@Bristol (345 Words)

@Bristol is an experiential science experience that offers interactive exhibits that are both fun, interesting and educational. It takes the visitor on a journey of  the world in which we live through science and creativity. Each exhibit is designed specifically for investigating a particular intention through our senses. Each of the exhibits could be linked to Leonardo Effect and The Mantle of the Expert learning systems to further the experience within the classroom.

The planetarium takes you into space to examine the constellations and clusters that beam down at night. The whole experience left adults and children in awe of what earth is part of. We learned that because of science, there is always a human being in space looking down on our plant and that history and other cultures have contributed to how we view and navigate the night sky.

The Planetarium

 A worksheet which informs what is visible in the night sky for the particular month you have visited so you can experience the stars at home.

      

Later, visitors can enjoy an area of exhibits displaying different aspects of space and space travel.  All of these exhibits are however non-interactive, being are held in glass cabinets.  If there was an area where you could handle moon rock, a room where planets hung from the ceiling or a controllable space shuttle robotic arm visitors could become more engaged with the subject.

The experience of the Planetarium increased my own awareness of; the planets; how we interpret the stars culturally and historically; and my understanding that each of us are a very small component in a huge world of science.

This visit could be incredibly relevant for school children of all ages, allowing interpretation into schemes of work through cross-curricular learning. Welsh Government education targets can also be met via the Arts in Education Wales paper, the encouragement of STEM subjects and articles listed within the UNCRC, regarding ethics and diversity. Sustainable living guidelines for education are met in relation to IDE to care for our planet and respect all its other inhabitants as we are all very small in comparison to the worlds population.

@BRISTOL 

International Dimension in Education (308 Words)

International Dimensions in Education (IDE) is a component within Welsh teaching and learning that explores global awareness, and that how we live our lives has global consequence...........

Teaching and learning for a sustainable future supports the Education for Sustainable Development and Global Development which is designed to embed values of sustainable living within the modern, and changing world that we live into the National Curriculum and school ethos.The ESDCG  promotes global awareness which underpins A Common Understanding for Welsh schools.  Education for sustainable development and global citizenship has an important part within the curriculum and included within the publication Making the Most of Learning.

The UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) came into force in 1989 given rights of entitlement within 42 articles that recognize basic human rights to children worldwide and it underpins all Welsh policy today.  Although primarily concerned with basic human rights for children all around the world it could be viewed as not making a difference in some countries with children and adults living in absolute poverty in conditions that we would consider unbearable. Rights Respecting Schools follow the ethos of the UNCRC allowing cross curricular meaning to schools ethos, PSE, and is designed to allow each child's talents to be developed fully.  Therefore each child will be active and successful in their learning journey.

Reflecting on the UNCRC, Csikszentmihalyi explains that in countries where there are no schools and books, memes are therefore not introduced into that culture and creativity is thwarted by the countries poverty.  If WG succeed in promoting STEM subjects to budding scientists that could increase our own creativity thus may help countries in need.  This, in theory may assist countries in need to build on their own education thus introducing memes to countries in poverty which in turn should boost their creativity for sustainability independently. As Csikszentmenhalyi states "Creativity is the engine that drives cultural evolution."  (pg.7)

A Creative Practitioner (281 Words)

Ben Milne is a creative practitioner working in Ashgrove Special School for children with autism. Milne has created and developed a creative curriculum to help develop children with these specific learning needs.
In a recent lecture within UWTSD Milne explained in detail how a creative curriculum can help engage children that are hard to engage in the processes of learning.

Creativity within any learning environment is important as employers require creative thinkers and risk takers in today's society.  As Milne explained that self expression through creativity is a form of communication, and a vessel for self-esteem and confidence through positive feedback for a personal creation.  Developing creativity also develops risk-taking, children learn that it is acceptable to make mistakes and start again.

The use of creativity within the classroom allows pupils to; think for themselves and re-contextualize original ideas; develops fine motor skills; opens up opportunities to communicate, discuss and debate; and develops essential life skills such as finance, cookery, and interaction with others.

Milne explained for a fully creative environment you need space, time and a safe calm atmosphere to promote meaningful activities and pupil engagement. It is also imperative to create a positive relationship between pupil and staff.

To engage the learner Milne spoke of ideas to use within the classroom:

• A shop
• A radio station
• Games
• Musical instruments
• Web tools
• Photography
• Nature/ Outdoor activities
• Film/ Recording studio
• Animation

To me it is clear that, even though Milne creative curriculum is designed for children with learning difficulties, this curriculum would be successful within any learning environment and in all subjects of the curriculum within cross-curricular lessons, thus engaging pupils in a system of learning that they find engaging and relevant.

The Mantle of the Expert (373 Words)

"The Mantle of the Expert sets up a supportive interpretative and reflective community through a pattern of relationships and a network of tasks." (O'Neill, 1995)

The Mantle of the Expert (MOE) is a creative pedagogy developed by Dorothy Heathcote, an expert in drama in education, that facilitates speaking and listening throughout the curriculum in a holistic, situated learning community.  According to Sayers (2011), it involves an enterprise model of learning in a project from ideas to an end product usually throughout a term period.  It is a learning system of active imagination and inquiry and is regarded as autonomous learning based on an agreement between the learner and the teacher in role-play by adopting certain function roles as feild experts. 

To experience MOE for ourselves within seminar we were given the task of creating a construction company to build a bridge for the city of Swansea, which could be considered the collective frame in a social dimension.  

Bridging the Future Construction.

Re-building the future- Bridging the Gap

Reliable-Safe-Quality-Honesty-Community-Ethical-Charitable

Our Brain Storming

Our Preliminary Designs

Our End Product

Within our communities of practice (COP), we used a budget developing maths skills, we created a company developing organisation making the aim legitimate and social skills with negotiated ownership thus developed our understanding of roles and responsibilities. We used the internet to discover how to build a bridge developing research skills.  We learnt to work as a team to produce and end product and presented our ideas to a board (The class). Within the domain, our COP was a group of people sharing ideas, thoughts and knowledge; memes that creative thought and action are collectively motivated by a process and end product. We felt safe to take risks and held belief in our own abilities in relation to the task through our interpersonal relationships.
                                                        

MOE is more than just experiential learning; being considered to be a situated learning experience using research and investigation for a purpose.  By learning the topic specific language in a learning situation it is said that the learner obtains deeper understanding of knowledge holistically through enquiry.  

This pedagogy is exciting, engaging and purposeful and encourages risk taking which meets the needs of the today's learner and can be used to address many subjects within the curriculum while freeing the restraints of time.

Scientific Inquiry (204 Words)

Within research or science in education it is customary to follow a recipe format.  However, Barrow (2010) this approach can create barriers to learning science and to break down these barriers a creative approach to science must be implemented.  A scientific inquiry-based process is argued to be a more successful and engaging pedagogy in the teaching of science in school.  Nonetheless, within schools today, the more scientific method approach is more widely used.  According to Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry, a web tool of conceptual frameworks are organised to allow the learner to progress from what they already know to investigate further with a 5E instructional model with a Process of Scientific Inquiry: 

1. Engage the learner.
2. Explore with investigation.
3. Explain with linking ideas and experiences.
4. Elaborate, problem solve and introduce scientific language.
5. Evaluate what the learner has discovered.

Welsh Government has recently adopted a more creative approach to the teaching of science in Wales with the National Science Academy where a hub of external partners such as: Techniquest, National Botanical Garden of Wales, The Centre for Alternative Technology and WIMCS to support and promote STEM subjects for pupils in Welsh schools.