Selfie number 3

In this series of short posts, I'm writing about my top ten selfies (including elsies and photobombs) with people who have inspired me or have influenced my thinking. Previous selfie posts can also be viewed on this blog.

This is me with Sugata Mitra in Oslo, in 2013, just after I had interviewed him for the EDEN Conference television channel. I first heard him speak at Online Educa in Berlin, Germany about 10 years ago. There, he presented his seminal (and many would say controversial) work on minimally invasive education. He set up computers with tracker balls in holes in walls in the slums of India and observed how the children taught themselves in small groups, in what became known as the 'Hole in the Wall' project. The results of this research led to his belief that children can learn independently of adults or experts if they have a) the tools, b) the support of peers, and c) the motivation.

At the time, when I first heard about this project, I was quite excited by the idea that education does not have to be content led, or expert led, but that learners can lead their own learning. This chimed with the work of a number of theorists I had studied during my teacher training, including Carl Rogers, Paulo Freire and John Dewey. But Sugata's approach added technology into the equation, and located self directed learning within a digital context, which interested me the most. Several questions entered my mind. Could the pedagogical role of the educator be redefined? How could school be transformed into a minimally invasive environment? What role might technology play in the future to support autodidacticism?

I have subsequently worked alongside Sugata in many contexts, and am fascinated by his concept of the 'School in the Cloud' where retired people who have some spare time can connect remotely through video tools to children in place where teachers cannot, or will not go. Sugata Mitra has been criticised and praised in equal measure and his ideas polarise the education community. He has received the brickbats as well as the bouquets. Some are quite vehement in their attacks on his reputation and work, and conversely, others are equally aggressive in their defence of his ideas. Many a heated exchange has been observed in recent years on social media and in the mainstream press about this controversial and catalytic academic. Just like many influential scientists in the past, he has upset the applecart, and now everyone has an opinion about his work, his premises, his conclusions. He certainly has us all talking.

I have to say on a personal note that whatever you think about Sugata Mitra or conclude about his research, I have found he is genuinely open and approachable, always has plenty of time for people, and he has inspired me to think differently about education, learning and technology.

Photo courtesy of the European Distance and E-learning Network


Selfie number 3 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Selfie number 4

Me with Jay Cross and Graham Attwell, Salzburg 2008

In this series of short posts, I'm writing about my top ten selfies (including elsies and photobombs) with people who have inspired me or have influenced my thinking. Previous selfie posts can also be viewed on this blog.

In this photo I'm with Jay Cross and Graham Attwell, at a conference in Salzburg, Austria. I first met Graham at an event in the UK around 2006, just when I was becoming aware of the potential of social media such as wikis, blogs and social networking platforms as learning tools. My first impression was that he was something of a contradiction. He is a Welshman, but he speaks with a broad West Country accent, which belies everything that lies beneath. Tall and spare, and casually dressed, he is deceptively quiet - but then he lopes onto the stage, commands attention in the style of a trade union official (he was one and so was I) and everyone sits up and takes notice. He has some radical things to say about education, and he isn't always popular. But he caught my attention immediately, and we struck up a friendship.

With Josie Fraser, Helen Keegan and Cristina Costa in Utrecht, 2007

Graham invited me to speak in Utrecht the following year at an event called 'Show that you Share', which in retrospect became a pivotal point in my involvement in the open learning movement. The event was more than just a gathering of like-minded individuals from across Europe - it was a catalyst for change. I made my mind up around about this time that I needed to do a lot more research into this emerging field of openness, and decided that social media were the ideal tools to promote this concept. I then wrote and published a flurry of papers on the use of social media in education, about the same time as I started this blog. It transformed my professional practice. I have subsequently shared the stage with Graham on more than one occasion, and the sessions have always been laced with humour and lively debate.

Among his many projects, Graham was instrumental in launching the Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Conference, a global event that showcases research and practice in student centred pedagogy, and Sounds of the Bazaar - a live, internet radio programme that promoted open learning in all its forms. He also heads up the European research agency Pontydysgu (A Bridge to Learning). Whenever you hear him speak, you will be impressed by his passion for learning, and perhaps angered by some of the things he says. You can disagree with him, but you can't ignore him, because Graham is everywhere. I hope that continues for a long time.

