Julian Girdham

Thinking, Writing, Reading, Teaching

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'King Lear' scene by scene 3

October 23, 2024 by Julian Girdham in King Lear scene by scene, Shakespeare, English Teaching

The third in the King Lear scene by scene podcast looks at Act One scenes Three and Four.

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October 23, 2024 /Julian Girdham
King Lear
King Lear scene by scene, Shakespeare, English Teaching
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INOTE 2024

October 20, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

An account of the 2024 conference of the Irish National Organisation of Teachers of English.

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October 20, 2024 /Julian Girdham
English Teaching
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Special Fortnightly: King Lear

October 19, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Shakespeare

A special issue from the Fortnightly, kicking off my podcast series King Lear scene by scene.

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October 19, 2024 /Julian Girdham
King Lear
Shakespeare
Comment

'King Lear' scene by scene 2

October 18, 2024 by Julian Girdham in King Lear scene by scene, English Teaching, Shakespeare

The second talk in the series King Lear scene by scene looks at Act 1 scene 2, in which we are introduced to the sub-plot (unique in Shakespeare's tragedies), starting with the fascinating villain Edmund.

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October 18, 2024 /Julian Girdham
King Lear, James Shapiro
King Lear scene by scene, English Teaching, Shakespeare
Comment

'King Lear' revision webinar

October 16, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Shakespeare, English Teaching

Notes, links and resources from a webinar on revising King Lear for the Leaving Certificate on Wednesday 16th October via Tralee Education Support Centre.

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October 16, 2024 /Julian Girdham
King Lear
Shakespeare, English Teaching
Comment

'King Lear' scene by scene 1

October 16, 2024 by Julian Girdham in King Lear scene by scene, Shakespeare, English Teaching

The first in the series of King Lear: scene by scene podcasts (with transcripts) looks at Act I scene i

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October 16, 2024 /Julian Girdham
King Lear, Featured
King Lear scene by scene, Shakespeare, English Teaching
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'Bjork & Bjork's Desirable Difficulties in Action' by Jade Pearce and Isaac Moore

October 14, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Books, Teaching

Bjork and Bjork's Desirable Difficulties in Action by Jade Pearce and Isaac Moore is a snappy and helpful guide to a crucial idea in teaching and learning.

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October 14, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Books, Teaching
Comment

Fortnightly 174

October 12, 2024 by Julian Girdham in The Fortnightly

Issue 175 of The Fortnightly starts with two short novels. Lots more after that.

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October 12, 2024 /Julian Girdham
The Fortnightly
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The Occasional 4

October 05, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Books, The Fortnightly

The Occasional issue 4 has 29 book recommendations from the first 100 Fortnightlies.

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October 05, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Books, The Fortnightly
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Additional Assessment Components: English and AI

October 03, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Teaching, Technology

Where are we with the Additional Assessment Component in Leaving Certificate English in the context of AI? (illustration: typically terrible AI generated picture)

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October 03, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Teaching, Technology
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researchED Belfast

September 29, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Teaching

Some notes from researchED Belfast on Saturday 28th September 2024.

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September 29, 2024 /Julian Girdham
ResearchED
Teaching
Comment

Fortnightly 173

September 28, 2024 by Julian Girdham in The Fortnightly

Fortnightly 173 is out today with the usual rattle bag of interesting things. Next week, The Occasional 4 for paid subscribers: lots of good books since 2016.

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September 28, 2024 /Julian Girdham
The Fortnightly
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Sheila Heti's 'Alphabetical Diaries'

September 25, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Books, Non-Fiction

Sheila Heti's brilliant experimental book, Alphabetical Diaries, is funny and often poignant. Above all, it made me think about my own life.

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September 25, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Books, Non-Fiction
Comment

A special Fortnightly on English teaching and AI

September 21, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, AI

A compendium of valuable writing about AI in the light of the English classroom.

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September 21, 2024 /Julian Girdham
English Teaching, AI
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Fortnightly 172

September 14, 2024 by Julian Girdham in The Fortnightly

A plethora of English teachers in the 172nd Fortnightly.

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September 14, 2024 /Julian Girdham
The Fortnightly
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Jamie Clark's 'Teaching One-Pagers'

September 12, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Teaching

In Teaching One-Pagers Jamie Clark presents complex educational ideas in a pleasingly succinct and jargon-free format.

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September 12, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Cognitive science
Teaching
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'Small Things Like These' webinar

September 08, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Notes and links from a webinar on teaching Claire Keegan's novel Small Things Like These, September 2024.

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September 08, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan
English Teaching
2 Comments

The Occasional 3

September 07, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Teaching, The Fortnightly, English Teaching

The third edition of The Occasional, for paid subscribers of The Fortnightly, on received ideas in and clichés about Irish eduction.

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September 07, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Irish education
Teaching, The Fortnightly, English Teaching
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Fortnightly 171

August 31, 2024 by Julian Girdham in The Fortnightly

Fortnightly issue 171, via Substack. Returning after the summer holidays.

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August 31, 2024 /Julian Girdham
The Fortnightly
Comment

Re-reading 'Middlemarch'

August 28, 2024 by Julian Girdham in Fiction, Books

Some notes from a long-delayed re-reading of George Eliot's masterpiece Middlemarch.

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August 28, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Fiction, Books
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