Creativity in Teaching and Learning
Media Education
Writing for Academic Purposes

I joined the University of Southampton School of Education in 2002 after having taught for 13 years in London secondary schools and colleges. I began my career in Camden and developed a strong profile in developing Media Education in the English curriculum and advising on the establishment of Media Studies courses locally. From 1996 onwards I was involved in devising and running training courses and conferences for teachers starting out in Media Education. I wrote for a range of publications produced by the English and Media Centre and the British Film Institute (notably Panic Attacks, (1998) and the Key Stage 3 Media Book (2001) (EMC). I retain a strong interest in the advancement of Media Education in schools and specifically in teacher knowledge and expertise in teaching about the Media. I have maintained strong links with the BFI, the work of the Centre for Children, Youth and Media at the Institute of Education and the work of the English and Media Centre . I am an Executive Committee Member of the newly formed Media Education Association and I have supported activity in the local MEA (Southern Media Education Association) since 2006. There are currently over 50 associate members locally. If you would like to join this network or find out about the national networks, please contact me at the above address.

Since 2002 I have led the PGCE in Secondary English and from 2003-2006 I coordinated the PGCE Professional Themes and Special Study programme. In this role I played a strong part in reconfiguring the PGCE programme to develop trainee teachers’ research skills and writing in line with the potential to achieve Masters Level award on the course. I have a strong interest in writing for academic purposes.

Research activity in 2004-2006 was developed from a grant awarded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to establish out-of-hours creative writing clubs for pupils. See below for further details.

I have just begun work on my PhD which will examine the ways in which the apparently rich and varied curriculum of English is conceptualized and operationalised in teachers’ thoughts and actions in a local secondary school.

1. English PGCE

UNESCO Youth Media Education Survey 2001
QCA Media Matters (2005) (Acted as survey consultant for ITT in Media Education) Report commssioned by QCA and the Department for Education and Skills and the work carried out by the English and Media Centre.
Media Education Association (MEA) Executive Committee member 2006

National Association of Teachers of English (NATE)
UKLA