Teaching and learning in partnership with Seven Stories

Geographies of Gender and Generation students discuss David McKee's books with primary school children. Image: Newcastle University

Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books share the goal that Newcastle becomes a centre for excellence in children’s literature – including in University teaching and learning. In this post, I’ll be reflecting on some of our activity in 2018/19 and sharing a poster I presented at two recent conferences about this work.

The Vital North Partnership works with Newcastle University students across the three University faculties and at different stages of academic study. Through formal teaching activities, jointly organised events, placements and internships, and collaborative PhDs, I find students are really inspiring and enthusiastic partners to work with!

In July 2019, I went to the Newcastle University Professional Services Conference and the Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference to present a poster about Newcastle University and Seven Stories’ work on teaching and learning in partnership in 2018/19. Here’s the poster that I presented:

Teaching and Learning in Partnership poster.
Teaching and learning in partnership poster.

It was great to be able to share and talk about lots of different activities at these conferences. I included our Sense Explorers workshops in summer 2019, the music events that students have organised and supported, as well as the sea creatures that the STEM outreach team brought to visit Seven Stories back in September. It was also really interesting to look at the subjects that the Vital North Partnership covers, which shows the breadth of disciplinary areas we engage with.

The poster also featured Dr Michael Richardson’s third year module, ‘Geographies of Gender and Generation’, where students worked with Seven Stories to plan and deliver storytelling workshops with two local schools. And I even had space to mention some of our placements and projects!

Lucy uses her storytelling skills as part of a workshop with Marine Park Primary School. Image: Newcastle University
Lucy uses her storytelling skills as part of a workshop with Marine Park Primary School. Image: Newcastle University

I really enjoyed both events, which gave me an opportunity to talk to colleagues across Newcastle University as well as from other higher education institutions around the UK. They were both inspiring days and I made some interesting connections for the future.

Author: Rachel Pattinson

The Vital North Partnership is a strategic partnership between Seven Stories and Newcastle University, supported by Arts Council England. The partners share the goal of achieving excellence in the field of children's literature. I provide project management, development, co-ordination and communication functions to facilitate the Partnership's work.

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