NATE Conference 2010 - Making Meanings: English at the Heart of Learning

Conference highlights

Pete Postlethwaite offers us his wisdom
Photo courtesy of Conference sponsors OCR

There was a Shakespearean thread running through this year's NATE Conference. In the opening address Andrew Burn, Professor of Media Education at the Institute of Education, explored how new media could make use of an old favourite, The Tempest. Actor Pete Postlethwaite spoke about playing Macbeth and Friar Lawrence to an enthusiastic audience on Friday evening, thanks to Conference sponsors OCR. We ended on a high note with an inspirational address on 'Shakespeare's dungheap, Shakespeare's dream' in which Patrick Spottiswode, Director of Globe Education, explored how the playwright wrought miracles with the mongrel language of a small country on the edge of Europe.

Delegates had their own favourite moments. 'Worth coming for Pie Corbett's talk alone!' said one enthusiastic visitor to the Primary Day. Workshops buzzed with ideas and teachers from around the world shared their passion for the profession. As veteran writer Aidan Chambers said on receiving a lifetime achievement award from NATE: 'Teaching is a specialised as brain surgery - indeed it is brain surgery.'

Workshop documents

• Sad I ams from Trevor Millum and Cliff Yates's workshop on 'Bringing poetry to life in the classroom' - one of the little poems composed by attendees and recorded in a bit of a rush at the end of the workshop!

Discussions

If you want to discuss something raised at Conference, why not use the NATE discussion area?

Next year: we're in the Library!

Our next Annual Conference will coincide with a once in a lifetime Language exhibition curated by Professor David Crystal at the British Library called Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices. It takes place from 25-27 February 2011; find out more here.