Look out for … June 13, 2008
Posted by smartley in Uncategorized. add a comment… an eight day, free series of booklets on the World Religions, beginning on Saturday 14th June with the first part of a two part “Encyclopedia of World Religions” (the second part with the Independent on Sunday), to be followed throughout next week by a mini six part series of booklets - one for each of the major world faiths.
… a series of three weekly programmes on BBC Four “Jews” beginning Wednesday June 18th at 9:00pm with:
The Prisoner
New series offering an insight into the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in North London.
This is the story of Samuel Leibowitz, a 38-year-old Hasidic Jew, who was born and raised in Stamford Hill and has multiple convictions for international drug smuggling. This film follows him as he comes out of prison and returns to his community, documenting his re-entry into ultra-orthodox life to discover whether he can overcome his transgressions and live once again as an observant Hasidic Jew.
… The Jewish Way of Life a free CD-Rom for your school and this supporting website which is packed with teaching tips and print outs. You can also find out about the Jewish Way of Life touring exhibition and request a visit to your area.
Click to find out more or order your free copy.
Blogging in RE is alive and well ….
Posted by admin in Uncategorized. add a comment…. and positively thriving at Nodehill Middle School, Newport, Isle of Wight. Take a look at some of the great things that are happening there and get some ideas for setting up a blog for your RE department! You can also go there from the sidebar widget.
Also have a look at the St Thomas More RE blog. It’s great to see RE flourishing in the world of blog!
Boring, irrelevant RE?
Posted by smartley in Uncategorized. add a commentHave you got students (or parents) who ask why it is necessary to study RE? Check out this YouTube video!
RecREate April 21, 2008
Posted by smartley in Uncategorized. add a commentFollowing the Culham conference today at York St John on using storytelling and poetry to engage learners in RE, here is a post where delegates can add comments or suggest good resources which you might like to share with others.
As a starting point, here is a link to David’s presentation
and also to his blogsites at Carmel College: Sixth form, Rome and International.
You will find also find information about blogging and podcasting on this blog, as well as a link to Nodehill Middle School’s RE blog.
Here are some links to find out more about: Comic Life Deluxe, Evans Publishing for RE and Multi Faith and The Works 6 (poems for asssembly) edited by Pie Corbett
I look forward to reading your post, comments and suggestions!
Podcasting for GCSE RS revision April 18, 2008
Posted by smartley in Uncategorized. add a commentThe RS department of Graham School in Scarborough use fresh, innovative and student-friendly techniques to aid revision GCSE RS revision. Recently, I spent a day working with RS Subject Leader Mrs Mandy Head and a class of Year 10 students to create a series of podcasts. Students were already familiar with how to podcast, but they were introduced to alternative software which, because of its simple to use design, meant that the focus could be on the content, rather than technology. Students worked in pairs or small groups to research their information, prepare and rehearse scripts before creating their podcasts.
Afterwards, Mandy asked them about the experience. The majority of students found this a very worthwhile and positive experience, and it appealed most to those who are auditory learners. Here are some of their responses:
“I enjoyed the podcasting exercise as it was something different and fresh. It was also more modern and appealed to young people as a way to revise than text book revision. I think I learned more and will use this tool to revise from in future.”
“I managed to learn the key words to this topic by listening to my partner reading them I would use the pod casts to learn from as I am an audio learner. It was easier to learn the key words as I picked up the rhythm in the person’s voice and use the beat to learn these words. I would recommend podcasts to others.”
“It was valuable as I think I learnt a lot on the day about how to ‘podcast’ but more about RS. I think I would use this technique to revise from because I like listening to my friends and it would be good to hear them when I was revising. I would recommend the experience to others as I feel it is well worth while. I do sometimes revise using audio.”
“I had a good day. It was different and new. I think it was a valuable idea to have access to. It will spur me on to try this at home. I think I am an auditory learner so I will benefit from this day. I think I will use it to learn my Science facts as wall as I think it is suited to this kind of subject. “
“I thoroughly enjoyed the day as it provided a unique way to learn, that I believe I would benefit from. I have made revision cards but I would make podcasts to revise from. I found the day helpful and would definitely want to try these techniques in other lessons that I find challenging. I would like to know if there are podcasts on the internet that I could listen to for this and other subjects.”
Click here if you would like to listen to one of the podcasts which were produced.
