That was some international conference. I hope everyone who attended had as good a time intellectually and socially as I did. My brain is still full of a kaleidoscope of impressions but I thought I would just throw down the events and thoughts that stuck in my head and see if they resonate with others who were there.
The keynote speakers were uniformly excellent. Gunter Kress gave us much food for thought. I have been thinking hard about his argument about the modularisation of writing and that the writer can start where he or she wants to start. Andrew Lambirth demanded that we reconsider the powerful and recently overlooked left wing tradition and the need to decide where we stand in the current political context.
Peter Freebody reminded us of the importance of Winchester in the history of literacy as well as arguing that if disciplinary writing is the high stakes task to be done at the end of secondary schooling, where is the research that looks at this. A good question for a literacy association.
Karen Wohlwend stunned us with examples of young children’s capacity to make meaning from new technologies and asked why this is not reflected in many educational settings.
Yetta Goodman demonstrated how teaching affects children’s literacy learning, pointing out that the miscues children make are contingent on the texts they are given to learn to read with. A crucial insight for educators to consider.
Our authors were inspirational and entertaining. Tony Mitton told the story of St Bridget and The Baker in verse form so succinctly and powerfully I don’t think I will ever forget it. Geraldine McCaughrean read beautifully from her books as well as making sharp points about reading and writing in schools which we should pay attention to. I hope Geraldine publishes her talk. I know it was written down.
All that and I haven’t even mentioned the richness of the parallel sessions! It would be unfair to pick out specific names but there were wholly original insights, practical activities to try out, as well as wise counsel.
Then there was the social activity. I was pleased to be in the winning team for the quiz but glad to be with people who knew the answers – I just wrote them down. And wasn’t the mayor nice!
Also who can forget the teachers and children who stood up and stunned us at the book awards on Thursday evening?
All in all a great event.
Thanks to everyone who participated, presented and helped to make it so.
Roll on Chester!
