Painting the town red

When Andy Theobold of architects Fielden Clegg Bradley picked up two awards at the South West regional RIBA awards for his design of a school building, we asked Gary Spracklen, Innovation Director at A4LE UK, to take a trip to the West Country to see what all the fuss was about.

‘Our building, The Red House, with its dramatic overhang and strong colour scheme, is a physical representation of our creative and aspirational approach’. You could be forgiven for thinking this line comes from a tech-savvy city startup or a thriving creative design agency, but the truth is far more exciting… this is the Plymouth School of Creative Arts, a beacon of hope for education in the South-West of England. A school which embraces creative learning in all subject areas in environments that were built for making.

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      string(5636) "natural objects, and come back with berries, flowerheads, petals and leaves. One boy who has been observingthe girls at work makes a necklace – a loop of copper wireonto which he threads rose petals. Angela teaches quietly,showing how to bend wire, explaining how the willowtwigs have been soaked to make them pliable, speculatingon what different children’s objects could be used for andpointing out where materials are kept.In the course of an hour, most children work withconcentration on at least two constructions, and it isinteresting to see how they influence each other, andparticularly how boys influence girls and vice versa – theirapproaches to construction begin by being very different,but end up closer together. By the end of the session theyhave made some ingenious objects, which they presentto each other and discuss on the carpet in the meetingroom. There is a ‘mouse-cat car for going into the hills’,a TV camera which has evolved from a gun, ‘two cousins,Gianna and Margherita’ – made out of cardboard tubesand dressed in rose petals, a cardboard ‘tree of faces’ witha wire nose hanging from its branches, a swing – ‘for olderchildren, because there’s no seat, you might fall off’. Everyobject has its own background narrative.On the walls are charts illustrated by photos andchildren’s drawings of previous projects, with explanationsof how they came about and what the explorations ledto. Last year there was a project on ‘seeing what’s insideobjects’, when children took apart some of the machinesavailable and looked at how they were made. But the chartshows that this careful taking to pieces of things led tomuch reconstruction, many ideas and much talk, some ofwhich is recorded:l Here everything can have a different function’l It’s taking things apart and making other things of theml When you get inside objects you discover there’s a mysteryin there, like in the magnets, and we can take them out andmake toys of them.Angela says ‘It’s a process of getting to know. They usereason, they use logic – they wanted to know what wasinside a spinning top and so they made some, they workedfor days at a time. They all wanted a hand in it.’This documentation is carried out in the workshop, withchildren making the drawings and taking many of thepictures. Angela explains that, when the machines hadbeen taken apart, the children initially wanted to use theparts to make a tabletop city – but eventually they choseto make a collection of different trees, which are displayedSeeing what’s inside24creative communities www.teachthinking.comTeaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:1 Issue 22Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:1 Issue 22 Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:1 Issue 22Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:1 Issue 22at the entrance to the workshop. Each has a name: ‘the treeof hats’, ‘the tree of words’ (hung with computer keys), ‘thetree of sounds’, ‘the tree of threads’, ‘the tree of iron’, ‘thetree of rubies’; they stand there like a fairytale wood. There’sa concern for balance and beauty as well as humour andbravura in these trees hung with nuts and bolts.In the neighbouring mini-museum of natural objects,there are the remains of a recent project on real trees.Sections of tree trunk are being used as stools and tables;there are arrangements of branches and driftwood. Thewall shelves hold pomegranates, gourds, dried mushrooms,leaves, shells, nuts, dry flowers, containers of earth that hasbeen gathered from different places (marked ‘field earth’,‘pebbly earth’, ‘red earth’, ‘sand’), and paints made fromplants and different soils, which have been used to makebeautiful soft paintings. There is the same sense of orderin here and the same implicit teaching about materials,categories and relationships. One whole set of shelvescontains the tools for working in this natural laboratory,grouped under labels showing what they do: ‘magnifying’,‘grating’, sieving’, ‘straining’, ‘grinding’. Everywhere thereare signs of work that previous classes have contributedto the ‘museum’ – a map of the school garden that showswhere different kinds of mushrooms grow, a wallchart thatshows all the uses of the ‘sambuca tree’.Laboratories for learningIn this workshop, the meaning of ‘Pistoia style’ comesinto sharp focus. The first impression is of a workingenvironment, like a garage, where everything is for use andhas its proper place. But it’s more like a sculptor’sstudio than a garage. I’m remindedof the recreation of Edouardo Paolozzi’s studio that I sawin the Dean Gallery, Edinburgh – where a huge collectionof disparate objects is gathered together into one hugeroom but where, in this overwhelming accumulationof things, there is nevertheless a sense of order and ofclear categories. These two rooms are living and growingmuseums, laboratories for learning.In both ‘mini-museums’ there is the same sense oforder and the same fascination with how things work.Everything is there to be taken apart and examined, usedand given new uses. Everything has its own beauty – thesprings and printed circuits as much as the nutshells andthe arrangement of leaves on a branch. The categoriesthemselves have the beauty that comes from intellectualordering. Both museums link intellectual discovery withaesthetic pleasure, teaching about the sense of pattern andintricate design in natural and man-made objects, aboutthe fascination of materiality. It’s as if children are beinggiven the world to explore,"
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Special Needs

