Introduction

Enquiring Minds: Creative Approaches

Introduction

‘Creativity is a state of mind where in which all of our intelligences work together’ (Lucas, 2001). Throughout this blog I will be looking at the different methods of children’s creative enquiry to learning. Firstly, I will look at the Leonardo effect; the four stages of methodology, commonalities, experimentation and developing ideas. Next, the Art vs Science debate; similarities and differences between art and science approaches, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the link between the two in education. After that, the late Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert; how children adopt the role of the expert and face the would be challenges and problems they could encounter in real life. Then, Outdoor Learning; the benefits, the impact on children, learning through experience and the promotion of health and well-being. Finally creative play; what is creativity, children’s development and imaginative play through varieties of experience.

 

Reference

Lucas, B. (2001) Creative Teaching, Teaching Creativity and Creative Learning. In A. Craft, B. Jeffrey & M. Leibling (Eds), Creativity in Education. London: Continuum.

Leonardo Effect

Leonardo Effect

Introduction

The Leonardo Effect is a new form of interdisciplinary learning centred around the integration of subjects. For example, understanding the common aspects of art and science, such as observing, experimenting and creative thinking. ‘It is a unique interdisciplinary approach removing subject boundaries by identifying subject commonalities’ (British Educational Research Association Conference, 2005)

Leonardo Effect

Leonardo Da Vinci is a key influence in this area as he strongly believed that questioning and using senses in investigating is of great importance to the development of ideas. ‘Children are natural philosophers’ (Matthews, 1978, p.6). Feeding animals, visiting places, listening to songs/animals and asking questions to satisfy curiosity. All those experiences aid children’s thinking.

The framework for the Leonardo Effect allows children to take responsibility for their own work and development. The methodology allows the teacher to mix things up in class to engage pupils. A key factor in the Leonardo Effect is that children are involved in the decision making and planning of their learning. The theme is child centred and the work reflects the children’s own ideas. The role of the teacher is to facilitate and guide the pupils.

There are four teaching stages which aid the teachers in removing barriers to learning.

1.      Capturing the child’s imagination: Using the children’s curiosity as a process of investigative-based learning. Giving the children a sense of empowerment where teachers enjoy taking part in learning alongside them.

2.      Development: Exploring, investigating, experimenting and developing ideas provides children with the opportunity to learn experientially.

3.      Creation: Pupils are encouraged to put to use any knowledge and skills they have in a creative context.

4.      Reflect and communicate: At this point children evaluate their own work, by presenting what they have learnt to a wider audience.

During my recent university seminars, the class lecturer split us into four groups. Each group was given an element; fire, water, air and earth. My group task was to write down as many words as possible in 5 minutes relating to ‘air’. Once the 5 minutes was over the groups would switch and we would repeat the task again, however, this proved more difficult each time as the words we thought of were already written down by the previous group.



 

Once we had finished going through all the elements we then had to choose one word from our sheet to study, we chose ‘airplane’. We found ourselves asking many ‘who’, ‘what, ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ questions. From this we took the research into our own hands as we were curious as to the answers to the questions. Each member of the group researched a different aspect of an ‘airplane’. We then prepared a five minute presentation on ‘airplane’ and delivered it to the class along with a fun task for the class to take part in. It was an enjoyable process and highlighted the Leonardo Effect methodology as subject boundaries were removed as we identified through our questioning and research subject commonalities. Skills such as communication, team work, creativity, thinking outside of the box and confidence were developed through the interdisciplinary approach.

Conclusion

The Leonardo Effect is an effective interdisciplinary, child centred teaching approach where children are empowered to use their knowledge and skills creatively to take responsibility for their own learning. Work reflects the children’s own ideas. The teacher is as a facilitator, guiding and using the children’s natural curiosity as a process of their investigative learning. The final process involves the children’s reflection and evaluation through communicating their knowledge and understanding with others.

