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Apply to be part of AP Connect NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS

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Apply to be part of AP Connect NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS

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Launches 7 July

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#APConnect Exciting News!

The team at touchconsulting Ltd is delighted to announce that we will be hosting #APConnect Year 4 on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation. We know for many of you the Summer break is nearly here, but we wanted to give you plenty of time so you can figure out which pathway is best suited to you, and to your colleagues.

#APConnect is organised by touchconsulting Ltd on behalf of The Education and Training Foundation (ETF). This year, the ETF have asked us to support 585 unique engagements, by which they mean 585 discrete individuals who have directly benefited from #APConnect. ⭐️It doesn't matter if you have been on #APConnect before, you can still apply to one or more pathway⭐️ We still hope to make every pathway of the programme available to anyone who wants to apply, even if we have already counted your engagement in our monitoring, but, mindful of how far we can also stretch our energies and resources, we can't guarantee this.

So what's the #APConnect offer this year?

This year the programme is offering the following fully subsidised exciting pathways:

Constellations B & C with ATS support & Equalities Mentoring: 150 places! *** Applications now open***

Advanced Practice modules including a new in-house : 75 places ***Bookings now open***

Practitioner Led FE Professional Learning including grant funding: 30 places ***NEW for this year***

Train the Trainers in FE Professional Learning: 25 places ***NEW for this year***

National Conference, Friday 25 March 2022: 200 places ***Save the Date***

Join us on Wednesday 16 June, 4.30 - 5.30 at the #APConnect: Keeping the Lights On! live-stream launch to find out more.

Communities of Practice (CoP) - Constellations

The Constellations are a fully subsidised, cutting edge professional learning programme open to those in AP-type roles. After the success of last year, this year's programme will be totally online. Applications for the 150 places across Constellations B & C are now open and close on Wednesday 30 June 2021.

Constellation Pathways
There are two Constellation pathways: Constellation C and Constellation B (yes, you read it right, no Constellation A😆).

Constellation B is for new and new-to-APConnect APs and for people who are on their journey to becoming an AP. It is structured, with online modules to complete and lots of support from the Constellation facilitators. No-one's potential is limited and you have access to Constellation C opportunities, such as Festival Fridays.

Constellation C is for relatively experienced APs, including those who have been on the programme before. Constellation C is a festival of co-learning, with the intention of amplifying and sharing AP practice. Last year APs organised events, blogged, podcasted, became writers for TES and even started a radio station! We'll help you find your voice and we'll bring you together with other APs who will inspire and support you. This year Cs will also get priority access to the new Practitioner-Led FE Professional Learning pathway including grant funding.

We are recruiting now to Constellations B and C. Apply here:

Closing date: Wed 30 June 2021, 5pm

Equalities Mentoring

We are delighted to be offering our impactful Equalities Mentoring programme for a second time, in partnership with the BAMEEd Network and EQtraining. This offers a blend of one-to-one mentoring and equalities-positive workshops. Find out more and please indicate on your Constellations application form if you wish to be involved.

ATS and QTLS Support

We offer meaningful support for ATS, in partnership with the PDN ATS Staffroom. Last year's participants really valued this peer space, with additional support from Constellations facilitators experienced in ATS. We didn't have anyone undertaking QTLS last year, but if that's you we will be sure to set up something similar. This is why we ask you about QTLS/ATS on the application form.

CPD Pathway

Building on last year's success, we will continue offering differentiated CPD for new and experienced practitioners operating in Advanced Practitioner (AP)-type roles. So here goes:

If you are an experienced AP we are confident one, if not all, of the 'Advanced Practice' modules will catch your eye! All three are online modules: pre-module activities, online live session/s and a follow up webinar, kicking off in July! All modules are fully subsidised by the Education and Training Foundation.

Deepening your Thinking Environment Practices - Advanced Practice ***Book here***

For those APs who have some experience of practising the Thinking Environment, first introduced on day one of ETF's 'Developing APs' 3-day CPD, this is a must. Designed and delivered by Lou Mycroft and Bryony Croft, this online module will focus on practising the facilitation of applications such as thinking pairs, dialogue, timed talk, thinking rounds and time to think councils - with lots of opportunities to practise, practise, practise!

Developmental Observations - Advanced Practice ***Book here***

For APs keen to re-examine observations through formative, and not performative, lens - this is a must. This popular module is designed and delivered by Professor Matt O'Leary and Joanne Miles exploring expansive and practical ways of using observations developmentally. There is a big focus on developing the coaching beliefs, behaviours and skills underpinning such an approach.

