Talking D&T

Send me a message. In this episode of Talking D&T, I interview Milly Kearns, a final year Product Design student at Nottingham Trent University. Milly shares her experiences studying Design and Technology (D&T) in school and how that led her to pursue product design at university. We discuss the differences and similarities between D&T at school versus university, including the focus o...

Send me a message. In this episode of the Talking D&T podcast, I interviewed Janine Pavlis, a lecturer at St Mary's University in Twickenham, London, who specialises in primary design and technology education. We discussed the current state of D&T in primary schools, including the statutory requirements, the typical structure of lessons, and the importance of creativity and problem-so...

Send me a message. In this episode of the Talking D&T podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicky Dewar, the Director of Learning and Skills at the Crafts Council. We discussed the importance of craft in design and technology education and the challenges faced by schools in incorporating hands-on making experiences for students. Nicky shared her insights on how the craft element in both...

Send me a message. Early this year I had the pleasure of interviewing Tony Ryan, the Chief Executive of the Design and Technology Association. In this episode, Tony shared exciting updates about the association's initiatives to support and advance design and technology education in the UK. We discussed the "Reimagined" program, which focuses on developing a design-driven, problem-so...

Send me a message. In this episode of Talking D&T, I sit down with Dave Parry, Design and Technology Advisor at CLEAPSS, to discuss the current state of D&T education in England and explore potential ways to shape its future. Dave shares his insights from visiting numerous schools and highlights some of the main challenges the subject faces, including a shortage of trained staff, difficult...

Send me a message. In this episode, I interview  David Spendlove, a professor at the University of Manchester, about his radical thinking on design and technology education. Spendlove reintroduces his concept of "Design and Technology 2.0," which aims to create a new conceptual space for rethinking the subject without the baggage of its current form. David argues that the current model o...

Send me a message. This week’s episode is part of the Shaping D&T series, running from April to August 2024, where i interview a variety of people and discuss the current state and future of design and technology (D&T) education. This week it’s just me exploring the current   national curriculum for D&T in England, which has undergone several iterations, with the current version establ...

Send me a message. In this introductory episode of the second series of my Talking D&T podcast for 2024, I discuss the focus of the upcoming series on shaping design and technology education in England. The series, running from April to August 2024, will feature international speakers sharing their perspectives on the subject in their respective countries. I explain the catalysts behind the se...

Send me a message. In this episode of Talking D&T, I interview Phil Jones, a full-time D&T teacher and subject leader at a school in Merseyside, who is also a part-time doctoral student at Liverpool John Moores University. Phil shares his experience as part of the organizing committee for the PATT (Pupils' Attitude Towards Technology) conference and discusses a paper that grabbed his...

Send me a message. In this episode, Alice Hellard and I explore the  impact of design on our lives and society. Alice's work highlights the importance of design education in navigating modern complexities, emphasising student agency and the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment. We talk about how objects like smartphones influence behaviors and interactions, prompting a sh...

Send me a message. This is the first part of a conversation with Alice Hellard from Goldsmiths. We unravel the complexities of agency, design and objects agency in museum settings. Alice's research, presented at PATT40, looks at the often-overlooked emotional and philosophical connections we form with objects, and how these relationships are shaped by historical practices and curatorial decis...

Send me a message. Are you a D&T teacher or researcher navigating the complex world of academic writing and conferences? Unlock the mysteries of academic publishing as I sit down with Sarah Davies, the  editor-in-chief of the PATT40 conference. This week's episode explores the layers of the paper submission process, offering a comprehensive look at the journey from abstract to publication...

Send me a message. This week I'm talking with Alex, artist and lecturer in environmental design, and Sam, the design and technology curriculum lead at Oak National Academy. Alex's research, presented at PATT40, is the starting point of the conversation. He focuses on the often-overlooked non-verbal intelligences and offers a fresh perspective on how we might better assess different cogni...

Send me a message. This week I chat with Neil Wright, whose unique path from the electronics industry to education brings a fresh perspective to his students at William Farr School. He talks with me about his attendance at the PATT-40 conference, sponsored by WF Education Group, where he had the opportunity to learn from and talk with D&T educational thought leaders. In today's  conversat...

Send me a message. Prepare to have your perspective on art and design education challenged as I sit down with Joanne Taylor, after the PATT 40 conference. She's here to share her thoughts on research from Oslo Metropolitan University on how AI text-to-image generators like Mid-journey, Dali-E, and Stable Diffusion are revolutionising the field. We dissect the conference highlights and reflect...

Send me a message. Step into the world of the PATT 40 conference with Dr. Matt McLain, who shares his  insights and experiences from this groundbreaking event. As the conference chair, Matt explains the conference's aim to unite design and technology research, and classroom practice in a meaningful symphony. In this episode we talk about  the conference's emphasis on diversity, its aim t...

Send me a message. This episode is unusual in that there is also a video that goes alongside it where you can see me and Ciaran talking as I am live editing his debate that he's submitted as an example of a response to one of the contentious questions. Link to the video:  https://youtu.be/QrBNYNC7fo8 Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode: Link to the video: https://youtu.be/QrBNYNC7fo8...

Send me a message. A few weeks ago I attended an event hosted by the Design Council with a broad group of people who were pulling together thoughts to be used to lobby the UK government about funding some developments in D&T. I was asked to share thoughts about what could be done. In this episode I read out my notes, with some extra bits, about my ideas. As usual, I"m open to feedback and...

Send me a message. This week it's a pod takeover from Amanda, Ciaran and Andy. They are launching the project (re)designing D&T inviting you to answer the 18 contentious questions. Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Project overview Guidance for responding: 'Have Your Say' 18 questions   How to respond to the questions:  use this link to upload your responses: https://...

Send me a message. Its been a while since its just been me on there, but this week I'm giving an update on what's been happening, some additions to the podcast and plans for the future. Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Redesigning D&T project: 18 contentious questions Support the show If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!' Pleas...

Send me a message. I'm joined this week by a former student of mine, Sam Reynolds. As I taught him I felt more entitled than normal to ask difficult questions (spoiler alert - he handled them very well 😉) You can find Sam on Twitter: MrReynoldsDT School Webpage - https://www.st-pauls.org.uk/ Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode 6 Material Areas   Woods, Metals and Plastics  Graphics,...

Send me a message. This was a new topic for me - outdoor learning in D&T. Sue Taplin talks about her work as a forest schools leader and her EdD Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Support the show If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!' Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on...

Send me a message. Amanda and I talk about Niekie Blom's fabulous chapter from the Debates in D&T book: Design cognition in design and technology classrooms. Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Debates in D&T Education, chapter 14. Niekie Blom Support the show If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!' Please offer your feedback about t...

Send me a message. This week I'm talking with Russell Hill, award winning D&T teacher from Houlton School, about setting up a new KS3 curriculum. Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Houlton School Twitter: @Mr_Hill_DT Curriculum Overview - https://www.houltonschool.org.uk/curriculum-2/curriculum-overview/   Learning Journey (D&T - https://www.houltonschool.org.uk/assets/Docum...

Send me a message. We've sorted out the data and now we have 18 contentious questions that we think are up for debate. Listen to me, Amanda and Ciaran talk about the next stage of the Redesigning D&T project and how you can get involved. Episode transcript Mentioned in this episode Expressions of interest survey 18 contentious questions Support the show If you like the podcast, you can al...