 

References

Bryn Gwalia (no date) The Leonardo Effect. www.bryngwalia.org/Our-Learning/The-Leonardo_effect.html (Accessed: 3^rd December)

The Leonardo Effect (no date) The Leonardo Effect Manifesto: Creative curriculum teaching. www.leonardoeffect.com/connecting_learning_to_hard_to_reach_children.html (Accessed: 4^th December)

Matthews (1978) Cited in; Lipman, M. & A. M. Sharp (eds) (1978) Growing up with Philosophy. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Swansea Edunet (no date) The Leonardo Effect. https://swansea-edunet.gov.uk/en/schools/ynystawe/Pages/The_Leonardo_Effect.aspx (A

Art vs Science

Art vs Science debate

Introduction

‘Why are we still having the old arts vs science debate? There is only one culture, and you need an open mind to absorb as much as you can’ (Tim Radford, 2008). To some art and science are seen as polar opposites, art is emotion orientated and science is data driven (John Maeda, 2013) with no link between the two. Art and science play a vital role in today’s curriculum, both contributing in a variety of ways.

Art aims vs Science aims

 It is vital that schools develop a balanced curriculum to provide an all-round education for children. To develop creative and critical thinking, aesthetic sensitivity and to build on cultural awareness. There are four aims for Art in Education

1.      To develop skills, knowledge and a positive attitude towards art and its values

2.      To feel enjoyment and satisfaction through taking part in art based activities

3.      Finally to have a life-long interest in visual arts, music, drama and crafts

Science is a core subject in KS1, KS2 and KS3, it is deeply involved with our everyday lives and what decisions we make. The aims of science in education are:

1.      To give practical hands on experience of how scientists come up with hypotheses and observe, investigate, experiment to prove the hypotheses right or wrong.

2.      To help them understand the importance of evidence when it comes to making decisions.

3.      Provide children with knowledge so they are able to make informed judgements.

Link between Art & Science

Brittani K.Irvin states that ‘The emergence of ideas for both science and art exploration can stem from observation and perception of the world around us’. There are a few areas that art and science share in terms of commonality. These being:

Experimentation – Both art and science encourage children to experiment. Art and science are experimenting with different types of materials and drawing/painting the natural environment and animals. Also drawing, designing and building inventions and structures. Experimenting with natural  and man-made resources to create images and structures. Art and science are both practical, hands on approaches to enquiry.

Creativity/Imagination – Children use their imagination to take them beyond what they can normally see, giving them a sense of freedom to express their ideas through scientific and artistic experimentation. Children are encouraged to be creative and innovative when thinking about and perceiving imaginative ideas.

Model of enquiry – Both art and science are models of enquiry. Art encourages children to investigate emotions, senses, colours, materials, textures and different ways of creating things. Scientific enquiry encourages children to interact with their natural environment and to question what they see, feel, hear and know.

Leonardo da Vinci

‘The Royal Collection says Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist. The National Gallery gang say he was an artist’ (The Guardian, 2012). Many believe he was both an artist and scientist. He ‘began to use science and mathematics to improve his art’ (Fox, no date). Through this he was able to create three-dimensional illusions in his work. Leonardo strongly believed that scientific knowledge would be obtained from repeatedly carrying out experiments opposed to unproven ideas/theories. He taught and carried out all experiments by himself and would use his drawings to create inventions, for example his flying machine and parachute. He was also interested in human anatomy, many of his drawings are considered to be just as accurate as digital imaging technology and his drawings are still referenced by professionals in the medical industry today, ‘They are the finest illustrations of particular anatomical structures to this day’ (Martin Clayton, no date). The use of drawings to aid the understanding of human anatomy shows an obvious link between art and science.

At my Junior school art and science played an equal part in our education. Science being a core subject and art foundation. Art and science were intertwined, the best example of this was when we  explored the outdoor environment in search for bugs and plants, whatever we found we would recreate using different art techniques, creating different colours and textures. Collecting the plants and bugs was the scientific enquiry and recreating what we found using different materials and techniques was the artistic response to the enquiry.

Conclusion

The art vs science debate has been going on for many years. There will always be some who say art is better, or science is better, the debate may never end. It is apparent that there are obvious links between the two areas of enquiry, science and art encourage children to be creative and investigative, just take a look at the work of Leonardo and how he used both in his work.