Photo source unknown


Selfie number 4 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Selfie number 5

In this series of short posts, I'm writing about my top ten selfies with people who have inspired me or have influenced my thinking. Previous selfie posts can also be viewed on this blog.

I first met Alec Couros among that amazing gathering of people at the inaugural PLE (Personal Learning Environment) conference in Barcelona, in 2010. Alec is Professor of educational technology at the University of Regina in Canada. I add him to my list of selfies and photos for many reasons (here we are larking about on the Barcelona Metro). Alec is very influential in the world of learning technology, and has a huge following on Twitter and other social media channels. Alec is what you would call a 'connected educator', and you can watch him talking about this in an interview with Howard Rheingold during a video webcast. Watch out in particular for his ideas around 'visualising networks' and how tools mediate connections.

When you hear Alec speak you realise just how passionate he is about openness in education. He is a true champion of web democracy, and he practising what he preaches by sharing all his content and resources freely. Time and time again he demonstrates how social media and personal technologies can be used to enhance learning, engage students, reach out to others and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. He also has a wonderful sense of mischief, and makes you think deeply as he entertains you with his humour. I don't know anyone else in the field of learning technology who can pack so many fresh ideas into a keynote speech. Many of his talks and all of his slideshows are available online to download for free - and I admit to having used some of them in my own presentations over the years!

Photo by Joyce Seitzinger


Selfie number 5 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Leading and Learning Educational Readings for Creative Teachers

By Allan Alach

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

Science Proves Reading To Kids Really Does Change Their Brains

Teachers of school entrant children will already have suspected this is the case; now here’s some proof.

“Pediatricians often recommend parents routinely read aloud to their young children.

Now, for the first time, researchers have hard evidence that doing so activates the parts of preschoolers' brains that help with mental imagery and understanding narrative -- both of which are key for the development of language and literacy.”

http://huff.to/1gVmgIm

Kindergarten boys less interested in language activities, study indicates

Following on….

"We have not looked at whether the differences in reading abilities between boys and girls have any connection with participation in language activities in kindergarten. However, wedo know that systematic linguistic stimulation promotes language skills in children. Unequal participation in activities that promote linguistic stimulation may be a factor in reinforcing the differences that already exist between children. If these gender differences persist, we can imagine that girls will have an advantage and boys and girls will start out on a different footing when they start primary school.”

http://bit.ly/1EiycJ8

A Dictionary For 21st Century Teachers: Learning Models & Technology

Thanks to Phil Cullen for this one.

“An index of learning models, theories, forms, terminology, technology, and research to help you keep up with the latest trends in 21st century learning.”

http://bit.ly/1WTrF34

This could change everything about school — for kids, teachers and everybody else

Excellent article by Marion and Howard Brady.

Marion Brady

“We’re convinced that systems theory is the key to creating a general education curriculum free of the core curriculum’s major problems. And we’re dead certain—based on extensive classroom experimentation—that helping kids lift into consciousness and use their already-known systemically integrated information organizer moves them, in just a few weeks, to performance levels not otherwise possible.”

http://wapo.st/1KlEYnL

At the end of our tether

Steve Wheeler’s observations about the potential impact of mobile technologies on learning.

“Being able to choose when and where to learn is part of the freedom to learn. It is not just about freedom of thought and freedom of speech, but also freedom of space and place. It is about choice. The is academic freedom. We have no excuse now. We are living at a time in our history where the small device in the hand of the student is able to provide opportunities for any time, any place learning.”

http://bit.ly/1gYIg5n

Leave the World Better than We Found It

This article is the introduction to the book A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, which looks as though it could be very worthwhile.

“We educators need to imagine, cooperate, create, hope—and at times, defy and resist. And we need to see ourselves as part of a broader movement to build the kind of society that is clean and just and equal and democratic. One that seeks to leave the world better than we found it.”

http://bit.ly/1Txgf5Y

Research examines relationship between autism and creativity

Time to have another look at autistic children in your classroom?

