Jonathan Savage

Today sees the start of a new academic year. Within two weeks a new group of students will be arriving at MMU to study for their PGCE (welcome to you all). Alongside my teaching, I have a number of writing projects, including working as a series editor for Routledge on 7 books about cross curricularity, authoring a new book on new approaches to technology and education with Clive McGoun, and editing a new book on music education (with Jayne Price). Oh, of course I almost forgot, I’ll be writing the obligatory academic articles that keep the virtuous circle of educational research turning too.

Over the years I’ve used a number of pieces of software to help the writing process. Most of these have been the standard word processor (Open Office is a favourite) together with a storage system of folders and sub-folders within my computer to keep track of interesting resources. But recently, I’ve tried a new piece of software – Scrivener – to help me write. At the close of the last academic year, I downloaded the trial version and used it to write some short papers and newspaper articles. It was great.

So, today I’ve purchased the full version (around £20 for the educational license) and committed myself to using it for all writing projects this year (and, I suspect, for several years to come). Why? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been working on the introduction of a book I’m writing with a colleague today. It’s a reflective reader. As part of the introduction, I’ve been considering an ABC of critical reflective reading. I thought I’d share it here for your comments – supportive, critical or otherwise please!
Read the rest of this entry »

As someone who is doing a lot of writing at the moment, I was fascinated by an article in yesterday’s Observer with the same title as this post (that should be the other way around!). Anyway, the opening quote in the article was from the Don DeLillo, the author of the modern epic, Underworld. He said:

I need the sound of the keys, the keys of a manul typewriter. The hammers striking the page. I like to see the words, the sentences, as they take shape. It’s an aesthetic issue: when I work I have a sculptor’s sense of the shape of the words I’m making.

I appreciated the reference to the sound of the typewriter’s keys’. I found it interesting that, for this writer at least, the sensory experience of writing with a typewriter is important (essential); as is the sense of the words emerging and being shaped by the technology he is using. It’s a reminder that digital technologies are not always the best solution in supporting creativity. Sometimes, the ‘limitations’ of a technology are the key to successful engagement with it as a creative tool. Can the art of great writing survive the digital age? Probably, but for most of us it might be a lot quieter. And that may not be a good thing!