References

Brittani, K.I. Making Connections between Science and Art. www.academia.edu (Accessed:8^th December)

Fox, C. (no date) Leonardo Workshop. www.loc.gov/loc/kidslc/LGpdfs/leo-teacher.pdf (Accessed: 7^th December)

Jonathan, J. (2012) Is Leonardo da Vinci a great artist or a great scientist. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/may/01/leonardo-da-vinci-arist-or-scientist  (Accessed: 8^th December)

Sooke, A. (2013) Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy of an artist. www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/leonardo-da-vinci/10202124/Leonardo-da-Vinci-Anatomy-of-an-artist.html (Accessed: 7^th December)

Mantle of the Expert

Mantle of the Expert

Introduction

Dorothy Heathcote was a ‘larger than life teacher who placed drama at the heart of education’ (Hesten, S, 2011). She introduced The Mantle of the Expert, an imaginative/dramatic-enquiry approach to teaching and learning. After 40 years of practice, Dorothy Heathcote was praised as “one of the greatest teachers of the twentieth century” (John Carroll, cited in Heston, 1993, p.1).

Dorothy Heathcote (1926-2011)

Mantle of the expert

The Mantle of the Expert asks children to approach their curriculum work, challenges and problems as an imagined group of experts. For example, they could be civil engineers building a bridge, doctors at the scene of an accident, scientists in a lab, the possibilities are endless. The children act and behave like the experts, they work from a specific point of view which encourages social needs, language and responsibilities. From this approach children take on some of the responsibilities and challenges that engineers, doctors and scientists face in real life.

A problem or task is established and the children become part of an “enterprise”. It usually involves an imaginary client for example a shoe designer, the shoe designer would like 100 pairs of shoes to be manufactured. The children will be involved in creating the shoes, totalling orders, ordering materials and delivering the product. Of course it is an enquiry process, and on occasions it may lead to outcomes like making orders, creating products or selling products. Instead of the children relying on the teacher to enforce work and achievement, it is a shared responsibility between the teacher and pupils. The teacher’s role is to facilitate, to step in and out of role when needed, to provide encouragement and motivation. Dorothy Heathcote describes the Mantle of the Expert as “an approach to the whole curriculum.”

The three dimensions of Mantle of the Expert.

A module of my Business study course at College required the class to create their own business and present it at a national trade fair. Positions had to be filled through an application and interview. I was positioned in finance with another member of the class. Unfortunately, the managing director was fired and I was asked to replace him. We discussed many ideas and eventually agreed on building a package holiday business for young adults based on data evidence that Ibiza, Malia, Magaluf and Zante were popular holiday destinations for young adults. The managing director had to make sure everything ran smoothly, finance had to balance accounts, marketing had to create logos/posters/pitches. Purchasing had to buy the required materials, human resources had to make sure all members of staff were happy and sales had to come up with impressive deals. Finally the business was up and running and we presented it at a national trade fair in Cardiff. We received 1 of 3 awards. This was by far my best learning experience, it gave me the opportunity to put myself in the shoes of the professional and be a part of something I had never experienced before.
 

Conclusion

The Mantle of the Expert provides children with a creative approach to learning which gives them the opportunity to put themselves in the position of the experts through the enterprise aspect, whilst having full access to the curriculum and developing social needs, language and responsibilities.

 

References

Farmer, D. (2010) Mantle of the Expert. www.dramaresource.com/strategies/mantle-of-the-expert (Accessed: 2nd December)

Fraser, D., Aitken, V. & Whyte, B. (2013) Connecting Curriculum Linking Learning. New Zealand: NZCER Press.

Heston, S. (1993) The Dorothy Heathcote archive. Manchester: Manchester Metropolitan University.  www.did.stu.mmu.ac.uk/dha/hcheston.asp (Accessed: 1^st December)

MoE (no date) Mantle of the Expert. www.mantleoftheexpert.com (Accessed: 1^st December)

The Guardian (2011) Dorothy Heathcote Obituary. www.theguardian.com/education/2011/nov/17/dorothy-heathcote (Accessed: 2^nd December)

Outdoor Learning

Outdoor Learning

Introduction

‘Outdoors is full of unpredictability and the sheer variability of the outdoors as an environment is what makes it unique’ (Tovey, 2007, p15). The outdoors offer children a landscape that stimulates the body and encourages experiential learning. Direct experience with outdoors has more impact on the learner. ‘An indoor environment, in contrast, is relatively static…’ (Tovey, 2007, p15).