The creative community of Pistoia

16 Apr 2018

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      string(5636) "theircomrades.Through the choking smoke, a sea ofgrey uniforms moved slowly andinexorably towards them in vast waves.The waves fell as British bullets andshells took their toll, but even as thewaves crashed into the mud, more andmore swelled up behind them. TheBritish soldiers must have felt asancient King Canute did in his vainattempt to hold back the tide.The sea of German soldiers advancedfurther and further towards the Britishsoldiers. Column after column ofGerman infantry bore down upon them.By 3:00 pm, the British commandersrealised that, not only were they unableto repel the German advance, theyBritish infantry receive the German attack atMons, 23rd August 1914, from ‘The Red Book OfThe War’ by Herbert Strangwere in danger of becoming surrounded by the enemy forces. The order for retreatwas given.It was a large scale retreat for the British. Battalion after battalion moved out. Thelast to leave faced the fiercest rearguard fighting, yet miraculously, so it seemed, theGerman advance was checked for one day.To try and block out the screams of the injured and dying which could be heard eventhough the guns pounded the air, one soldier claimed he repeated the words he hadread on a plate in a London restaurant. On the plate was printed a picture of StGeorge. Underneath the picture was the motto ‘Adsit Anglis sanctus Georgius’ – maySt George be a present help to the English. Some of his comrades repeated thechant as they retreated towards Paris under a dark sky, a sky so dark it wasimpossible to tell where the smoke ended and the sky began.It was during the retreat they felt a shudder, not from the pounding guns but from theclouds covering the starlit sky above them. An angel, clothed in white, mounted on awhite horse and brandishing a flaming sword, appeared in a parting of the clouds,during what was felt to be the worst moments in the battle. The angel rallied thetroops, faced the advancing German army and halted their advance. This apparitionsoon became known as the Angel of Mons.Many soldiers later claimed to have seen the angel who saved the left wing from theGermans when they came right upon them during the BEF retreat from Mons. Theferocity of the battle on 23 August, combined with the British victory over a farsuperior force, helped promote the rumour that swept back home to Britain – someform of divine intervention had taken place.It was seen as a divine indication that God was on the side of the Allies and, in theend, they would prevail over their enemies. ‘The Angel of Mons’ legend gave hopeand encouragement to the soldiers and their families back home.Shining angels throw a protective curtain around menfrom the Lincolnshire Regiment at Mons, by Alfred Pearse.It wasn’t long before an alternative version of this story begancirculating in Britain – a long line of Agincourt archers shot theadvancing Germans down with arrows, yet no wounds werelater found on the dead Germans.The story, entitled ‘The Bowmen’, was written by ArthurMachen and published in a London paper, The Evening News,on 29 September. In his story, there was a vivid description of alarge-scale British retreat in the face of a German advance.Suddenly, a line of phantom bowmen from the Battle ofAgincourt (a decisive British victory during the Hundred Years’War with France, and famous for the use of the Englishlongbow) appeared on the battlefield and shot down theGermans in their thousands.Machen maintained for the duration of his life that ‘TheBowmen’ was a work of fiction, despite readers and religiousfollowers claiming that the incident involving the Agincourtarchers had actually occurred.***x-head*** What explanations are there for thesightings?So did an angel really appear from the clouds and stop the Germans fromadvancing? Did phantom Agincourt archers really help to prevent the annihilation ofthe British troops as they retreated from Mons?Many soldiers later maintained the ArchangelMichael had halted the advance of the Germantroops. 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Creative Teaching & Learning

