Immensely proud to be part of the EntreCompEdu project, a policy reform project funded through Erasmus+ Key Action 3, to assist educators with the development of EntreComp competences. EntreCompEdu seeks to empower teachers to rethink the skills they have and how they can be used to foster entrepreneurial skills in their learners. The vision being …
At 'We are Curious' Last weekend I spent the day in Bristol's 'We are Curious' science discovery centre with my young children. Amongst the interactive exhibits, activities and labs, I was particularly inspired by their ‘question’ installation. Collecting since 2017, ‘We are Curious’ aims to gather 10,000 curious questions from across the city of Bristol …
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Some of the EntreCompEdu Steering Group who met in Swansea Last week, in the heart of the UWTSD’s SA1 technium centre, EntreCompEdu’s pioneering team met to drive forward the implementation of the professional entrepreneurship competence framework. A team drawn from Spain, Belgium, Sweden, North Macedonia, Wales and Finland, brimming with expertise and enthusiasm. An international …
In light of today's [28/01/20] discussions generated by the Guardian's article on 'Schools Killing Curiosity' - a revisit to one of my 'hot topics' of 2019. Questions, a kindling for curiosity For many babies, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is one of the first literary introductions to the concept of wonderment, contributing to the foundation ‘inquisitive …
Continue reading "Ponder, Puzzle, Pose: the case for curiosity revisited"
2020. The time has come to ditch broken paradigms, and unleash the power of 21st century 'EntreComp' skilled change agents. As global citizens, we live with constant change and challenge. Issues seeded from an era of unrestrained greed and competition, and an over-zealous drive for growth. All against the backdrop of rising populations, depleting resources, …
Continue reading "EntreComp: the tool of choice for resilient VUCA*-proof change agents"
As a founding figure of ‘positivism’, Francis Bacon is very well-known for his promotion of the scientific method. This contrasts with my own researcher position as a phenomenologist. Subscribing to the belief that knowledge is obtained through both experience and observation, I adopt the view “science is useful for understanding many things, but not literally …
Continue reading "I’ll do my thinking with a spot of ginger and bacon!"
I, I shake it off, I shake it off.I, I shake it off, I shake it off. (Taylor Swift, 2014) A joyous by-product of my fascination with biomimicry as introduced in Education: Biomimicry and becoming better beings, is a gathering of the powerful tips nature supplies for us to deal with the messiness of living. …
It’s hard to ignore the outgoing decade witnessed a growing disillusionment to deliver on happiness, particularly that born of personal fulfillment. 2020 heralds the dawn of a new decade. I look forward. Open to its new possibilities. Hope for a rebirth of consciousness of both the individual and collective mind. In contrast to previous episodes …
2019 meant facing a full year without Dad. Experiencing grief, day by day has felt like layers of myself being stripped away. There have been times when I’ve been totally despondent over everything that death represents. Yet, it has been said, grief can lead to transformation; from darkness will come light. I believe this is …
Beginning with the Winter Solstice celebration this Sunday, then enveloping Christmas, Yuletide starts with a celebration of the lengthening amount of light we experience in the day. This provides a welcome moment to reflect on the first four seasons of ‘Emergent Thinkers.com’. A chance to illuminate the themes that have emerged over the year. Rebellion …
This time of year begs reflection. Recently I’ve been trying to document some of the learning from my doctoral and professional journey. After a great conference session at the ALT Winter Conference 2019 today, with international contacts I now consider an intricate part of my learning network, I had a moment! I suddenly realized that …
Continue reading "Back to the future: the journey of one vlog"
This post focus on the value of motivation, in relation to additional hours worked by employees in organisations. Through the contents of an article co-authored by Dr. David Griffiths, the late Dr. Rob Lewis, and myself a few years ago, I appeal to revive discussion on motivation, and HR’s awareness of value creation through voluntary …
Today I attended the Wales Academy for Professional Practice and Applied Research (WAPPAR)'s ‘Coaching Today for a Better Tomorrow: Flourishing Communities and Organisations’ Conference. A room packed with people, irrespective of coaching expertise who fundamentally believe in people and the transformative power of coaching. Underpinned by a range of disciples and areas of knowledge there are many …
Intergenerational exchange (image: pixabay) Globally connected, locally rooted It was my first Circular Economy mapping event [20/11/2019]. A breadth of industries and contexts were represented in the room, from farming to engineering, goods repair through to artisan glass manufacture, student, sole trader, SME and large corporation. All ready to access and share, ideas and opportunities …
