A Human Education for an Artificial World: Rachel Higginson on oracy, belonging and what schools must protect in the age of AI
Good morning,
Rachel Higginson joins me to discuss the idea of a human education for an artificial world, drawing on her work around Finding My Voice, authentic oracy, personal development and school culture. We talk about why oracy is not simply about speaking well, why listening may be one of the most underrated acts in education, and why schools need to think carefully about relatedness, competence and autonomy if they want young people to feel known, capable and able to act in the world.
Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy it.
A link to wherever you get your podcasts…
YouTube Audio
Rachel’s Recommendations
Schwab, K. (2016). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum.
Murphy Paul, A. (2021). The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Ryan, R. M. and Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
Wilkinson, A. (1965). The concept of oracy. Educational Review, 17(1), 11-15.
Mannion, J. (2025). Confronting the educational polycrisis.
Motivated Teaching: Harnessing the Science of Motivation to Boost Attention and Effort in the Classroom - Peps Mccrea
TDaPE Online and On-Demand
Tickets are now available for TDaPE Conference Online, bringing together a brilliant collection of on-demand workshop sessions from across the world of education.
Every ticket gives you access to thoughtful, practical and evidence-informed sessions you can watch in your own time, with all funds donated to Velindre Cancer Centre.
So, if you want meaningful professional development and the chance to support a brilliant cause, this is a lovely way to do both.
Huge thanks to everyone who shared last week’s episode. It genuinely helps the podcast reach more thoughtful primary teachers and leaders. If you know someone who values reflecting carefully on teaching, learning or leadership, I’d love it if you passed the link on.
That’s all from me this week. I’d really love to hear what you think about the episode. Leave a comment wherever you listen, or just hit reply and share your thoughts.
Until next time, thanks for listening.
