C.E. Jottings

Déjà vu, all over again. The dysfunctional services that confront parents of children with cerebral palsy

Two news items earlier this week: the report in Charity Today “Children’s Disability Charity Launches New Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration Service” and the announcement by Action Cerebral Palsy of the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s report “Early identification, intervention and pathways of care of infants and young children with cerebral palsy: The case for reform and Investment”. Charity Today has this to say: “CPotential is a one-stop-shop of rehabilitation services for children with movement disorders. The charity also offers physiotherapy, conductive... Read more →

Conductive Serendipity – or why conductive education is more than the physical

Judit Szathmary set the thought flowing. “A masterpiece is still a masterpiece when the lights are out and the room is empty” she wrote on Facebook. But is it? That put me in mind of the old philosophy conundrum: “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s nobody around to hear, does it make a sound?” Does it? In turn, that led me to Hui-neng's Flag. Hui-neng, founder of the Zen school of Buddhism, one day happened to pass... Read more →

Potential has the potential for a great deal of potential confusion in education

Andrew Sutton distinguishes "ability" and "potential" saying "The two should never be confused." Personally I would not confuse them as I have no use (and especially see no use in Conductive Education) for the term when thinking about the education or upbringing of children. I added a Comment to Andrew's post to this effect. "Whether fulfilling, reaching or unlocking, I am at a loss to understand how the notion of potential, however defined, contributes anything to my understanding of pedagogy.... Read more →

More potential nonsense. Sadly. But some good reading, too.

There are few enough books written by those who have cerebral palsy. "I'll Do It Myself" by Glenda Watson Hyatt is one that I have throughly enjoyed reading and highly recommend. (Her blog is on my recommended reading list, too!) Another quite different book but equally enjoyable read is "George's Travelogue", by George McDowell. One of the best regular blogs (because, like the two books, it challenges comfortable, conventional thinking) is "Lawyer on Wheels" by Ralph Strzałkowski. (Both the latter... Read more →

Potential nonsense. Reach it or unlock it, if you know what it is.

"Potential", in mainstream educational discourse is everywhere to be "reached" or "unlocked". Here's a fine example. I have, as they say, "redacted' the name of the institution. "XXX’s purpose is: Unlocking Potential Through Learning. With a nationwide network of colleges and training centres, we work with more than 20,000 businesses and 133,000 learners every year, regionally and nationally, to help them reach their full potential and build a talented workforce through high quality training.” Does anyone have any idea what... Read more →

Thinking differently about special education (from Carter and his review of ITT)

The Carter Review of Initial Teacher Training has been published. I struggle to imagine who could possibly find it an essential and inspirational document. It is a little more than a re-hash of the prevailing orthodoxy. It has nothing of value to say about special education or special pedagogy. In contrast, and coincidentally, I am at the moment reading "Vygotsky and Special Needs Education: Rethinking Support for Children and Schools" (Continuum International Publishing Group 2011. Eds Harry Daniels and Mariane... Read more →

Brain plasticity and pedagogy - not yet a new science of learning?

A posting on Facebook by Andrew Sutton and Comments that followed prompted the following loose thoughts. As an account of the functioning of the brain, neuroplasticity demolishes two strong and long-held learning and teaching positions: that, with ageing, the brain somehow seized up and that certain children were born ‘ineducable’. As illustrations, the former is neatly expressed in the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” and the latter in the persistence in the UK until the early... Read more →

For those not scared off by the word 'Pedagogy'

Just a quick 'heads up', as they say. A friend of Paces, John Rudkin, one time head of education sevices for Apple UK, and someone with a deep interest in teaching and learning (a man not afraid to use the word 'pedagogy'!) posted the following link on Facebook: "The Maker Movement and the Rebirth of Constructionism". This link leads to the infographic below which in turn leads to 2 more links for those interested in pedagogy - and who in... Read more →

Teachers and training and special education - and Tom Peters

Tom Peters argues that "The very best and the very brightest and the most energetic and enthusiastic and entrepreneurial and tech-savvy of our university graduates must—must, not should—be lured into teaching. (They need not stay for life—one would be happy with 5 years, ecstatic with 10.)" Me? I'd settle right now just for teachers of children with cerebral palsy to be trained to do so. Read more →

MaSt - What's more ... Systemic failure of children with SEN statements

“…. there will always be a group of pupils who – however they are labelled – are likely to have difficulties in accessing the everyday classroom learning experience.” (The Making a Statement project – final report” Webster & Blatchford, Institute of Education February 2013.) I looked at this report in my previous posting. It is an interesting report, worth, in my view, the time spent in reading it. But …. And it is the “buts” that I keep coming back... Read more →