Congratulations! March 12, 2008
Posted by smartley in Uncategorized. add a commentAfter only one year in the education sector, True Tube (see below for more details) has won an Innovation Award at this year’s BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association) supported Education Resource Awards. It was also a runner up in the ‘Best Secondary Education Resource or Equipment - ICT award’
The judges called TrueTube ‘an exciting programme, encouraging the discussion of challenging ideas using a social networking format’ and ‘a truly exciting and innovative opportunity for young people as well as teachers’.A weekly programme based on TrueTube will appear on the “Community Channel” during the spring.
Web 2.0, digital resources and ideas for RE December 29, 2007
Posted by admin in Uncategorized. 1 comment so farI came across these recently and thought they might be worth noting.
Have you heard? REFuel has a very useful audio glossary, where you can listen to the correct pronunciation of religious vocabulary and also hear an explanation of the meaning.
Do you know about TrueTube? This website provides engaging and authentic materials on subjects which are relevant and real to young people. In addition to watching videos, students are encouraged to develop their own and submit them to the site. This offers opportunities for students to:
• develop key skills – in ICT and communication
• increase awareness of spiritual, ethical, social, cultural, environmental and political issues.
As the site is moderated and there is a list of house rules to be observed, great care is taken to ensure that material with an offensive, obscene, racist or libellous will not be uploaded.
Voki enables users to express themselves on the web in their own voice using a talking character. You can customize your Voki to look like you or take on the identity of lots of other types of characters… animals, monsters, anime etc. Voki can speak using your own voice which is added via microphone, upload, or phone.
Using Web 2.0 in Religious Studies Mark Woolley from Australia posted this presentation on Slideshare.
In Our Time, the BBC Radio 4 programme, hosted by Melvin Bragg, often broadcasts on religious or philsophical themes. The archive means that you can listen to programmes at an appropriate point in your GCSE or A Level syllabus which were broadcast earlier.
Photos
Wikimedia has a section of free to use (under a Creative Commons Licence) religious images.
EveryStockPhoto also has a large number of photos. I put “religious” into the search, but narrow it down with a specific word - you’ll be surprise what you can find! (I tried Zoroastrian and Bahá’í, though you need to put it in as “bahai“).
Make virtual visits to places of pilgrimage using Google Earth. You will need to download the program, then have a look at the additional photos and information which has been added at sites such as Makkah, Lourdes or Jerusalem.
You Tube now has an RE Teachers group with some interesting videos which could be used in the classroom. Here are a couple of examples.
16 - 19 Christian Spirituality October 9, 2007
Posted by admin in Uncategorized. add a commentDare2Engage - an organisation supported by the Jerusalem Trust, provide a great number of ideas and resources for developing Christian education with 16- 19 year olds. There are a large number of resources, ideas and reports available the Dare2Engage website.
Watch the Teachers’ TV programme of work on Body Theology filmed at a 16-19 conference run by d2e which helped students look at the relationship of the physical and the spiritual and to consider a range of values and commitments - for themselves and others.
Asbojesus is a website on which there are some challenging cartoons on a range of Christian or church issues, some of which could be used as a discussion starting point in the classroom. Here is an example.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2008 September 27, 2007
Posted by admin in Uncategorized. add a commentDownloadable materials to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2008 for both primary and secondary, are now available on the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website.
The theme for 2008 is Imagine … Remember, Reflect, React.
They have produced a short video The Dignity of Difference (in two parts) which can be viewed here, on the HMDT website or on YouTube.
Every year, in time for Holocaust Memorial Day, HETI or the Holocaust Education Trust of Ireland run the Crocus Project. Aimed at 11-12 year olds, it involves pupils in planting yellow crocuses to commemorate the 1.5 million children who died during the Holocaust. HETI send bulbs to participating schools together with a pack which gives guidelines and suggests classroom activities which encourage tolerance and respect for others.
Not in my name July 7, 2007
Posted by admin in Uncategorized. add a commentIt is interesting that two of the great Abrahamic faiths have almost identical quotations in their sacred texts:
“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” Jerusalem Talmud
“… Whoever kills an innocent soul.. it is as if he killed the whole of mankind, And whoever saves one, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind” Qur’an 5:32
Muslims United has begun a campaign which aims to address the negative perceptions and stereotypes of Islam and British Muslims. On 6th July, full page advertisements in national broadsheet and tabloid newspapers aimed to disassociate a coalition of Muslim organisations with terrorism and violence. Further phases of this campaign are planned to comabat racism and Islamophobia and to engage diverse communities in interaction.
If we each searched our souls for “Not in my name” actions, how would the world be?