Outdoor Learning

The outdoors is seen as a child’s dominion offering children the space and freedom to try new and exciting things, without the constraints of a typical classroom setting. ‘If given the opportunity they are naturally curious and playful’ (Isenberg & Quinsberry, 2002). In outdoor learning the children learn through what they do, experience and discover. This is true, particularly when it comes to the natural sciences and art. As well as, The Guardian (2014) states that ‘children who spend more time outdoors are also healthier, more alert and have better social skills’. The whole active learning process develops the skills of enquiry, experimenting, reflection and cooperative learning. Children make full use of their senses to assist their learning. ‘Outdoor learning is a class of its own’ (The Guardian, 2012).

Children interact with the surrounding environment while experimenting with their friends and learning new skills.

‘The foci of outdoor education can include learning about: nature; society; nature-society interactions and oneself’ (NFER, 2004). It consists of working alone, working with others and practical/experiential work. Knowledge and understanding, attitudes and feelings, values and beliefs, behaviours, personal and social development can be exercised in the outdoor learning experience. ‘There is no limit to the experiences and curiosities that outdoor environments and activities can arouse’ (IOL, 2005). Organised educational trips and visits help children become responsible young adults, respectful of others and they gain a wider understanding of the world around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBAazwgTZNU The following link is a short video of Lanark Primary School who won the Active Nation Award. The video briefly shows how they use the outdoors as a learning environment.

Outdoor learning was a key feature of my nursery and reception years. As children we were encouraged to interact with our surroundings and explore mini beasts and organisms and experiment with the variety of materials we found. Art and science were intrinsically linked throughout these learning opportunities. We would investigate the woodland area in search for bugs, wildlife, different materials, colours, tones and textures. Then we would draw and annotate what we found and experiment with different techniques to make the colours and textures we saw, using different media to create paintings and collages. From a scientific perspective we would be gathering evidence and developing an understanding of the variety of materials, wildlife, plants, animal habitats, soil and growth within the woodland and field.

Conclusion

Outdoor learning has a significant impact on the health, well-being and the learning opportunities for children. Similar to creative play it allows children to be free, experiment and engage with their surrounding environment.

References

Bilton, H. (2010) Outdoor learning in the early years: Management and innovation. 3^rd Edition. Oxfordshire: Routledge

Dillon, J., Morris, M., O’Donnell, L., Reid, A., Rickinson, M. and Scott, W. (2004) Engaging and learning with the outdoors: The Final Report of the Outdoor Classroom in a Rural Context Action Research Project. Slough: NFER.

IOL (2005) What is outdoor learning? www.outdoor-learning.org/Default.aspx?tabid=207 (Accessed: 20th November)

Isenberg, J.P., Quinsberry, N. (2002) Play: Essential for all children. (Vol.79, P.33-39) United States: Childhood Education International.

Outdoor learning at Lanark primary School (2011) SouthLanarkshireTV [Video] Lanarkshire: Youtube

The Guardian. (2014) Back to nature: how outdoor learning benefits both students and staff. www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/hays-partner-zone/training-teachers-outdoor-learning (Accessed: 20^th November)

The Guardian. (2012) Outdoor learning is in a class of its own. www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/dec/04/outdoor-learning-school-activities (Accessed: 20^th November)

Tovey, H. (2007) Playing Outdoors: Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge. Berkshire: Open University Press.

 

Creative Play

Creative Play

Introduction

‘Creativity is the freest form of self-expression’ (Bharadia, 2008) it should never be underestimated; it is vital to children in numerous ways. Giving the child the opportunity to create something from personal experiences and feelings can reflect and nurture their emotions and health. The opportunities children get during their early years of life can enhance their development of creativity considerably.

Creative Play

Creativity

Creativity is a social experience; role play, singing, dancing, the use of puppets all encourage children to communicate with each other and gain an understanding of the social rules such as sharing and co-operating. Creativity supports children’s physical development; use of paint brushes, pens, scissors all help in developing the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Language and literacy are developed during creative activities; class projects or plays they learn new vocabulary and word association. Creative activities aid children in developing their cognitive learning and attention skills. They use their imagination to its fullest which inspires them to create new ideas and think outside of the box.

