Publications
Norton, J. (2020) 'Mobile apps supporting vocabulary acquisition', EAL Journal, Spring 2020, pp.29-32
Norton, J. & Bernstein, D. (2019) 'Situating language learning in the art and design studio', InForm, Issue 19, pp.4-6
Review of Mobile Apps
Nancarrow, P. (2019) 'Keywords Biology and Geography', EAL Journal, Autumn 2019, pp.46-47
Conferences and CPD Sessions
Royal College of Art
Theme: Language and innovation within art and design
Date: 11th January 2019
Title: Criticality, Creativity and Context: EAP in Art & Design
ELT Council Malta
Theme: Visual Arts Creation in Language Education
Date: 15th February 2019
Title: A Gallery Walk
ELT Council Malta
Theme: Visual Arts Creation in Language Education
Date: 16th February 2019
Title: In Search of the Authentic Voice
Reading University
Theme: Language and innovation within art and design
Date: 29th June 2020
Title: Criticality, Creativity and Context: EAP in Art & Design
ELT Image Conference
Theme: Decolonising the Curriculum
Date: 6th October 2019
Title: Uncovering Suppressed Voices
ELT Image Conference
Theme: Decolonising the Curriculum
Date: 5th October 2019
Title: Walking Through English
Dublin City University (Initial Teacher Training)
Theme: Applying Imagination
October 2017 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Title: The 21st Century Teacher
University of the Arts (Staff Development Session).
Theme: Embedding Creativity into Classroom Practice
Date: 27th June 2017
Title: London as a Learning Canvas
University of the Arts (Staff Development Session)
Theme: Embedding Creativity into Classroom Practice
Date: 4th July 2017
Title: London as a Learning Canvas
University of the Arts (Staff Development Session)
Theme: Embedding Creativity into Classroom Practice
Date: 19th July 2017
Title: Teaching Through the Medium of Silence
Goldsmiths University (Staff Development Session)
Theme: Embedding Creativity into Classroom Practice
Date: 25th July 2017
Title: Teaching Through the Medium of Silence
University of the Arts (Lecturer for pilot programme aimed at 650 graduates)
Theme: Activating Imagination
Dates: 8th & 9th August 2017
Title: London as a Learning Canvas: Seeking Value in the Mundane
CESI Conference 2017 (Computers in Education Society of Ireland)
Theme: Creative Pedagogy
Date: 4th March 2017
Title: Connecting the Unconnected
Abstract: What do pasta, refraction, hairdressing and architecture all have in common? When flicking through photos in a fashion magazine, at what stage do you stop to consider the geometry of the image? Connecting the Unconnected uses local context as a learning canvas to make links between concepts and disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach to learning will help you to start to connect design to lipstick and lipstick to literature. This hands-on workshop will also explore the role of collaboration in making such connections. The session will provide you with practical ideas to develop creative and thought-provoking learning contexts, where everyone is challenged.
Presentation slides: https://www.slideshare.net/JoannaNorton/connecting-the-unconnected-73063621
University of the Arts Teaching and Learning Conference 2017.
Theme: Cultivating Curiosity: exploring the design of teaching and learning
Date: 21st March 2017
Title: I Have a Voice: Silence in the Classroom
Abstract: Within the context of intercultural learning, silence as a concept has multiple meanings. Notions of ‘thinking out loud’, juxtaposed with ‘silence is golden’ can be a source of confusion, particularly when the learning objective is active conversation and the sharing of ideas. My experience of silence from a teacher’s and a learner’s perspective are contradictory. As an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teacher at UAL, experience has taught me to embrace silence and recognise it as a valuable learning opportunity. However, as a Master’s student at Central Saint Martins, the deafening silence that often inhabits the space critical dialogue supposedly occupies, absolutely infuriates me. It is the tension between both experiences that prompted me to explore the concept of silence in more detail. Presenting my dilemma to 30 students from Confucian-heritage cultures (CHC) at the London College of Communication in July 2016, I simply ended my short presentation, with the following statement:
“Chinese students never speak” (UAL teachers).
I then followed up with the question, ‘So, are you silent?’ and waited for their response. Unsurprisingly, they disagreed with my question and general stance. ‘I have a voice’ began to symbolise their desire to engage in this conversation and co-research this area.
EAP and Creativity Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science
Dates: 9th – 10th June 2016
Title: Using local context and personalisation to encourage creative speaking within EAP (English for Academic Purposes)
Abstract: All individuals, whether collaborating with others or working independently have creative characteristics. The role of educators therefore is to find the most appropriate contexts that activate creativity and to explore a range of tasks that direct focus away from the individual’s own level of creativity, to focus on the types of learning that foster individual creative styles. While it is safe to assume that all students within an art and design context are indeed creative, the high levels of confidence students often display during the process of creating their art work, are often absent in language learning. If the use of language however, is deemed to be inherently creative, how can we shift student perceptions away from a more prescriptive approach to language development to an ongoing process of redefining, recreating and reproducing language?
