News

Friday 14 December 2007

Children's Laureate adds value to university event

Michael Rosen, published Children's Laureate, author, radio broadcaster, Guardian columnist and TV personality, has visited Nottingham Trent University as keynote speaker for 'Values Week'. 

Over five hundred staff and students from the University’s School of Education turned out to hear Michael use his own poems and stories to discuss the theme of inter-culturalism and examine questions such as ‘what is culture?’, ‘what do we mean by multi-culturalism?’ and ‘has multi-culturalism failed?’.

Michael used an interesting example of ‘fish and chips’ to illustrate the extent to which different cultures through the centuries have influenced, shaped and been integrated into what might be seen as ‘core British values’. “Chips”, Michael explained, “originated in France, and the idea of fried fish in batter came from Eastern Europe and Jewish traditions.”

Following the Keynote Lecture, many students joined Michael at the Blackwells Bookshop on Clifton campus, where he signed copies of his books.

Organised by the School of Education, Values Week aims to provide a context for students studying Education and Childhood Studies degree courses to share in learning experiences related to the development of the 'values dimension'. The week provided students with the opportunity to explore their own values, attitudes and beliefs; raise their awareness of how these influence them in learning and teaching situations, and increase their confidence in addressing issues related to values and attitudes.

Speaking after Values Week, Debbie Bradley, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and one of the organisers of the event said: “Having Michael here to deliver the keynote lecture was a real honour. He’s very well respected in his work and many of the students and staff have commented on how enjoyable, interactive and thought provoking his speech was.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information please contact Matt Wallace, on +44 (0)115 848 8785, or email matthew.wallace@ntu.ac.uk;

or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on +44 (0)115 848 8774, or email therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.