Ruth Rikowski's 26th News Update

RUTH RIKOWSKI
News Update No.26

I am gradually starting to recover following on from studying for the teaching certificate and the huge amount of work that I seemed to have, in general, over the last academic year. I have, indeed, been getting some rest over the last few weeks, but am still trying to catch up! Anyway, I have now officially passed the teaching course, I am very pleased to say, and can now add ‘CLTHE’ (for Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education) to the many letters after my name!

However, I thought it was important to send out an Update now, as my blog will be closing down as of 31st October 2008. This is not my doing at all – AOL are closing down all their journals and blogs, and we have just been alerted to this, with no reasons given, no clear replacement offered etc. Oh well – such is life. I guess there is now a need for an alternative blog – WordPress seems to be the obvious choice. I will keep you informed of any decision, of course.

Meanwhile, a selection of news items are outlined below, which I hope you will enjoy.


1. GENDER/ICT ARTICLE BY RUTH RIKOWSKI NOW OUT IN ‘POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION’
A long article of mine, on the topic of gender and ICT has just been published, in Policy Futures in Education (Vo. 6, No. 4, 2008). It is entitled ‘Computers/Information and Communications Technology, the Information Profession and the Gender Divide: where are we going?’ and is an issue on theme of ‘Commercialisation, Internationalisation and the Internet’, guest edited by Chris Armbruster. My article considers a variety of inequalities that females suffer from within the computing, information and communications technology field. See: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/6/issue6_4.asp#10

2. VICTOR VERNE RIKOWSKI NOW STUDYING AT BANGOR UNIVERSITY
Our middle son, Victor Rikowski, has just started studying for a degree in Music and Creative Writing at Bangor University, North Wales. It is in a beautiful, idyllic location, beside both the sea and the mountains, and Victor is really loving it.


3. LIZ TAYLOR
Liz Taylor was a masters’ student of mine at London South Bank University (2001-02). I subsequently commissioned her to write a book for Chandos Publishing on the broad topic of her dissertation (which she got a distinction for). She also wrote a report on Freedom of Information for Chandos. Here is more information about the 2 Chandos Publications:

‘Freedom of Information: towards a compliance’, 2004 – see http://www.chandospublishing.com/chandos_publishing_catalogue_search_booklist_results.php?ID=29

‘Knowledge, Information and the Business Process: revolutionary thinking or common sense?’, 2007 – see
http://www.chandospublishing.com/chandos_publishing_catalogue_search_booklist_results.php?ID=34

Liz Taylor now has her own Knowledge Management Consultancy Business – see http://www.tkmconsulting.co.uk'

As it says on the website:
“Tkm specialises in unleashing the value of intangible assets within your organization…”

I wish Liz every success with both her business and her books!


4. INFORMATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE – ‘RADICAL BOOKSHOPS’ ISSUE IS NOW OUT
The latest issue of Information for Social Change is now out. It is edited by Martyn Lowe, and is on the theme of ‘Radical Bookshops’
See: http://www.libr.org/isc/toc.html

5. ‘CRITICAL PEDAGOGY: IN SEARCH OF DEMOCRACY, LIBERATION AND SOCIALISM’ – FORTHCOMING BOOK EDITED BY SHEILA MACRINE, PETER MCLAREN AND DAVE HILL, ROUTLEDGE, 2009
An article that first appeared in the summer 2006 issue of Information for Social Change, (which was a special issue on the theme ‘Education for Social Change’, edited by Glenn Rikowski) is now to be published in an edited collection. The article is by Dave Hill and is entitled ’Class, Capital and Education in this Neoliberal and Neoconservatism period’
http://libr.org/isc/issues/ISC23/B1%20Dave%20Hill.pdf

It will be appearing in the book:
‘Critical Pedagogy: In Search of Democracy, Liberation and Socialism’, edited by Sheila Macrine, Peter McLaren and Dave Hill, Routledge: London, 2009



6. REVIEWS OF MIKE COLE’S BOOK ‘MARXISM AND EDUCATIONAL THEORY: ORIGINS AND ISSUES’ IN ‘JOURNAL FOR EDUCATION POLICY STUDIES’
There are 2 reviews of Mike Cole’s book ‘Marxism and Educational Theory: origins and issues’, London: Routledge, 2008, in the ejournal ‘Journal for Education Policy Studies’. One review is by Julia Hall; the other by Kelvin McQueen. See
http://www.jceps.com/index.php?pageID=article&articleID=127

7. VANESSA BEARD’S NEW WEBSITE
Vanessa Beard contacted me nearly a year ago, following on from her doing a google search on ‘John Bond’ (a dear, elderly friend of mine that sadly passed away last year). The google search took her to the article about my parents that is on our website, which includes something about John in it. The article is entitled: ‘Stanley and Mabel Turney and the Peace Pledge Union: experiences of being bought up in a family advocating peace’ and is available at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Turney[a]s%20and%20PPU

Vanessa and I subsequently met up, which was lovely. We discovered that John had been a powerful and positive influence on both of us.

Vanessa is very keen on photography and has recently launched her own website with some of her photographs (including one of John Bond) and her drawings. See www.vanessabeard.co.uk


8. GLENN RIKOWSKI’S NEW BLOG
Glenn Rikowski has already started up a new blog (leading on from closure announcement of AOL blogs). His blog is with WordPress and is called ‘All that is Solid’. See

http://rikowski.wordpress.com/

Best

Ruth
Ruth Rikowski, BA, DipLib, MSc, MA, MCLIP, CLTHE
20th October 2008