Marie Huxtable

Living Educational Theory Research as Transformational Continuing Professional Development.

Continuing professional development (CPD) living educational theory offers an approach to CPD that enables educators to enhance their own professional practice and enable them to offer as gifts the knowledge, expertise and talents they develop to extend the knowledge base of the profession. In this paper we briefly introduce living theory research and the international CPD project, ‘Living Values Improving Practice Cooperatively’, that began in the process of supporting educators through a Master’s programme.

Everyone a Winner - Towards Exceptional Achievement for All

This paper explores the implications of a model that works from the premise that all children may be capable of what is currently considered to be exceptional performance, in one or more areas of skill, talent or endeavour. In this scenario the role of the educator is to develop their pedagogical understanding and practice so that an increasing number of children have the opportunity to give expression to their exceptional ability during their life time. The paper goes on to introduce a framework I have been developing to enable me to reflect on and progress a learning environment which provides the experiences and support that will enable children and young people to develop the attitudes, attributes, understandings and skills of thought full and thoughtful learners, with informed aspirations, and the confidence, competence and understanding of themselves, necessary to realise them, to their own and societys benefit.

Educators creating a knowledge-base of a profession of educators

This themed issue comprises articles by educators who successfully completed the Master’s units tutored by Marie Huxtable and Jack Whitehead, and they were accredited by the University of Bath (UK) between 2008 and 2010. Their articles show how, even after years of a straight-jacket in the form of targets and a UK national curriculum and years of teachers being trained to ‘deliver’ content, there are educators who have the courage and confidence to reflect, research their understanding of their professional educational praxis, make informed changes and contribute their evolving knowledge as a gift to create a professional body of educators.

Creating a Profession of Educators with the Living-Theories of Master and Doctor Educators.

In our last paper in GEI we presented an argument for teachers to engage in Living Educational Theory research as Continuing Professional Development. In this paper we extend our analysis to show how this can empower educators to improve their practice and, by offering as a gift the knowledge they generate in the process, contribute to the creation of a profession of educators. The extension is grounded in the idea of enhancing professionalism in education through recognising and accrediting accounts of living-educational-theories as knowledge generated by professional practitioners as master and doctor educators. We distinguish Living Educational Theory research from a living-educational-theory. Living Educational Theory research refers to the conceptual principles that distinguish the research approach. A living-educational-theory is a values-based explanation offered by an individual of their educational influence in their own learning, the learning of others and the learning of social formations. It is argued that for this knowledge to be legitimated by universities, in the form of accredited awards, an extension and transformation will be required in the dominating forms of knowledge. It is also argued that educators teaching in continuing professional development programmes need to develop their talents, knowledge and expertise by researching their own practice in the same way as the teachers they are supporting. In doing so they exemplify an educational pedagogy appropriate to providing gifted education internationally for students of any age.

living theory and TASC: a multidimensional, inter and intra-relational, flowing Knot of Enquiry

I believe that I have a responsibility as a professional educator to theorise my practice, that is, to create explanations for what I am doing and judge the efficacy of what I do against standards that arise from recognising my own living educational values as they emerge through my practice. I am part of my world so I appreciate I have to take account of the constraints, opportunities and demands emanating from my employers, the communities in which I live and work and government agencies. I hope that teachers and other educators reading this paper will hear the words of the children and adults who are seeking to improve and explain their own learning as they hold themselves to account by living their values as best they can and be inspired to try to do the same.

the elasticated learner: beyond curriculum learning opportunities in a local education authority

After one Saturday workshop, Chris (an 11 year old) told me he was becoming an ‘elasticated learner’. This seems to succinctly sum up the purpose of education in general and the APEX (Able Pupils Extending Opportunities) out of hours sessions in particular, with the emphasis being not only on flexible, increased capacity but also on the ownership by the learner of the process. How can we help more young people to become ‘elasticated learners ‘; high ability learners willing and able to seek out and profit from learning experiences which will challenge and extend them, take them to new and uncharted territory and contribute to their educational voyage? Good curriculum teaching and school improvement are essential, but not sole, components of provision to meet the needs of high ability pupils. Children need to gain the competence, confidence and motivation to develop and achieve their ambitions as adults to their own and societys benefits. To this end it is argued that varied out of hours learning opportunities need to be developed in a variety of venues. It is proposed that Renzullis Enrichment Triad model is used to develop coherent provision with the Saturday Workshops and Summer Schools, which form part of the APEX (Able Pupils Extending Opportunities) Project in Bath and North East Somerset, given as examples.