Best book on creative teaching
For those interested in this book I can do no more than share what is written about it on the New Zealand Council for Educational Research site.
‘Although ‘In the Early World’ was first published in the 60s it is as relevant now as was then. Integrated curriculum, values education, the arts, inquiry learning, philosophy, and creative thinking are all part of the story told in this remarkable book.
New Zealand’s reputation for innovative and creative education has depended on the courage and wisdom of teachers like Elwyn Richardson. ‘In the early world’ is a story about teaching told by a teacher who believed passionately that creative teaching and intellectual growth are inextricably linked.
‘It is timely in the 21st Century to recapture teaching as an art. ‘In the Early World’ inspires teachers to take risks and to contemplate values and philosophies as central to the learning – teaching process and to adapt prescribed curriculum to the children’s own desire to explore and create’.
‘In The Early World’ is one of the great books about New Zealand education and is unique in presenting creativity at the centre of children’s learning.’
Available NZCER ISBN 1-877140-80-X NZ$22.00
I would love to learn of other New Zealand great books about education? Any thoughts?
Or people you think great NZ educators - past or present.
4 comments:
You are so right.Elwyn was before his time and people like him are sorely needed now.
I can think of people in our own area who dared to be different - including yourself, but I guess few people know about them. There doesn't seem to be any way to share ideas anymore. All ideas these days are 'delivered' by contract from the Ministry!
Can't think of any comparable book to Elwyn's off hand.
Teachers, even if they wanted to, couldn't put into practice creative teaching. They are too distracted, complying to the requirements imposed on them by the techno-'rats' in Wellington; fearful of ERO opinion, and more worrying, the managerial nonsense, invented out of insecurity, of those running the schools.
Some things haven't changed since Elwyn's days!
Courage, bloodymindedness and creativity will aways be required!
I think the 'great N.Z. educators' are the ordinary classroom teachers who have the initiative,courage and tenacity to focus on the important concerns and interests of their students.
I am sure you are right but it is never easy being creative .
Sylvia Ashton Warner once said that you could tell a creative teacher he, or she, could be found lying in the corridor with arrows in her back, fired at her by her fellow teachers.
In other areas people would kill for ideas that would help them.
We need to find some way of sharing ideas between schools.
Post a Comment