A creative environment is one where there are many pieces of equipment for children to engage with and they are free to do whatever they please.

Creative Play

Creative play is articulated when children use resources in an unusual imaginative way. ‘Studies of the brain activity in preadolescent children offer empirical evidence that children do indeed have active imaginations’ (Diamond & Hopson, 1999). When children engage in creative play the rules are made by them, they are in control and not the adults. They put into practice their powers of choice and decision-making.  This unstructured self-directed play inspires mental development and allows them to express their emotions and feelings. ‘Play is important for building social competence and confidence in dealing with peers, a life skill that is essential for functioning in school’ (Howes, 1992; Howes & Mattheson, 1992; Raver, 2002; Singer and Singer, 2005) as well as in life. Creative play gives children the opportunity to enhance their social skills by communicating with others, in time  learning to take others views and needs into account and appreciate different perspectives and values. Play also provides a perfect opportunity for the teacher to integrate and include children with disabilities into the class activity. Furthermore, the opportunities that come from play provide every child with independence and control, and helps identify and acknowledge the uniqueness and diversity of every child.

http://youtu.be/HC5Lc3pmGD4 The link is a video to Red Jelly Creative Play. Red Jelly prides itself on providing a place for parents to go with their children to play with art, explore natural and recycled materials and just make a mess.

Creative Opportunities

Activities provided by the teacher could be the ideas that the children have come up with themselves. There is more to creativity than just painting and drawing, there are other methods of creativity such as music, photography and field trips. Time goes extremely fast when children are being creative, so it is imperative that there is enough time for them to explore and pursue any ideas they have.

Varieties of Experience

The more varied experiences that children have, the more expression of creativity there will be. Providing children with multi-cultural and multi-ethnic experiences provide them with a deeper understanding of those around them. School trips, celebrating different holidays and activities with the ethnic groups enhances the creative learning process.

The Primary school I attended believed in creative play which helped me immensely in terms of the skills I possess today. All children who attended the school were encouraged to use and develop their unique imaginative skills through a wide variety of exciting and challenging outdoor and indoor experiences, my favourite being investigating the outdoor world. Building and making objects from a range of odd and unusual materials enabled me to interact freely with my surrounding environment. Also to create imaginative games and models of objects derived from my creative play.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that creativity plays a vital role in the development of children. It is paramount to the development of cognitive skills, social and emotional skills and inspires children to be free, imaginative and unique.

References

Bharadia, R. (2008) Roots and Wings: A Handbook for Parents. New Delhi; Rupa Co.

Brittany. (30 October 2014) The Importance of Creativity and How to Foster It. www.loveplayandlearn.com/the-importance-of-creativity-and-how-to-foster-it/  (Accessed: 18         November 2014)

Diamond, M., & Hopson, J. (1999) Magic trees of the mind: How to nurture your child’s intelligence, creativity, and healthy emotions from birth through adolescence. New York: Penguin.

Dorothy, G.S., Golinkoff, M.R., Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2006) Play = Learning. How Play Motivates and Enhances Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Growth. New York: Oxford University Press.

PBS (no date) Creativity and Play: Fostering Creativity. www.pbs.org/wholechild/providers/play.html (Accessed: 18 November 2014)

Red Jelly (2011) Redjam01: Red Jelly [Video]. UK: Youtube.

 

Conclusion

Conclusion

The creative approaches throughout this blog outline the numerous benefits and impact on children’s education. The Leonardo Effect and Mantle of the Expert provide self-directed learning opportunities without subject boundaries. Outdoor learning encourages children to be free, independent and inquisitive whilst benefiting their health and well-being. Creative play helps children develop important social and emotional skills and encourages them to be creative and unique. The debate between art versus science is bemusing as it can be seen they are both linked in a variety of ways. Both help children to develop their natural curiosity and creativeness. All the learning approaches studied in this blog can improve grades, cognitive development, knowledge and understanding and skills. Most importantly they offer a fun, enjoyable and creative educational experience.