Angela Atwell’s Post

Happy Children's Day! 🎊 Today, we honour children everywhere for their limitless potential, curiosity, and creativity. Though our attention may be focused on our academic endeavours and research, we should pause to celebrate the spirit of wonder and discovery that children embody. Children constantly remind us of the pleasure and joy of learning new things— the fundamental qualities we must possess as researchers. Let's employ that childlike curiosity in our research, going into each project with an open mind and fresh perspective. Let's recognize the significance of nurturing the next generation of academics, scientists, and intellectuals as we celebrate Children's Day. Our efforts today lay a foundation for their future, and their creative minds will keep advancing knowledge as they push its boundaries forward. May we all strive to preserve the sense of wonder that comes from being a child, which keeps us passionate about academic research and invention. Wishing you a joyful and inspiring Children's Day! #HappyChildrensDay #ChildrensDay #ChildrensDayCelebration #AcademicResearch #AcademicWriting #Academia #Research

FutureEd at Georgetown (part of Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy) asked me to do a deep dive into the racist, elitist phenomena of gifted education. After a year of research, here are my (somewhat counterintuitive) conclusions: if we want a diverse workforce, we need more gifted education and more tracking. Take a read. Let me know your thoughts. The Hechinger Report The Atlantic Alexander Russo

Want to try out uni before starting for real? Check out the LEAPS Transitions Course ⬇️

#HE4Good Chapter 12. ‘Visioning futures of higher education for the common good’ by Mpine Makoe describes a powerful visioning process, to systematically think through the common good as a visionary lens. https://lnkd.in/dV9TSAyu in Higher Education for Good edited by myself and Catherine Cronin

Through its Success Central peer-coaching initiative, Central Connecticut State University is helping students navigate the new experiences of being in a postsecondary setting while also increasing retention rates. #AASCUTellingOurStory 

It's been just about 3 weeks since I received the only individual award for the 2023 Vice Chancellor Teaching Fellowship as presented by the VC Sir David Bell himself at the University of Sunderland's Learning and Teaching Conference. Since then, I've already managed to speak to so many people about the work that I'm doing, proving there is both a need and hunger to get involved. My project will focus on creating a toolkit on #DecolonisingTheCurriculum which in the first instance will serve as guidance for staff on how to not only decolonise their curriculum (who could've guessed!) but how to think about the historically authentic, accurate and equitable knowledge they want their students to know. It will ask academics staff to reflect on if the knowledge is truly a representation of marginalised voices (such as #socioeconomic status, #ethnicity, #genderidentity and #neurodiversity - to name a few). I've had so many amazing conversations and emails with colleagues in faculties outside of my own and I've been a sponge with all the resources, readings, podcasts and seminars I've been in - even applying to present at a few conferences and even a book chapter proposal which 2022 me would have never dreamed of doing (whether my proposals will be accepted is another story but small steps count). Onwards and upwards as I continue on this journey into my own professional development and work on making higher education a place where all students feel as though they truly belong. #highereducation #professionaldevelopment #culturalcompetency

"To better promote social mobility, higher ed needs to reject the longstanding idea that exclusivity is excellence." --Panelist remark from a The Chronicle of Higher Education virtual forum, “Sharpening the Social-Mobility Mission”, https://lnkd.in/gZvfJF9E. Well-stated! 💯 👏 I'd go further--that educators and educational systems can be deemed 'excellent' mostly by their results helping any learner to achieve their next step, not just the most exclusive. For example, as an adult educator, it was intensely more powerful helping pre-literate adults become readers and writers in a second language--even moreso than helping advanced English learners to pass the citizenship test or GED. There is so much power and potential unleashed when learning moves forward for those who have not had access to it. It is important to educate the more educated, but that's relatively marginal value-add.

I love this course and have been fortunate to visit classrooms where it is being taught. There are not many opportunities where high school students can have free-wheeling discussions about Sophocles, Marx, Confucius, and Spike Lee's movie Do the Right Thing. In addition to the story below from the Topeka Capital-Journal, definitely check out the YouTube video: https://lnkd.in/grWdfhNE

🔎 ➡️ Did you know at Oakland University professors are mentors who help students make important connections between theory and practice? As authors, researchers, and experts in their fields, they use their knowledge to cultivate and challenge theirs. Learn more about this featured college on CollegeXpress! #colleges #highered #highereducation #collegesanduniversities #collegesearch #collegeadmission #exploringcolleges #students #highschoolstudents #collegestudents

Do you work with First Gen students (or know any in your social networks)? Check out my friend's new book. I have a copy and honestly it could be impactful for any student, especially the section where common higher ed terms are defined in simple, clear language.