Phase 1 Academic focus

Strand Summaries

The Ethos Project’s Phase 1 (“Academic”) consists of

ten evening class sessions (per centre for each centre), plus
three plenaries (one at each centre, open to all to share across centre groups), plus
three scheduled e-fora discussions (each also repeated later; all open to all contributors)

In addition the website includes

discussion notice boards for contributors to use as and when
resources relating to sessions but able to be used as stand-alones
links to other useful websites

At the end of Phase 1 it is anticipated you will complete a reflective activity of one of two types. You can choose :

1) Practical Collaborative Workpack (and Personal Reflection Account.) Team up with at least two other course participants and produce a "workpack" for use by other professionals in education contexts. (You may wish to refer to the CPD exemplars at The Ethos Consortium for examples.) The workpack can be directed at teachers, SLT, pupils, parents - anyone at all. The key aim is to raise the profile of Character education in UK schooling and increase the extent to which there is an explicit, opportunistic and dialogic focus on Character in UK educational discourse - in however small a way.

You are also asked to write a Personal Reflection Account.

End-of-phase commitment:

Write a Personal Reflection Account of the Phase 1 experience for you (c 1000 words) - you may wish to refer back to your RAD, or Discussion Board entries
Create and submit a 10-15 page collaborative team resource for use in other educational contexts - in any format, and with any target audience and purpose, desired
deadline: within 4 working weeks of the final evening session

OR

2) Theoretical Individual Academic Study. Write an academic essay (similar to but shorter than an MA modular essay, for those familiar with the form) summarising your learning, benefit and views of the material and ideas you have encountered in Phase 1. Refer in detail to at least three of the course texts that have been available throughout. (You can alternatively undertake a piece of action research but note that this is more difficult and you may wish to hold this until Phase 3.)

End-of-phase commitment:

2,500-3,000 word Academic Essay to a title of your choosing relating in any way to making Character education explicit, opportunistic and dialogic
deadline: within working 3 months of the final evening session
(NB if you choose this "private" option you MUST choose the "collaborative" option in Phase 2)

On EITHER mode of submission ALL participants have e-support from all course team members.