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My 'lived experience reflections' of the ICDE's 28th World Conference on Online Learning, Dublin, 2019 (4-7 November), hosted by Dublin City University (DCU). Sense of place WCOL2019 was well situated in the unique glass-fronted futuristic Conference Centre Dublin. Interaction, innovation and inspiration were first impressions as I rose the heights of its atrium of crisscrossing …
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Image: Entrepreneurial competencies (EntreComp) The Global Skills landscape is morphing quickly. In the educational context, the spaces and silos built up between disciplines are collapsing under the weight of 21c connectivity and the appetite for transversal competencies. There is a growing collective impetus for curricula reform, that which will robustly prepare learners for life beyond …
An abridged re-post from earlier in the summer when I marked one year to the day I last held my father’s [an Irish-man] hand. Reflections on loss that triggered a deeper reflexive insight, on being, life perspective, and identity, including that of a ‘researcher’. Feelings resurfaced, as I make an emotional return journey to Ireland. …
Continue reading "WCOL2019: the power of voice and story unveiled [repost]"
my Dutch window-shopping I return home from a week in Holland further persuaded sustainability isn’t a goal but a mindset. One that is predisposed to being healthy, playful, smart and community-focused. In my view, exposing the important role of cultural worldview in addressing sustainability issues Various studies have for a while listed awareness, compassion, empathy, …
Continue reading "Going Dutch: Experiencing Dutch interiority first-hand"
An interview with Sam Conniff Allende. Social Entrepreneur. Innovator. Disruptor. Author. Following the impact of my first meeting with Sam at an Urban Foundry 51.6 event, as reported in my previous blog: 21st century pirate: the rebel with a cause I finally get to know more about the mind behind the global movement 'Be More …
Image: Markus Spiske Three words have tumbled around my head repeatedly, almost prophetically for the last 12 months. Sustainability. Ethics. Technology. Three lenses through which to address the urgent interlinked societal issues: from the environment through to education and the economy. Sustainability: as it balances economic, ecological, and social values in the pursuit of long-term …
Continue reading "Rebel Call: sustainability-based ethics in a technological world"
Faculty of Communication, Art & Media, at the University of Malaya-Wales This is a break from the norm for me, as it contrasts with my interest in minimizing cognitive bias and introduces me to the power of visual rhetoric, how we are persuaded by the things we see. Here, on invitation to judge six pieces …
Saturday (5th Oct) is World Teachers' Day, also known as International Teacher Day. Established in 1994, it celebrates the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, to "acknowledge, evaluate and enhance the instructors of the world" and to "consider the issues identified with educators and the teaching process in general". Over …
Tay Kay Luan's gift to the future generation It is with enormous pleasure I announce the availability of Mr Tay Kay Luan's second book on sustainability. The arrival of the book has brought tremendous excitement to my household. For not only does it contribute significantly to the global discussion on the most important challenge of …
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A simple thank you to all my followers and visitors from the last 12 months. Whilst I typically have education, sustainability and technology themes in mind, exploring how we can prepare well for a future AI-shaped volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, simply I enjoy the journey of a voice shared. In the words of …
Picking up from earlier blogs embracing-sandcastles-rekindling-imagination and cyborgs-part-1-world-without-mind a brief share on an incredibly invigorating induction with sand, soul, and sustainability in mind with the Carmarthen Business School (UWTSD) freshers today on Tenby beach. "The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative …
Fast-track to a ‘World without Mind’? Technological development has quickened its pace; it’s now speeding down the autobahn in a super-car. For the dreamy-eyed, it’s risk-free, without limits, and will deliver us to a better world. The right to drive forward, as fast as possible is considered by a number to be sacred, even an …
New academic year It’s the beginning of a new academic year for thousands globally. Our media and networks highlight the beginning of a new journey for learners, kitted out afresh, young and mature; all gearing up excitedly for their year of challenge, with focus on the end prizes of progression and achievement. Yet, the energies …
Picture: Vishal Shah: Castles in the Sky Imagination, the engine of my creativity Ian Van Dahl’s millennium classic ‘Castles in the Sky’ conjures strong memories of my youth. Interpreting the lyrics as dreams of visionary projects or the impossible, few can deny the deep neural connections between music and imagination (Kaufman, 2000; Fries, 2009) or …
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4IR ? In the words of the Word Economic Fourm (2018) ‘the fourth industrial revolution is already here! ‘ “Emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are rapidly changing how people, business, society and nations interact. Universities have a pivotal role to play. Their ability lies in three main dimensions: developing new technologies; grappling with the broader …
Continue reading "The fourth industrial revolution, really?"