At UAL, a significant component of assessment is based on written performance, with the role of speaking viewed by many students as less central to their learning. Given the role of both formal and informal speaking contexts at UAL and beyond, this session will share our attempts to approach speaking from a creative perspective to encourage language development and learner reflection. Starting with an overview of creativity, the session will present a number of tasks designed to identify creative learning styles, and demonstrate how embedding mobile technology into classroom practice facilitates greater personalisation. With ongoing requests from students to improve their academic vocabulary, this session will also offer an overview of how lexical items are identified from local context and across disciplines to ensure learning outcomes are achieved irrespective of language level.
TeachMeet BETT London
Theme: Collaboration
Date: 22nd January 2016
Title: Teacher/student collaboration on Reimagining Science Education (RISE)
Mobile Technology in Initial Teacher Training, Galway (MiTE)
Theme: Collaboration
Date: 16th January 2016
Title: How mobile technology facilitates collaborative practice at local, regional and international levels – an insight
Digital ELT Ireland
Theme: Designing learning materials
Date: 1st November 2015
Title: Classroom Pedagogy Rules OK!
An eclectic overview of activities suitable for both resource-rich and resource-limited contexts designed to integrate mobile technology into classroom practice. The talk will illustrate how classroom pedagogy in localised contexts should inform how technology is used within ELT.
Teacher Training for Science Teachers, Uganda
Theme: Academic vocabulary and creativity
Date: 10th August – 23rd August 2015
Title: Science Literacy, Solar Powered Technology and Creative Education
Cambridge English Teacher Webinar
Theme: Generating ideas
Date: 8th April 2015
Title: Taking an Idea for a Walk
Spring Blog Festival
Theme: Creativity
Date: 21st April 2015
Title: Creative Pedagogy and Mobile Technology
UNESCO Conference on Mobile Education in Partnership with UN Women
Theme: Mobile Education
Date: 23rd – 27th February 2015
Title: Leveraging Technology to Support Women and Girls – an Irish case study
Given the disproportionate number of tech companies located in Ireland, what impact, if any, do they have on usage and innovation at community level, particularly women? A Facebook page highlighted the experiences of Irish women and mobile technology.
https://www.facebook.com/MLW2015/
Cambridge English Teacher Webinar
Theme: Creativity
Date: 11th February 2015
Title: Creativity, Pedagogy and Mobile Technology
Mobile Technology in Initial Teacher Training, Galway (MiTE)
Theme: Creativity
Date: 24th January 2015
Title: Creativity, Pedagogy and Mobile Technology
Our students and the world around us are a constant source of inspiration for lesson ideas. However, finding time to reflect and document such creative ideas takes time, especially when teaching back-to-back lessons on a daily basis. In this session, Joanna will share insight into her process of ideas generation and the role of her sketchbooks, how she aligns creativity with teaching and learning objectives and how mobile technologies are subsequently deployed to ensure students are responsible for both creating and critically evaluating their own content.
Digital ELT Ireland
Theme: Ideas generation
Date: 22nd November 2014
Title: Where do ideas come from?
Our students and the world around us are a constant source of inspiration for lesson ideas. However, finding time to document these ideas and then develop them takes time. In this session, I will share a number of ideas from my sketchbooks that have informed the development of an app, and which I use daily to foster creative thinking and risk-taking. An overriding objective of each lesson idea is to provide students with models that encourage them to create their own content using mobile technology.
This rapid-fire session will provide participants with practical ideas that can be implemented first thing Monday morning. Participants will also be encouraged to reflect on their own practice and evaluate their role in fostering creativity within an English language classroom. This session is suitable for all English language teachers, at all stages of development.
British Association of International Schools and Colleges
Theme: Creativity
Date: 17th May 2014
Title: Creative STEM
This forthcoming training session shared ideas and strategies with science teachers on how to engage young people while moving from STEM to STEAM.
ICT in Education, Thurles, (Ireland)
Theme: Mobile education
Date: 10th May 2014
Title: How mobile technology can support diverse learning needs in multilingual contexts
Guest blogger for British Council
Theme: Mobile education
Date: 10th May 2014
Title: Teaching tips for teachers on how students can use their mobile phones to learn English
British Council Seminar
Theme: The Future of Education
Date: 25th May, 2014
Title: Is it time for educators to reclaim the education debate?
A live streamed presentation for British Council teachers and decision makers
Virtual Round Table Discussion
Theme: Mobile Education
Date: 27th April 2014
Title: How mPedagogy can support diverse learning needs in multilingual contexts. The session was aimed at global educators.
UNESCO Mobile Learning Week
Theme: Mobile Education
Date: 18th February 2014
Title: How mobile pedagogy can support diverse learning needs in multilingual contexts while providing a professional development tool for teachers
UNESCO Mobile Learning Meet-up
Theme: Mobile Education
Date: 2nd February 2014
Title: The pedagogy of mobile learning
Rokus Klett Publishers, Slovenia
Theme: Creativity
Date 1st February 2014
Title: Never mind the textbooks. Where do ideas come from?
Digital ELT Ireland
Theme: Pedagogy
Date: 23rd November 2013
Title: Pedagogy is King
British Association of International Schools and Colleges
Theme: Mobile Education and ELT
Date: 17th October 2013
Title: Mobile Education for English Language Learners
(Internal link)
NATECLA, UK
Theme: Edtech
Date: 16th May 2013
Title: Technology as a support for differentiated learning.