Leading AP Teams - Advance Practice ***Book here***

For managers leading AP-type teams this is a must. This module focuses on how to create and sustain the conditions for AP teams to thrive; exploring your vision, resources and skills investment in APs. It is delivered by Joanne Miles and Professor Matt O'Leary.

Looking to develop your AP team? Looking to develop your managers?

Because #APConnect has expanded significantly in Year 4, we are staggering our application process. Watch out for:

Practitioner Led FE Professional Learning ***NEW for this year*** Launching 7 July 2021

Train the Trainers in FE Professional Learning ***NEW for this year*** Launching autumn term

Thoroughly Thinking Environment programmes (the 'Basics') ***NEW for this year as an inhouse programme***

Limited places. Register your interest by dropping alison@touchconsulting.net a line.

What else?

National Conference

And finally we are delighted to be hosting our national AP Conference on Friday 25 March 2022. Do pop the date in your diary. This will be a face-to-face event (fingers crossed) but we will go online if we need to. Browse our awesome March 2020 Spark(l)ing Constellations conference here.

In the meantime...

Do follow the twitter handle @touchconsulting and #APConnect for updates and as always, if you have any queries about any of the programme pathways, please contact Joss Kang joss@touchconsulting.net or on Twitter @josskang or @loumycroft

Graphic by pen@penmendonca.com

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Professional Development Programme for Advanced Practitioners: 2021 - 2022 - Touch Consulting

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APConnect Exciting News! The team at touchconsulting Ltd is delighted to announce that we will be hosting #APConnect Year 4 on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation. We know for many of you the Summer break is nearly here, but we wanted to give you plenty of time so you can figure out which...

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Read about the MA short course and MPhill, sponsored by ETF and run by Sunderland University.

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Find tips here and search @FEresearchmeet or #FEresearchmeet on Twitter

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A free and democratic movement building and supporting engagement with research in FE, led by practitioners, for practitioners

CONTACT #FERESEARCHMEET

Get in touch with #FEResearchMeet to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.

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A free and democratic movement building and supporting engagement with research in FE, led by practitioners, for practitioners CONTACT #FERESEARCHMEET Get in touch with #FEResearchMeet to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.

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Video of an in real life event!

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Ashton Sixth Form College #FEResearchMeet 2018

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Develop the expertise, capacity, quality and publication of research across the post-16 education and training sector to allow the sector to allow the sector to speak for itself.

The Research College Group brings together 10 founder organisations comprised of colleges and sixth forms who lead in practitioner research. Our vision is to promote the development and use of practitioner research in the post-16 education and training sector.
Find out more about us.

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Get in touch to come on the podcast or do a takeover. 

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Get in touch to come on the podcast or do a takeover. 

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@jfletchersaxon @alistairteaches on Twitter
Or Jo on LinkedIn is www.linkedin.com/in/jo-fletcher-saxon-1204451a

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Conversations with educators about research in and relating to further education in the UK. Academics, practitioner researchers, postgraduate students, teachers, lecturers, support colleagues, research and campaign organisations - we welcome everyone behind the mic. We are particularly keen to raise the profile of those working in the sector who are engaged with edu research and our allies in academia, all with something to say about the powerful role played by FE in shaping peoples' lives and our communities. We chat with those undertaking small scale enquiry relating to their practice right through to professors, policy makers and practice influencers. We sometimes venture outside of FE and see what life is like for educator-researchers in other phases of education or get creative and chat with poets and artists. As PhD students and full time teachers ourselves, we usually have something to say about what we have been up to. We also love nothing more than an end of podcast game with our guests! Feel free to get in touch and join the conversation. Keep the discussion going on twitter @FEresearchpod, on instagram @FEresearchpodcast or search #FEresearchpodcast. You can also find Jo hanging out on LinkedIn and she's also rather a fan of an instagram reel (she has not yet ventured to Tik Tok, something we can all be grateful for). Alistair is more likely to be found at the editing desk or wielding a mic and camera. Find out more here: linktr.ee/feresearchpodcast.

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The FE Research Podcast with Jo and Alistair | a podcast by feresearchpodcast

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Conversations with educators about research in and relating to further education in the UK. Academics, practitioner researchers, postgraduate students, teachers, lecturers, support colleagues, research and campaign organisations - we welcome everyone behin...

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Sponsored by ETF

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What on earth is The Research College Group?

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What on earth is The Research College Group?

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Meet some of us here

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FE Research UK (channel host Jo Fletcher-Saxon)

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Feed the Tree

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CPD

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It's true to say that the further education sector can learn a lot from other sectors - but I do worry that we don't prioritise developing our own practice, capability and thoughts.

