Learning in Context: Creativity and Professional Development in Initial Teacher Education Glen Coutts, Julie K. Austin and Liz Mitchell WAAE 2009 World Summit: Towards a Paradigm of Creative Education for the 21st Century

What is an APD ? A n Area of Professional Development [APD] is concerned with cross curricular areas which are related to the day-to-day work of many teachers but which are not teaching qualifications in themselves . (PGDE(S) Course Handbook 2009/10: 5)

A n Area of Professional Development [APD] is concerned with cross curricular areas which are related to the day-to-day work of many teachers but which are not teaching qualifications in themselves .

(PGDE(S) Course Handbook 2009/10: 5)

Examples of APD Celtic and Gaelic Studies Learning in the Outdoors Pupil Support and Pastoral Care Information and Communication Technology Theory and Practice of Behaviour Management Health Education for Today’s Young People (PGDE(S) Course Handbook 2009/10:5 )

Celtic and Gaelic Studies

Learning in the Outdoors

Pupil Support and Pastoral Care

Information and Communication Technology

Theory and Practice of Behaviour Management

Health Education for Today’s Young People

(PGDE(S) Course Handbook 2009/10:5 )

An Arts-Infused Model:Designing the Class The challenge for secondary teachers is to develop creative contexts for learning within their own subject area; contexts that will deliver key subject content and foster development of ‘core skills’ (Coutts, Austin and Mitchell, 2000:1)

The challenge for secondary teachers is to develop creative contexts for learning within their own subject area; contexts that will deliver key subject content and foster development of ‘core skills’

(Coutts, Austin and Mitchell, 2000:1)

What are ‘core skills’? Communication Numeracy Problem-solving Information technology Working with others www.sqa.org.uk

Communication

Numeracy

Problem-solving

Information technology

Working with others

www.sqa.org.uk

What are the creative contexts? The environment (built and natural) Communications and working with others School playgrounds as learning spaces Various social, cultural and historical contexts

The environment (built and natural)

Communications and working with others

School playgrounds as learning spaces

Various social, cultural and historical contexts

The built environment …

Natural environment

Communications and working with others

School Playgrounds as Learning Resources

Social, cultural and historical

Working in groups: drama

Problem solving

Setting the learning experience in context

A Curriculum for Excellence? Successful learners Confident individuals Responsible citizens Effective contributors ( www. curriculumfor excellence scotland.gov.uk)

Successful learners

Confident individuals

Responsible citizens

Effective contributors

( www. curriculumfor excellence scotland.gov.uk)

Fostering creativity…

Teachers who foster creativity Encourage students to learn independently Have a co-operative, socially integrative style of teaching Do not neglect mastery of factual knowledge Tolerate ‘sensible’ or bold errors Promote self-evaluation Take questions seriously Offer opportunities to work with varied materials under different conditions Help students to cope with frustration and failure Reward courage as much as being right (Cropley 2003:138)

Encourage students to learn independently

Have a co-operative, socially integrative style of teaching

Do not neglect mastery of factual knowledge

Tolerate ‘sensible’ or bold errors

Promote self-evaluation

Take questions seriously

Offer opportunities to work with varied materials under different conditions

Help students to cope with frustration and failure

Reward courage as much as being right

(Cropley 2003:138)

An English language project…

I HAD A FANTASTIC IDEA… THEN I CAN MEASURE WHETHER THEY SCORED HIGHER IN THEIR ASSESSMENTS …AND ENJOYED IT MORE !!! MAYBE THEY’D REMEMBER MORE IF THEY WERE MORE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE BOOK… HOLY SMOKE ! WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA !!! WHY DON’T I GET THEM TO TURN IT INTO A GRAPHIC NOVEL ???? I CAN GET THE KIDS TO SUMMARIZE THE TEXT …. … .THEN THEY CAN ACT IT OUT…… … . PHOTOGRAPH IT …. … . AND MAKE IT INTO A BOOKLET THEY CAN REVISE FROM !!!!!

BACKGROUND & MATERIALS PREPARATION PRODUCTION CREATION FEEDBACK ANALYSIS TEXTUAL STUDY BURKE & HARE PRESENTATION ENGLISH HISTORY STORYBOARDING COSTUME LOCATION PERFORMANCE COMPILATION DRAMA COMPUTING PRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE

“ ROBBIE MEETS THE BODYSNATCHERS”

Pupil comments… “…I really enjoyed this project because it was fun…” “… I learned about the Scottish environment…” “… I liked Hundertwasser because he had a cool name and his buildings are really modern…”

Evaluation What did students say about their experiences in the class?

What did students say about their experiences in the class?

One group of students…

AND THEY SAID… I recognise the value of this APD and am determined to incorporate this in my teaching in the future It was sometimes hard to connect the ideas in each activity to the previous ones and classroom practice This class has enabled me to see the role for creative learning in the classroom, … for young people to learn effectively they must be engaged in the learning process… ATTENDING THIS CLASS HAS HELPED ME TO MAKE THE LEARNING MORE ‘REAL’ FOR THE PUPILS A truly practical class!

Time for reflection…

Student comment Fostering creativity is good classroom practice and good classroom practice fosters creativity. (Johnston 2008:12)

Fostering creativity is good classroom practice and good classroom practice fosters creativity.

(Johnston 2008:12)

Student comment These skills that pupils are to develop cannot be done in a linear and dogmatic way - teachers must themselves be adaptable and establish creative opportunities to foster creativity in others. The two facets to this relationship are inextricable; fostering creativity in others and being creative ourselves in the way that we teach. (McElwee, 2008: 5)

These skills that pupils are to develop cannot be done in a linear and dogmatic way - teachers must themselves be adaptable and establish creative opportunities to foster creativity in others. The two facets to this relationship are inextricable; fostering creativity in others and being creative ourselves in the way that we teach.

(McElwee, 2008: 5)

Concluding comments The motivating potential of an arts-infused methodology is at the core of our model. Experience to date suggests that there is a genuine need and interest from trainee teachers for such a model. We are encouraged by that. Julie Austin and Glen Coutts, Chicago, June 2008.

The motivating potential of an arts-infused methodology is at the core of our model. Experience to date suggests that there is a genuine need and interest from trainee teachers for such a model. We are encouraged by that.

Julie Austin and Glen Coutts, Chicago, June 2008.

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