“People with high levels of autistic traits are more likely to produce unusually creative ideas, new research confirms. While the researchers found that people with high autistic traits produced fewer responses when generating alternative solutions to a problem, the responses they did produce were more original and creative. It is the first study to find a link between autistic traits and the creative thinking processes.”

http://bit.ly/1WpXcJN

This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:

18 Activities That Make Creative Writing Actually Fun

“Here are some great writing strategies and prompts that will honor your students’ imaginations and free their muses to soar.”

http://bit.ly/1WAgEUb

The Best Advice for Creating Student-Centered Learning

The below article includes an excellent small Australian video showing educational changes from 1950s to modern times – worth viewing.

“Student-centered learning puts the emphasis on experience and hands-on learning. Buzz words are:Inquiry-based learning, case-based instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, discovery learning, and just-in-time teaching.Whatever you call it, the emphasis is on students becoming empowered to own their learning. So let’s embark on a little journey exploring student-centred learning.”

http://bit.ly/1NoZvJb

Students Advise New Teachers: From Structure Comes Freedom

Advice for new teachers.

“Follow these tips and you can build a classroom culture of respect, rapport, and learning. When the classroom culture is positive, students are more apt to participate in all types of learning activities.”

http://bit.ly/1URIQ3d

Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system reform

Michael Fullan asks have we been using the wrong ‘drivers’ for educational reform? Short answer  - yes!

“Successful drivers of change focus on relentless development of  ‘capacity building’ – to make learning more exciting, more engaging, and more linked to assessment feedback loops around the achievement of higher order skills.”

Michael Fullan

And:

“A ‘wrong driver’ is a deliberate policy force that has little chance of achieving the desired result, while a ‘right driver’ is one that ends up achieving better measurable results for students.The culprits are 1. accountability: using test results, and teacher appraisal, to reward or punish teachers and schools vs capacity building; 2. individual teacher and leadership quality: promoting individual vs group solutions; 3. technology: investing in and assuming that the wonders of the digital world will carry the day vs instruction; 4. fragmented strategies vs integrated or systemic strategies. Although the four ‘wrong’ components have a place in the reform constellation, they can never be successful drivers. It is, in other words, a mistake to lead with them.”

http://bit.ly/1PnvPuo

From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:

Guy Claxton's Magnificent Eight

“Guy Claxton believes that teachers need to focus on how they relate to students in their classrooms. What is important , he writes, are the values embodied in how they talk, what they notice, the activities they design, the environments they create, and the examples they set day after day. These represent the culture of the class.Every lesson invites students to use certain habits of mind, and to shelve others.”

http://bit.ly/1KYn8FP

Bureaucratic 'creep' and curriculum ‘drag'!

Bureaucratic creep and curriculum drag 2004 – have things improved? 

“Tomorrows Schools ( when schools were made self governing in NZ in the 80s) was all about community control - or so the publicity went. It sounded good at the time but the possibility of local control and creativity was quickly crushed by the imposition of confusing curriculum statements and time wasting assessment requirements.”

http://bit.ly/1WjYmWY

In praise of slow

“The ideas of Carl Honore, in his book ‘In Praise of Slow’, are a real antidote to our current obsession with productivity, speed, consumerism and ‘workaholism’, which has filtered its way into all we do – including education. Carl Honore believes too many of us are living our lives on ‘fast forward’ and as a result our health and relationships are paying a heavy price. Obese children are but the most recent symptom of this fast life. Carl writes that we are to ‘over stimulated and overworked and struggle to relax to enjoy things properly, to spend time with family and friends’.”

http://bit.ly/1f8JOro

Inspiration and challenges for today

Pioneer New Zealand creative teacher Elwyn Richardson recognised – and some good advice for today's teachers.

“In April of this year (2005), at the age of 80, Elwyn Richardson was given an honorary doctorate by Massey University to recognize his work as ‘one of New Zealand’s most inspiring, innovative and influential teachers whose ideas were ahead of his times'. His recently republished book ‘In The Early World’ outlines his philosophy of learning and teaching including his respect for the emerging abilities of the children he taught. ‘They are my teachers as I was theirs and the basis of our relationship was sincerity, without which, I am convinced, there can be no creative education’.At the ceremony Professor Codd said that, ‘It is timely in the 21st century to recapture teaching as an art. In the early World inspires teachers to take risks, to contemplate values and philosophies as central to the teaching – learning process and to adapt prescribed curriculum to the children’s own desire to explore , inquire and create.’’

http://bit.ly/1UPMdaS

Selfie number 6

In this series of short posts, I'm writing about my top ten selfies with people who have inspired me or have influenced my thinking. Previous selfie posts can also be viewed on this blog.

