This book explains and demonstrates how creative writing can be used successfully in the context of professional education where traditionally a more distanced approach to reporting on professional experience has been favoured. It is based on many practical examples, drawn from several years' experience of running courses for social workers, nurses, teachers, managers and higher education staff, in which participants explore their professional practice through imaginative forms of writing. The participants experience of the work is presented through a discussion of interviews and evaluative documents. The book includes a set of distance-learning materials for those wishing to undertake such work for themselves or to establish similar courses, as well as a full analysis of the link between professional reflection and the artistic imagination. The book makes available a new and more broadly-based approach to the process of professional reflection, and the concept of the patchwork text has general relevance for debates about increasing access to higher education qualifications.

This groundbreaking study offers an innovative critical analysis of poetry as a resource for reflective practice in the context of continuing professional development. In the contemporary drive in all professions for greater rigour in education, training, and development, little attention is paid to the inner shape of learning and meaning-making for individuals and groups, especially ways in which individuals are formed for the task of their work. Building on empirical research into the author’s professional practice, the book takes the use of poetry in clergy continuing ministerial development as a case-study to examine the value of poetry in professional learning. Setting out the advantages and limitations of poetry as a stimulant for imaginative, critical reflexivity, and formation within professional reflective practice, the study develops a practical model for group reflection around poetry, distilling pedagogical approaches for working effectively with poetry in continuing professional development. Drawing together a number of strands of thinking about poetry, Practical Theology, and reflective practice into a tightly argued study, the book is an important methodological resource. It makes available a range of primary and secondary sources, offering researchers into professional practice a model of ethnographic research in Practical Theology which embraces innovative methods for reflexivity and theological reflection, including the value of auto-ethnographic poetry.

`What the book does extremely well is do describe the way things are in terms of the requirements of the Framework for Teaching English, the curriculum and the new specifications - and for this reason it is likely to be most useful to those contemplating English tech9ng in the maintained sector from outside - returnees, aspiring NQTs or those in the independent sector′ - Times Educational Supplement `Instead of taking us yet again on a tour through the four modalities of English, this book′s tri-partite structure takes a refreshingly different approach by offering thought-provoking argument grounded in classroom practicality′ - Nick McGuinn, University of York Students′ comments on Teaching Secondary English: `The book is written in clear, digestible terms, offering many practical ideas for teaching the key skills and the wide range of material encountered in the English classroom. .. It is the kind of book which can be dipped into, which is particularly useful for people who spend most of their time planning lessons!′ `Teaching Secondary English is a must for student teachers and NQTs. It is a clear, comprehensive and practical guidebook dealing not solely with theory and pedagogy, but with the very real issues facing new teachers today′ ` It is clear that Teaching Secondary English, unlike so many textbooks on the subject, is written by someone with recent classroom experience and this helps the reader to trust and respect the advice it purports. I certainly feel it is grounded in practicalities not "pie in the sky" theory that will not work in most `real′ classrooms!′ This book enables English teachers to implement change and rise to new challenges, while remaining true to an ethically and socially just position which provides the rationale for their vocation. The author describes and evaluates recent changes to English teaching brought about by initiatives such as the Literacy Strategy, the new `A′ levels and the requirement to focus on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Examples of innovative teaching and learning strategies are provided throughout. The author helps teachers to foster keen readers, writers and communicators. He shows how they can enable their students to acquire skills and knowledge, as well as to recognize the value of aesthetic experience, emotional literacy and spiritual and moral response to literature in their own lives and in their communities. This book is essential reading for PGCE students as well as practising teachers and all those involved in English in education.

This handbook acts as an essential guide to understanding and using reflective and experiential learning - whether it be for personal or professional development, or as a tool for learning. It takes a fresh look at experiential and reflective learning, locating them within an overall theoretical framework for learning and exploring the relationships between different approaches. As well as the theory, the book provides practical ideas for applying the models of learning, with tools, activities and photocopiable resources which can be incorporated directly into classroom practice. This book is essential reading to guide any teacher, lecturer or trainer wanting to improve teaching and learning.

Continuing professional development (CPD) has become a defining issue in twenty-first century social work. There is widespread consensus in favour of CPD. But what is it? Are there discernible international trends? What are the barriers to participating in CPD? What do social workers think about and want from CPD? This book seeks to answer these questions. Based on a survey and interviews with social work practitioners, CPD in social work offers a unique insight into the possibilities and challenges of CPD and the issues it presents for newly qualified and experienced social workers in practice. Combining the perspectives of social workers and their managers with international research, assures its global appeal. It offers possible directions for the future of post qualifying social work education, making it essential reading for practitioners, educators, managers and policy-makers.

Developing Inquiry for Learning shows how university tutors can help students to improve their abilities to learn and to become professional inquirers. An increasing proportion of students entering higher education seem to assume that learning is a relatively passive process. This may be the largest single limitation on their achievement. University tutors need to be able to respond creatively to students’ learning needs and difficulties. The modern teaching environment in higher education demands a sophisticated approach to teaching, learning and assessment i.e. the curriculum: its planning, its development and tutors’ professional development. Tutors need fresh ideas about how to challenge students’ spoon-fed approach, to enable them to become collaborative, yet independently motivated learners. In the innovative and practically proven approach developed by the authors of this book, students are guided to implement action research into their learning practices and reflections. Using a rolling programme of cyclical inquiries and whole group ‘conferences’ on improving learning, students write ‘patches’ on learning development which are then shared across the year group online. Each student’s cumulative set of patches, together with their regular reflective writing, provide the basis for assembling a composite final assignment, a ‘Patchwork Text’, for assessment. This style of curriculum and assessment organisation encourages regular peer feedback and formative assessment, as part of the whole module process. This is a dynamic approach which builds personal confidence within students, both as learners and as professionals. Providing teaching materials and examples of students’ responses, including the use of blogs, wikis and discussion boards, Developing Inquiry for Learning analyses and theorises on the deeper characteristics of the difficulties being addressed. With the provision of relevant frameworks of theory and values, readers are amply equipped to adopt, adapt and experiment within their own developments of teaching and curricula. Tutors, particularly programme leaders, and those who are responsible for the quality of student learning across programmes, are challenged in various ways to re-evaluate current provision and are helped to improve it in ways which can be matched to local situations and priorities. Peter Ovens was Principal Lecturer in Professional and Curriculum Development at Nottingham Trent University and is now a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cumbria. Frances Wells is a Principal Lecturer in Education at Nottingham Trent University Pat Wallis is a Senior lecturer in Professional Studies at Nottingham Trent University. Cyndy Hawkins is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Nottingham Trent University

"This book is written in an accessibly but authoritative style and will be a very valuable addition to any setting's professional development and staff training resources" Early Years Update, June 2012