Last year I wrote a book that included a chapter on the beliefs and practices of Rastafari- during the course of this year as I have embarked on a ‘book tour’ of sorts I have referred to issues of power in all aspects of society and our relationships and used the beliefs and background of … More How understanding Rastafari can help us gain an insight into black lives matter
We probably all recognise a caricature of RE lessons which revolves around tasks that keep children’s attention but don’t seem to stretch. We have all, perhaps, taught some of those lessons- and one important caveat is that each of learning experiences that we use that might in one lesson be incredibly valuable, but we need … More Challenge in RE
This post originally appeared as part of the Email a Believer blog at RE Online Next year Latter-day Saints celebrate the 200th anniversary of the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Who was this man? Firstly, it is important to note who he was not- he is not our Saviour, nor is he an … More Joseph Smith
Recently I have been putting together some thoughts about power dynamics in majority-minority relationships. A major area of my research at work at the moment is the representation and visibility of minority religions in the Religious Education classroom and curricula. In this case, the six major religions of the world (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism … More Power dynamics and the minority voice
I wrote an article a number of years ago that was never published. It links with my last post on the use of pop culture. It explores the religious beliefs that might lie behind some aspects of Tolkien’s writings in The Silmarillion. I wrote in my last blog post about the Chronicles of Narnia and … More The Music of Life
In questioning beginning teachers’ experiences of Religious Education during their schooling I am invariably met with a very mixed group of responses. Some, usually because of the teacher bringing the subject alive, loved it. Others, for a plethora of other reasons struggled to see the value of it, or actually remember anything they ever did. … More Pop culture and RE: an under-realised third space
I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams WB Yeats Every year with my Secondary PGCE students we discuss the use of objects within the RE classroom. As a way in to the discussion we read Roger Homan’s article from the British Journal of Religious Education in … More How should we use religious objects in the classroom?
Today I had the opportunity to present some evidence to the Commission on RE. I submitted the text below in advance- it contains more than I was able to deliver in my verbal submission but reflects the beginnings of my thoughts. I enjoyed the opportunity to share some of my views and listen to the … More Evidence to the Commission on RE
In my last blog post I discussed some of the issues surrounding a five year GCSE. This spurred me to explore some aspects of assessment. A fuller discussion can be found in Religious Education in the Secondary School When I first started teaching my Head teacher told me: “R.E. teachers should stop moaning about assessment … More Assessment: one size fits all?
I have been involved in different ways in the development of the new GCSE for Religious Studies and, in many ways, see it as a step forward in building religious literacy but also helping pupils make links between beliefs, teaching and practices. I think it is a way to meet the aims of RE which … More A Five Year GCSE- really?
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