Teacher Training Event Write-up
We are back after the summer break and it's a good time for a write-up on the project's Teachers Training event on Politics, History, and the Global Citizenship component of the Welsh Baccalaureate. Twenty-five teachers from Welsh and English schools attended the all-day event at Swansea University.
The event started with a Presentation by Sara Davies, Subject Officer KS4 Skills Challenge Certificate. Ms. Davies discussed the Global Citizenship component of the Skills Challenge Certificate (part of the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate). She highlighted the innovative assessment forms and the key themes of the component. These themes are: health, food and shelter, population, transportation, economy, and natural environment. She also discussed sub-themes within each category and the relationship between WJEC/CBAC and multiple local and national stakeholders who have contributed by setting challenges and assessments.
The first panel discusses historical issues and episodes of covert action. Michael Sheehan, Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies (Swansea University) gave the first academic talk of the day. Professor Sheehan's talk explored the Suez Crisis of 1956. It discussed the role of the crisis in British Foreign policy, the key leaders involved, and the covert side of the campaign conducted by the UK, France, and Israel.
Francesca Akhtar, PhD candidate at UCL, discussed the US operation to overthrow the Arbenz government in Guatemala. The talk analysed the role of propaganda and the pressure exerted on the Eisenhower administration by private businesses.
Christopher Laucht, Senior Lecturer in History at Swansea University, gave the third talk. Starting with an analysis of contemporary nuclear fears (particularly related to the situation on the Korean Peninsula), the talk explored nuclear fears in the 1980s and their contemporary reverberations in society and popular culture.
The keynote was provided by Scott Lucas, Professor of International Relations at the University of Birmingham and editor of the website EAWorldview.
Professor Lucas's talk provided a detailed and riveting analysis of the Trump Administration's foreign policy and its collusion with the Russian government. Professor Lucas highlighted the many contradictions and falsehoods that have characterized the Trump team's approach to the investigation run by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. He also discussed the future of the Trump Administration and the crucial role played by the 2018 Mid-term elections, 'the most important elections in modern American history.'
After a networking lunch, the afternoon sessions provided teachers the opportunity to engage more directly with academics and discuss options for class workshops. These included a discussion by Dr Luca Trenta, Senior Lecturer in IR at Swansea University of the use of role-plays and script writing in the classroom. Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Senior Lecturer in History at Bishop Grosseteste University, had also provided material to foster a discussion on the use of storyboarding (an activity explored in the previous blog post). PhD candidate Amy-Louise Watkin and Helen Dale, from the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law (Swansea University) provided a discussion of recent activities conducted in local schools. In particular, they stressed the role of the media in fostering pupils' interests in topics like terrorism and the challenges this poses to teachers. They provided a lesson plan and advice on how to treat sensitive topics in the classroom. Finally, Dr Matthew Wall, Associate Professor in Politics from Swansea University, provided a discussion of his project and class activity: ‘Stand where you stand – talking and thinking politically’ The sessions allow students to map out their political positions physically – by ‘taking a stand’ on a series of printed astroturf mats which feature different political positions. The moderator guides students through a discussion session – fleshing out their thoughts on key political issues and hearing alternative viewpoints in a respectful manner.