I get very frustrated when I see large amounts of money spent on books, keynotes and trainers from outside the sector, especially from schools. Why aren't we foregrounding our own people? Do we really think that someone from a school setting interpreting research can, by default, do it better than someone from our own sector? We're surrounded by colleagues and ex-colleagues who are trainers or consultants or work in universities. These people are willing to help, develop and act as "critical friends". So why don't we utilise their knowledge?

Opinion: How FE runs edu-research on a shoestring

Read more: New website launches to promote FE research
Background: Greening the desert of FE research is proving tricky
It causes problems. I've heard stories where a key figure in a college has been out to a conference, seen a school-based "research-translator" speak and, as a result, has purchased a copy of their book for every staff member and booked them for subsequent CPD events.

On the surface, this seems like a good thing to do. But is the context and practice of schools the same as FE? The absence of FE specialists in schools suggests not. It raises questions about the development of our own sector's practice and its inability to move away from the idea that teaching is generic and that somewhere there is a silver bullet that will make us all better teachers.

FE's most valuable resource

Recent research suggests that pedagogical development is far from generic. Last week, I watched Dr Kevin Orr's lecturer on subject-specific pedagogy. He is a former Esol teacher who, with his colleagues at the University of Huddersfield, now leads the development of thought around pedagogy in the sector. Mr Orr says that he cannot offer simple buttons to press, but his argument does follow the context of the sector: his examples are from the sector, the policy he discusses is sector policy and the context he discusses is ours. He builds strong arguments that subject-specialism is the way to develop pedagogical practice in the sector, but offers a balanced perspective by looking at the way in which policy change often undermines pedagogical development.

There are two issues at play: borrowing ideas can add to the perpetuation of teaching as a generic agenda, and neglecting context is damaging both to the development of teachers and teaching. There is also a third: that by neglecting people from within the sector itself we are - by implication - damaging the sector.

Sector leaders often make the case for the under-appreciation and underfunding of the sector. But if the sector's most valuable resource - its lecturers and teachers and their knowledge and practice - is ignored, then the whole argument is undermined.

It comes back to this idea that anyone can teach in FE, the idea that it's easy to lay bricks, cut hair or look after children. It's the notion that we don't need to think about or respect practice in this area, because surely it's just common sense? It's so simple and doesn't need theorising and we certainly don't need to hear about what these people think about teaching, do we? I mean, after all, they probably didn't get a degree, and they didn't do a PGCE and if you can't write a great essay about teaching, then you can't possibly be a great teacher, can you?

I digress.

But returning back to Kevin Orr's argument, there is a strong link between subject knowledge and development of pedagogy, and, therefore, I would urge the sector to respect itself more than it does. We need to consider the importance of understanding the sector, its knowledge and its practice in developing its teaching and developing its own great people, great conversations, debate, and practice. We should look outside FE, but let's respect and develop what's within and around the sector first.

Sam Jones is a lecturer at Bedford College, founder of FE Research Meet and was FE Teacher of the Year at the Tes FE Awards 2019

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Why are we so afraid of our own knowledge in FE?

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It's true to say that the further education sector can learn a lot from other sectors - but I do worry that we don't prioritise developing our own practice, capability and thoughts. I get very frustrated when I see large amounts of money spent on books, keynotes and trainers from outside the sector, especially from schools.

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Sammy's workshop Jamboard - Google Jamboard

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The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

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Crowson, Fletcher-Saxon, Jones, Woodrow 2020

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You can turn your current action research project into an article for inSPIRE FE

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You can turn your current action research project into an article for inSPIRE FE

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This is for those new into teaching in FE - trainees and those within first 5 years of teaching in FE. You can write reflective pieces, reviews or formal pieces. Take a look!

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About the Journal

InSPIRE Is a new journal about learning and teaching for trainee teachers and teacher educators in the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector. It aims to provide a platform for trainee teachers and future educators in the FE and Skills sector; to share their research, emerging research, reflections, experience and effective practice during placements, training, or within the first 2 years after completing their training. Collaborative writing with tutors or mentors is particularly encouraged.

Current Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2021): 'The voice of Further Education'

View All Issues

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inSPIRE FE is a new national journal supporting the development of new educators in the Futher Education and Skills Sector in the uk. Covering all aspescts of both Inital Teacher Trianing and Newly Quafied Techers in their post training journey.

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Share your thinking with others

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Learn more about inSPIRE FE and what we do to promote the voice of Further Education in the UK.

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Join communities of research interested educators

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First Tues of month at 7pm and alternate Fridays at 4pm