[Maths-Education] Conference Invitation - Learning about Risk: The challenge for teachers - Wellcome Trust, London, 4 June 2010

[Phillip Kent]

Dear colleague,

You are invited to attend:

Learning about Risk: The challenge for teachers
4th June 2010, Wellcome Trust, London

'When society has problems with science, it is often over questions of
uncertainty and risk. How uncertainty and risk can be quantified and
communicated are questions of great concern, with no simple answers.'
This conclusion in 2000 by the House of Lords Science and Technology
Select Committee still resonates today.  Developments in science and
technology have the potential to greatly enhance human wellbeing but
this potential is often tempered with public scepticism and ambivalence
as well as a need to engage with the reporting of risk in the media.
Risk has become increasingly emphasised in school curricula: in Science,
Mathematics, Citizenship and PSHE. This day conference will raise the
challenges of teaching and learning about risk with leading players in
policy and education, as well as providing a report on a research
project on science and mathematics teachers understanding of risk in
socio-scientific contexts. We are very pleased to have the distinguished
invited speakers Professor David Nutt (Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial
College) and Professor Robin Millar (Science Education, University of
York).

The conference will be held at The Wellcome Trust, 215 Euston Road,
London NW1 2BE, on Friday 4th June 2010; starting with registration and
coffee at 10.30 and finishing at 16.30. There is no fee for
participation.

For further information and registration:
https://www.wellcometrustevents.org/learningaboutrisk
or email Verena Collins-Magee, v.collins-magee at wellcome.ac.uk .
We appreciate registration as soon as possible, and at latest by 28 May
2010. Please forward this announcement to interested colleagues, email
lists, websites, etc.

The conference is jointly organised by the Wellcome Trust and the
Institute of Education research project 'Promoting Teachers'
Understanding of Risk in Socio-Scientific Issues', www.RISKatIOE.org .


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Dr Phillip Kent
London Knowledge Lab - Institute of Education
23 - 29 Emerald St
London WC1N 3QS
p.kent at ioe.ac.uk
tel 020 7763 2156   mobile 07950 952034
www.RISKatIOE.org , www.phillipkent.net
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