Steve Wheeler is a Learning Innovations Consultant and former Associate Professor of Learning Technologies at the Plymouth Institute of Education. Here I interview the global educator, author, edublogger, and disrupter activist whose work on technology-enabled learning attracts millions of followers. You have a rich career path Steve, from artist and musician, psychologist and lecturer, to …
Continue reading "The mind behind harnessing technology for learning"
Fresh from some research on AI, robots and sustainability, the health of the planet has become a consistent theme that weighs heavy on my mind. Technology vs Nature. Various news media pump out the stories. We see-saw between a celebration of the latest advancement or ingenuity, to serious lament over the newest crisis, another step …
It’s the golden hour. I’m finally winding down with my children for the summer, forcibly ‘disconnecting’ for a while. I sit outside, overlooking nature. The magic of this unique ethereal light envelopes the landscape, my soul, evoking strong memories of a childhood spent in open spaces, open arms and lengthy conversation. Cherished days gone, of …
Continue reading "Unplugged in the Golden Hour (with Matthew Pinder)"
Pando, the oldest living tree in the world celebrates an estimated age of over 80,000 years In my post Education, Biomimicry and becoming better beings I shared my thoughts on nature being the perfect model to support the of address of societal challenges. A common and crucial issue for the individual, the organisation, or the system …
As featured in UWTSD Press Release 25.07.19 https://uwtsd.ac.uk/news/press-releases/press-2019/wales-nexus-conference-2019-1.html Awakening Days ago I attended the Wales Nexus Conference 2019 to deliver 2 papers. No ordinary event. This was special. Inter-disciplinary in purpose, but able to facilitate beyond the overlapping of ideas at discipline boundaries. At a time when we are subsumed by online connection, socially and …
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Yes, I am picking a fight with robots and the organ-grinders! Automation is not the end of the road for Educators Yes, you know too, ‘the robots are coming for our jobs’! Cue to some collective eye-rolling, this statement has fast morphed into a ‘future of work’ cliché. Arguably, there’s little to prevent automation’s continued …
Continue reading "Taking on the machines: the rise of the Educator"
Emergent Thinkers 5 minute Spotlight: with Dr. Jesse Martin, the mind behind ‘Socelor’ – the digital home to ‘learning how to ‘think’ 1. Jesse, congratulations on the relaunch of Socelor’s website https://socelor.com, an accumulation of a two-decade mission to unlock thinking for the masses, where did it all begin? Socelor was birthed from the collision …
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Image by Dmitri Posudin from Pixabay 4th June. Today marks one year to the day I last held my father’s hand; the birth of an all-consuming grief that would transport me into a dual reality. Two states of mind. One, where life continues as normally as can be manufactured, for the sake of a young …
Continue reading "In grief: the power of voice and story unveiled"
For the love of wisdom, photo by Pixabay With jobs being automated and knowledge being devalued, business and education need to prioritise proven tools that support flexible thinking. In the words of Charlotte Blease “we need people who are prepared to ask, and answer, the questions that aren’t Googleable.” Of ancient Greek origin, the word ‘philosophy’ …
Continue reading "Philosophy vs. Google: The Value of Philosophy to Business and Education 4.0"
Pedagogic practice and semantics aside, call us teachers. lecturers, educators, tutors, facilitators of learning; for most of us the calling is consistent - to try to make a difference. Last night I attended the University of Wales Trinity St. David's Swansea Student Union Awards. Unbeknown to me I had been shortlisted in two listings: UWTSD …
Continue reading "Award Nominee: my golden thread reflections"
Questions, a kindling for curiosity For many babies, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is one of the first literary introductions to the concept of wonderment, contributing to the foundation ‘inquisitive period’, the preschool years. Anyone who wants a crash course or trip down memory lane in viral questioning, I’ll happily signpost you to my three young …
Continue reading "Ponder, Puzzle, Pose: the case for curiosity"
Conference Time! Photo by Nacho Capelo on Unsplash Pleased to share my inclusion in the forthcoming Wales Nexus Conference, an Annual Learning and Teaching Conference . Will be presenting my research: 10th July 2019 Symposium 3: 11.05am: To VLOG or not to VLOG? Skills for Industry 4.0 11th July 2019: Symposium 9: 10.00am: Influence of Online Discussion Design for …
An education with nature: Lao Tong and I in 2005, Thailand The development of critical thinking, creativity and complex problem-solving are long standing goals of education. Recently I’ve been exploring the potential of Biomimicry to support critical and creative thinking through the unique blend of biology, creative problem solving, design, STEM and systems thinking. Biomimicry …
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Photo by Cezary Kukowka on Unsplash “Pirates didn’t just break the rules; they rewrote them. They didn't just reject society, they reinvented it. Pirates didn’t just challenge the status-quo, they changed everyf*ckingthing” (Sam Conniff Allende, 2018). This quote from the author of the 2018 best-selling book ‘Be More Pirate’ embedded in an email invitation to his workshop stole …
Continue reading "21st century pirate – the rebel with a cause"
Continuing on my exploration of key future-proofing skills I turn to Critical Thinking, thinking about how we think.
Recently I designed an assessment in the format of an internal communications vlog, which created an expected ratio of trepidation and intrigue.
With the help of Delaney, possibly the first business donkey vlogger?–what assumptions should we challenge in ourselves, in others?… what skills sets should we hone/fine-tune to continue to evolve alongside the machines?
Quantitative Research can be abstract-centric, blurring out the specifics, trading off deeper meanings and interpretations to quantify phenomena, with relevant variables being missed entirely.
The “reproducibility” crisis suggests a growing number of research studies published across disciplines are unreliable due to the declining quality and integrity of research and publication practices.
Using pictures to understand data goes back centuries, but today’s new easy access, web-based techniques allows for non-specialists to create visually compelling analytics.
Here I argue the 'VLOG' has the power/agency to disrupt written discourses in some areas of business and management academia.
