What
is a truly creative education?
Creative teaching Readings
Friday 12th April
Bruce
and I spend time each week gathering articles that encourage a creative
approach to education. This of course
begs the question what makes a classroom creative?
Bruce
has been involved in encouraging creative approaches to education for decades.
First as a
science adviser, as a teacher, an art adviser, principal and an
independent education adviser.
At
the beginning of this year Bruce was asked to give a session at the school he
was once principal of at their TOD to share the main ideas arising from his
experience over the decades.
Perhaps
the main idea Bruce mentioned was to develop your classroom, or school, as a
community of learners.
Bruce drew the attention of the staff to
the philosophy of Elwyn Richardson who saw his classroom as a community of
artists and scientists exploring their immediate environment and personal
experiences. To us both Elwyn’s book In the Early World (recently
republished by the NZCER) is still the best example of creative teaching. All
schools and teachers should have a copy.
As
a Science Adviser (and even earlier as a Nature Study Specialist) Bruce said
that exploring the natural world is as important as ever and, as part of this, it
is important to help students learn through sensory awareness. Such awareness and appreciation provides
motivation for expression
through a range of media but will contribute for
students to protect and value the environment.
In the mid 80s Bruce was involved in the Waikato School of Education’s
Learning in Science Project (LISP). Essentially this was based on finding out
what students know and then to challenge their understandings ; to value their
question and current theories and to
note how their view had changed (or not) due to learning experiences. Contrary to current views
knowledge is as important as the learning process. Classrooms should reflect
the before and after views of students.
As
an art adviser Bruce focussed on helping students express ideas through art and
valued the idiosyncratic expression of every learner. Much of what many teachers today call
creativity is craft at best and decoration at worst – and, all too often,
little can be seen to differentiate each learners efforts.
Bruce’s
teaching experience followed a long career giving advice. The main message he
learnt was that giving advice and doing it are two different things. Having to cover the whole curriculum was a
real challenge and took him time to come to terms with. Bruce made the point
that take advice with
care – many who provide advice have had little practical experience of what
they talk about.
So
these were the points Bruce shared which align with my own views. We both
believe that in an education that focuses on accepting learners for what they
can do and building on their strengths – to develop their unique passions and
talents.
We both believe that all students will
learn if it makes sense to them, if they can see the point of what they are
doing.
We
both believe that the teacher’s role is to create classrooms as communities of
learners full of challenging experiences to attract student’s
curiosity.
As Jerome Bruner has written ‘teaching is the canny art of intellectual
temptation’. If we see our classrooms as a subtle mix of an artist’s studio (
in including all media), a scientist’s laboratory, a work room and an art
gallery then students will learn to do, in meaningful contests, the very
things teachers currently spend far too much time on – literacy and numeracy.
Too much valuable teacher time and energy is wasted on assessment and
documentation
Two
last points. Teachers should do fewer things well and, strangely in this fast
paced world, to slow the pace of students work to both encourage in-depth thinking
and to give time for teachers to come alongside learners to help as required.
Students, all too often, think that first finished is best and by rushing
develop fragile learning.
Students
are born to learn. We mustn’t let schools get in their way. If in doubt read
Elwyn Richardson’s book and also watch the two videos about his work at Oruaiti
School.
Allan Alach
For
those interested in Elwyn Richardson’s book
Reclaiming
the joy of learning : In the Early World ( NZCER)
In
the Early World
Here’s
a movie, filmed by Elwyn Richardson in 1961, with his added commentary, that
shows some of the amazing art work produced by his pupils.
Song
of the Bird
Following
on, here’s another video that looks at Elwyn Richardson’s work and which
includes Richardson talking about his teaching.
A
gifted Taranaki teacher Bill Guild implements Elwyn’s ideas
Bill
Guild was a key figure of a group of Taranaki teachers that had gained
reputation for the creative programmes
they were implementing. Bill - who by
the way turns 93 this year and is as enthusiastic about creativity as he ever
was and a whiz on his Apple Computer
John
Dewey an educator for the 21stC
The
progressive ideas Bruce and I hold relate to the writings of John Dewey. So
many of the ideas talked about today have their genesis in the writings of
Dewey .
‘
Dewey
placed a premium on student meaningful activity in learning and participation
in classroom democracy. His belief that students must be ‘invested’ in what
they are learning echoing calls today for school to present ‘rich, real and
relevant learning’ to combat growing student disengagement.’
Guy
Claxton’s book ‘What’s the Point of School’
‘This book is powerful and
timely examination of why our schools are built to fail, and how to redesign them
to meet the needs of the
modern world.' The challenge of redesigning schools is
a big ask but the book gives lots of very practical advice about how to create
enthusiastic learners and more effective teaching. In particular the 'learning
power' ideas gives guidance to how New Zealand teachers can implement the 'key
competencies' of the new curriculum.’
Time
to re-read John Holt -
‘The Joy and Sorrow of
Rereading Holt’s "How Children Learn" Here, summed up, are John Holt’s
great insights about children’s learning.'
We
must reverse the ‘outcome oriented’ educational monster we have unleashed
“Our students need to be
content creators, not memorisers As the New Zealand Curriculum says students
need to ‘seek, use and create their own knowledge’.”
What
Students Do Better Than Teachers
9
Elephants in the (Class)Room That Should “Unsettle” Us
‘I’ve been collecting a
list of these “things that we don’t really want to talk about in education” in
hopes that it might challenge us to bring those elephants out into the open and
ignite some much needed conversation about how to deal with them. Here are nine
of them.’
The
Artistry of Teaching
Seven
Myths Keeping Teachers from Implementing Creative Projects
‘Every
year, I ask my pedagogy students about their most memorable learning experience
as a student. Inevitably, it involves a creative project. These were the
moments when learning stuck and often it was when they fell in love with the
subject. But these were also the experiences that taught them collaboration,
project management, flexible thinking, and a growth mindset.’
#3quotes
from Rogers - Steve
Wheeler:
‘Although
he originally practised as a psychotherapist, Carl Rogers was intensely
interested in education. His 1969 publication Freedom to Learn is now
considered a classic of education. It was certainly required reading during my
own teacher training. Rogers' approach to both psychotherapy and education was
humanistic and thus person-centred. His view on learning was that children
needed to be fully engaged rather than passive in the classroom.’
4
Ways to Develop Creativity in Students
‘When
Benjamin Bloom identified what he called the taxonomy of the cognitive
domain, he ranked
synthesis (creativity) as one of the most difficult skills to
master because a person has to use all of the other cognitive skills in the
creative process. Since, according to Bloom, creating is the highest
order of
thinking, it should be in the forefront of all learning environments and an end
goal. When students create what they imagine, they’re in the driver’s seat.’
Sir
Ken Robinson: How to Create a Culture For Valuable Learning
‘Robinson
believes education is “to enable students to understand the world around them,
and the talents within them, so that they can become fulfilled individuals and
active, compassionate citizens.” He doesn’t deny that learning information
about the world is important, but he says it’s equally important for students
to understand their own talents, motivations and passions if they are going to
lead lives that satisfy them. The current system of conformity and compliance
leaves no space for this type of self-exploration.’
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