I met American teacher, artist and edupunk Amy Burvall last year. Our pathways crossed when we were attending different events in London and so we arranged met up for a few drinks. I was already familiar with Amy's work online, especially her excellent series of YouTube videos called History Teachers. If you haven't viewed them yet, you should do so - they are a must watch, even if you are not a teacher of history. Amy has taken popular songs, rewritten the lyrics about specific periods in European history, and has then created new music videos for educational purposes. Particular favourites of mine include the story of Martin Luther (to the tune of the Bangles' Manic Monday - in which she takes on three singing roles), Charlemagne ('Call Me' by Blondie), the classy Elizabeth I ('She's not there' by the Zombies) and the comical animated Henry VIII and his six wives (Money, Money, Money by Abba). The combined viewing figures for this collection of teaching videos is now in the millions. But History Teachers is just one of the many contributions Amy has made to digital learning in the past few years.

What inspires me most about Amy Burvall? She is quirky, unpredictable, creative, mischievous, and she is not afraid to take risks - all characteristics I recognise in myself. She is also a cancer survivor, which in itself should inspire all of us. She is tenacious and has boundless energy, and she never seems to stop. I believe this is because she has a burning desire is to help as many people to learn as she possibly can. She does this through her writing, videos, photography, artwork, live sketching (see Graffikon), keynote speeches and her very popular workshops on creativity, making and learning. Recently we collaborated for the first time on a project that is now known as #blimage which can be read about here (join in - it's fun!). I'm hoping that this is just the start of our collaboration, and that we will continue to bounce ideas off each other for some time to come. Watch this space!

Photo by Jeffrey Teruel


Selfie number 6 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Selfie number 7

With Shelly at EduTech Australia, Brisbane, June 2015

In this series of short posts, I'm writing about my top ten selfies with people who have inspired me or have influenced my thinking. Previous selfie posts can also be viewed on this blog.

I meet a lot of people on my travels, many of whom are very expert in their specialism, but I don't believe I have met anyone who is as enthusiastic and passionate as Shelly Terrell. She is a live wire and an ultra-connected educator. She has been called a global netweaver and curator. Above all, she is an innovator.

I first met Shelly when she stood in at the last minute when one of my keynote speakers fell ill and had to withdraw from the Plymouth Enhanced Learning Conference (Pelecon). At the drop of a hat, Shelly flew in from Germany where she was living at the time, and gave a rip-roaring performance that had everyone enthralled. She talked about how social media was making a huge impact on learning, and gave some great examples from her own professional practice. It was the start of many subsequent encounters.

Shelly has been behind a large number of the high impact initiatives that have influenced education globally in the last few years. She was one of the founders of the Reform Symposium, a very popular 72 hour, follow the sun online event with facilitators on 3 separate continents. Along with Tom Whitby and Steven Anderson (sadly I have not yet met either of those gentlemen), she was responsible for setting up #edchat, a highly influential Twitter chat for educators across the globe and she also established the much respected Teacher Reboot Camp. She is also behind the 30 goals challenge (which can be viewed here) and NAPW voted her Woman of the Year for 2014. And of course, Shelly has a huge following on social media, and is a prolific speaker and presenter on the international circuit. She has an insatiable appetite for helping others to learn, and pours all of her considerable energy into supporting and developing teachers. Not only has she inspired me, she has had an impact on the lives of countless other educators across the globe.

Photo by Steve Wheeler


Selfie number 7 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

It's all about politics( including educational reform). Market Forces ideology has demeaned the common good.

A rock star lifestyle for  the rich elite!

Time to move away from 'rock star' leaders

A recent article in local  our paper said that maybe we need to move away from ‘rock star’ leaders. Maybe ,it suggested ,that leaders need to be some sort of charming rock star is a myth’ and ‘one that is detrimental to the success of any organisation’.

