan/Feb). 250 students and 25 staff went through; some did related work before and after. Very positive oral and written feedback.
- Ph.D. research student (Helen Lawson) interim report on project evaluation (Feb): analysis of trainee questionnaires, trainee focus group interviews and staff interviews. Showed significant increase in confidence in teaching GD issues amongst PG Secondary trainees especially. Helen is also tracking 4 NQTs from MMU about their experiences of engaging with GD issues.
- Two half-day staff training and project review days with interested MMU staff. Included sessions on 'Open Space Learning' with Vanessa Andreotti of Nottingham University (See Knowledge and Understanding www.mundi.org.uk/otherworlds/) and using research from trainee focus groups 9 + 7 attended. Agreed to try to get MMU/IoE to engage in 'Future Search' activity - whole staff and stakeholder visioning activity
- Three project Steering Group meetings (December, March, July)
- Two Fair Trade days promoting products and resources outside the MMU Didsbury canteen, at Christmas and Easter, plus DEP Open Day in December.
- New BA Primary Year 3 Units on Global Citizenship, Children's' World and Thinking Skills, developed by Humanities Centre and DEP staff ran successfully. GC course included fora with guest speakers, on Asian Tsunami, Climate Change and Justice for Africa? First and third linked to editions of DEP's Global Express
- New CPD multi-professional module (at degree and masters level) on 'Diversity and identity: education for intercultural understanding' developed by MMU/DEP staff and project Steering Group members ran for first time from April to June. 12 attended from diverse professional backgrounds. Also stand alone certification and opt in to individual sessions. Very positive evaluations.
- New module on 'Sustainable Cities' Youth and Community Level 2 Elective. Course will become core unit next year. Project input into new 'Urban Education' module.
- 'Global Citizenship and ITE in England' at University of Utrecht, Holland, 'Global Citizenship Master-class' (March).
- Revised Global Dimension to the curriculum booklet (DEP helped edit and suggest examples of good practice) available free from DEP or from www.dea.org.uk. Also distributed copies of DfID's 'Rough Guide to a Better World and How You Can Make a Difference' www.roughguide-betterworld.com
- IoE staff Think Pieces (Global Dimension and Children's' World) published on Geography Association website www.geography.org.uk/projects/gtip/thinkpieces/
- The three global dimension notice boards on the MMU Didsbury campus have had displays on World AIDS day, Fair Trade Fortnight, Trade Justice, Make Poverty History and Send my Friend to School.
- Global Dimension to Citizenship lecture (plus follow up subject group work) as part of Professional Studies to all (600) PGCE Secondary trainees (Didsbury, Jan.). Also Early Years degree session.
- Session at Geography PGCE Secondary trainees and mentors day on perceptions of Africa (Feb.)
- Continued discussions with Dean and Head of IoE about position of DEP within MMU
- Project staff contributed to and helped edit 'Supporting the Standards' a booklet on how the global dimension links to and enhances the TTA standards
- Project input to Global and International Education Day for BA Primary Year One trainees. Joint keynote presentation. Arranged 5 workshops for afternoon (plus Erasmus experiences); 3 ran due to reduced numbers: Beatrice Ndungu (Southern Voices) 'Images of Kenya', Dominique Tessier 'Museum Artefacts and Cultural Diversity', Andy Clark 'Canon Burrows Primary School's approach to Global Dimension'; very positive evaluations from those who attended, plus tutors
- Meeting of IoE staff with tutors from Sao Paulo and Curitiba Universities in Brazil (plus Vanessa Andreotti) who are setting up Centres of Planetary Citizenship, to explore possible links
- Two staff attended World Studies Trust 'Global Issues, Global Challenges - Developing good practice through ITET' conference. Did workshop 'Big Brother, Little Sister - a DEC / University partnership approach to the Global Dimension in ITET'. Included video footage of BA GC trainee presentations on adapting QCA SoWs using GD concepts; requests for use as resource. Launch of 'Supporting the Standards' booklet.
- Positive 'Learning for Sustainable Cities' teaching materials developments: Rowantree Group will publish UK primary and secondary packs in Autumn. Presented materials to UNESCO in June who will promote them on their 'cyberbus'. DEP to write training pack in Autumn and advise on UK training programme.
- PG Secondary trainee enrichment work on GD issues, including development of GD Web-CT
- Revised GD questionnaire carried out with selection of BA Year 1, PG Primary and Secondary trainees in September/October and June/July. Focus groups held with BA Year 3 (Global Citizenship course), PG Primary and Secondary trainees. Staff interviews carried out by Researcher.
- Project input into BA Primary and PG Primary Teaching Studies review and Secondary Professional Studies review
- Global Dimension to curriculum workshop at Secondary Mentors Partnership conference (June).
- Every Child Matters keynote speech at Primary Mentors Partnership conference (July)
- Strategies for integrating global citizenship across the full range of ITE programmes, presentation given at Citized ITE conference at the LSE in July.
- Meeting with senior staff and New Economics Foundation (July) to plan possible Future Search (develop vision with key stakeholders) for IoE / MMU.