Qualities of good leaders

Which one exhibit over confidence?

‘Good leaders’, says professor of business psychology Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (University College of London and New York Columbia University), ‘have four general qualities. The first is trustworthiness and integrity, the second is good judgement. The third is having a vision,- a compelling story that persuades a team to put aside their own selfish agendas and to work for the collective good’. The fourth quality is self-awareness, and it is a lack of this that can result in an ‘epidemic of overconfidence’.

It is interesting to compare National’s John Key and Labour's Andrew Little on these qualities.

Time to let go of the 'free market' knows best myth.

What happened to the 'trickle down'?

Our current ‘rock star economy’ is based on the belief that the ‘market knows best’ along with the idea that self-interested individuals need to be free to develop their selfish agendas. For the less fortunate the wealth created was supposed to ‘trickle down’ but this has also been a myth. The rich have got richer and the poor poorer.

Free market in free fall.

The ‘rock star economy’ is now at risk as milk prices fall and as the Chinese economy is showing signs of ‘speed wobbles’ - the 'great fall of China'. It seems our success was more to do with forces outside our own borders than political leadership. Simply leaving the logic of the free market to work without constraint has developed  an elite owning the lion’s share of any wealth generated. The collective good has been forgotten; there has been a stagnation of average and median earnings.

Time for an alternative vision.

The time is right to right to develop an alternative story. Thirty years of market forces politics has created a very unequal society. Issues about sustainability and ensuring that all citizens are able to contribute and benefit need to be placed back at the centre of the debate.

A n inclusive vision

A challenge for Andrew Little and Labour.

Andrew Little and the Labour Party need to develop a new vision for our country that will  not only make up for current ‘market imperfections’ but also lead us in a new direction.. We need a vision that sees a stronger role for the government to construct a more democratic, humane and caring society to ensure all citizens get a fair deal.

'Free market' policies flawed.

New Zealand is no longer the egalitarian society we once proud of and growing inequality is placing a strain on the social fabric of our country. As well the emphasis on growth at any cost, consumerism and a deregulated financial ‘free for all’ is placing the sustainability of our environment at risk.

Free market policies are now being seen as flawed – the rise in inequality the obvious symptom.

Now is the time to develop a vision that creates the opportunity for everyone to get a fair share.  Currently we are at risk of letting an elite rich shape the future of our country.

The real winners

Inequality and climate change the defining challenges of our time

Inequality and climate change are becoming the defining challenges of our time. After three decades of ‘market forces’ there is developing a sense of unease or discontent felt by those who find it hard to see themselves as ‘winners’. This unease will grow as the upwardly mobile middle classes find  their future  being placed at risk
.

We need an inclusive model that serves all citizens.

We need a new model of economic growth that serves the needs of all based on decent work, environmentally sustainable development and economic of production for social ends – growth that has the potential to put more life into regional economies. 

.

We need to have a conversation about what kind of country we want to be? 

We need to look at successful countries that have avoided such inequality; countries that have not gone so far down the market forces ideology.

Time to value the collective good.

Political decision need to be made to ensure that the collective good is protected and that all citizens are given every opportunity to contribute to the nation’s wealth. New infrastructures and public services need to be developed.  Democracy needs to be reinvigorated to respect the ‘voices’ of all citizens? New directions   in health, education taxation, housing, power provision and welfare need to be in place to ensure all can contribute according to their talents?

Thirty year experiment has had it day.

Market forces and privatisation that have dominated New Zealand politics for thirty years has failed to produce a healthy society that all feel part of. The consequences of such thinking  now need to be faced up to.

A vision to get through rough times

An opportunity to develop a better vision.

The situation we now find ourselves in provides an opportunity to draw together a vision of a better world. It is an opportunity to challenge the ideology that underpins ‘market forces’ of the minimal state, privatisation and speculation and to replace them with principles based on democracy, justice, sustainability, redistribution and collaboration.

We need thinking leads to a new vision to take our country into a more successful future for all members of our society not just an elite few; a country that will be a fit place for the younger members of our country to inherit.

Need to speak out about 'free market' failure.

Andrew Little and the Labour Party need to speak out against the present inadequacies of current policies and to speak out about the advantages of a more equal society. They have the challenge of developing in the public understanding of what is at stake. The advantages of freedom and choice, promised by ‘market forces’ are limited to the rich –  while the rest of the population  move further into debt.

 Well said Pope Francis!

We need a vision of a better society

Time to make a choice

 But most of all the Labour Party needs to articulate  vision of a better society that is both achievable and inspiring ; one capable of developing meaningful reforms; a vision where the talents and skills of all citizens are seen as the countries major resource. 

As the article in the paper referred to said there is a need for ‘a vision- a compelling story that persuades a team to put aside their own selfish agendas and to work for the common good’. We just ust need to replace ‘team’ with ‘country’.

It is time for real choices to be made.

There is an alternative

Selfie number 8

This is a countdown of selfies and photographs with people who have influenced my thinking or inspired me over the years. Previous selfie posts can be found here and here.

As a regular speaker on the international conference circuit, I am privileged to meet and work with some of the brightest minds in my field. It was a special pleasure to meet former head teacher Richard Gerver at a conference a few years ago, and as a added bonus, to spend time working together recording a video for the Saudi Ministry of Education. The video we made can be viewed on this website. I had already read Richard's first book, Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today, and had been challenged by his radical vision for the future of education. One of my favourite quotes from his book is a critique of the current school system and a clarion call for authenticity:

'To our children, learning is something they do at school. [..] it is a distraction from their real lives. When they look beyond the gates they don't see timetables, subjects, paragraphs and full stops. They see a huge, glistening, confusing world. They do not see how, by engaging in one, you can understand the other. They feel that they leave their real life at the gate. It is our job to move schools forward so that they are seen by our children as a development of their real lives.' (Gerver, 2011, p. 57)

Richard and I spent quite some time together during those few days, and I learnt a great deal from him. He has subsequently gone on to achieve best seller status with his follow up book Change, and has developed into one of the most sought-after speakers in education. When Richard wrote the foreword for my latest book Learning with 'e's, he told the yarn about how we first met while riding camels in the Saudi desert. It's almost true - we did ride around on camels in a Bedouin encampment, and I have memories of Richard doing the Arabic Sword Dance around an open fire (I declined, owing to my aversion to sharp objects) - but we really met while travelling from Riyadh airport in a lot more comfort via limousine to a very nice hotel.

Reference
Gerver, R. (2011) Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today: Education - Our Children - Their Futures. London: Continuum.

Photo courtesy of ELI Conference, Saudi Higher Education Ministry


Selfie number 8 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Selfie number 9

Bill Rammell, Stephen Heppell and Steve Wheeler

OK, so this one's not really a selfie, but it caught your attention didn't it? This is the second in my short series on my top ten photographs with people who have influenced my thinking. Click here to see selfie number 10.

This picture was taken in April 2011 at the start of the Plymouth Enhanced Learning conference (Pelecon), which was an annual learning technology event I chaired at Plymouth University. Our opening keynote speaker that year was Professor Stephen Heppell, and our Deputy Vice Chancellor was Bill Rammell.

Professor Stephen Heppell has been a regular mainstay on the keynote circuit for some time, due to his wide ranging and innovative research around education environments and learning technology. He has influenced my own work, encouraging me to be more aware of the entire learning environment. Stephen's research has resulted in some very useful insights into how children learn and why they don't. Consider for example his claim that red lighting in the morning wake students up, while blue lighting in the afternoon calms them down after lunch break. He also suggests that the entire sensory experience of school, including odours and configurations of wall spaces can positively influence children's learning. What resonates most for me though, is his statement that 'everything technology touches grows exponentially'.

Before joining Plymouth University as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Bill Rammell served as Member of Parliament for Harlow between 1997-2010. Among his other roles in government was his tenure as Minister of State for Higher Education under Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. During his all too short stay at Plymouth, Bill developed our student experience services and was also responsible for international developments. I will never forget his great spirit of service and his willingness to go the extra mile. He not only opened our conference that day, but also returned twice more during the 3 day event to see how we were doing. He left the university in 2012 to become Vice Chancellor of Bedfordshire University.

Coming soon: Selfie number 8.

Photo by Jason Truscott on Flickr


Selfie number 9 by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.