Activity 1: The Great War Part 2

16 May 2018

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      string(296) "... between theHouse of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based onthe badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the whiterose for the Yorkists. Pictorial note taking can be introduced by first looking at astory that has happened ..."
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      string(5627) "hadinherited intelligence, determination and shrewdness fromboth parents. She reigned over England for 45 years and nevermarried. She died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603,having become a legend.Did you know?1. In tudor times, girls could marry at age 12, boys at age14! They still had to live with their parents until theywere 16 though.2. In tudor times, 9 out of 10 people died before theywere 40.3. Henry VIII had over 78,000 people executed whilehe was King.4. Tudor people knew that sugar rots your teeth, andsince sugar was so expensive, women used todeliberately black their teeth out to look rotten,because it showed they could afford to buy sugar5. A popular ‘cure’ for illness was blood letting. Peoplebelieved that illness was caused by too much bloodin the body. So they would cut a slit and let some ofthe blood out.Tudors Literacy.pdfTeaching & Learning November/December 200434Teaching & LearningLITERACYLesson plansThe TudorsThese lesson plans have been designed to support the teaching of literacythrough the theme of The Tudors.Literacy Lesson 1: Wars of the RosesAims of the lesson: For this lesson the children are asked to write notes on how the Tudor Dynasty began using picturesinstead of words.Activity: Begin by asking the children to find out how the Tudor dynasty began,including an investigation into the Wars of the Roses and the relationship betweenHenry VII (Henry VIII’s father) and his wife, Elizabeth of York. Then ask the childrento summarise this information in a pictorial form. The Wars of the Roses were aseries of civil wars fought in Medieval England from 1455 to 1487 between theHouse of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based onthe badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the whiterose for the Yorkists. Pictorial note taking can be introduced by first looking at astory that has happened to one of the children in the class recently. Ask the childrento tell the story to the class, then ask the class to discuss how the story might berepresented in pictorial form. Then brainstorm ideas before the pictures are drawn.Plenary: Select one (or more) of the pictorial stories to be distributed to the class. Thenask the children to carry out the activity in reverse, writing the story from the pictures.Differentiation: Pictorial note taking is an activity that is accessible to all abilities. However, if some children struggle with this activity,ask them to just draw one picture representing one specific event during Tudor times.Literacy Lesson 2: The Babington PlotAims of the lesson: To develop word and letter recognition skills using ciphers.Activity: Mary, Queen of Scots was accused of plotting to kill Elizabeth I and sieze the English throne for herself. The conspirators were agroup of young English Catholic noblemen, who wanted to remove Elizabeth, a Protestant, and replace her with Mary, a Catholic. Whilstit was obvious that Mary was the figurehead for the conspirators, it was not clear that she knew of the plot and had agreed with it. ForMary to be found guilty of treason a direct link between the conspirators and Mary needed to be found. Letters from Mary and theplotters had been found. But they had been written using a special code called the substitution cipher. The cipher turned her words intoa series of symbols, so that only someone who knew the code could read them. Begin the lesson by telling this story to the children andexplain that they are going to work with a substitution cipher to discover secret words. Then display or distribute the activity sheet onthe opposite page. The activity can be carried out individually or as a whole class.Plenary: Ask the children to make up their own substitution ciphers.Differentiation: This activity is suitable for all abilities.Creative Teaching andLearningDSD 35November/December 2004 Teaching & LearningName: Date:Teaching & Learning LITERACY Lesson plansThis page may be photocopied for use only within the purchasing institution.Literacy Lesson 2 – The Babington PlotDuring the reign of Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen ofScots was accused of trying to kill her. Secretletters were found from Mary and othersinvolved in the plot. But, they had been writtenin a special kind of code.Using the key given below, can you find outwhat the secret words are?Key:A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z✡ ✢ ✓ ✤ ✥ ✦ ◗ ★ ➤✪ ✐ ✬ ✙ ✘ ✒ ■ ✱ ❣ ✴ ❍ ❀ ♣ ➢ ✹ ✺ ✌✱ ❀ ✥ ✥ ✘This code means:✥ ✬ ➤ ✌ ✡ ✢ ✥ ❍ ★This code means:✙ ❀ ❣ ✤ ✥ ❣This code means:❍ ★ ❣ ✒ ✘ ✥This code means:Now, using the key above, write a short message for your friend to unscramble.Teaching & Learning November/December 200436Literacy Lesson 3: Writing a biographyAims of the lesson: To research and write a biography of a famous person.Activity: Tell the children they are going to write a biography of Henry VIII. They are going to use the Internet and other sources ofinformation to find out as much as they can about Henry’s life and achievements. Explain that during the activity, they need to makebrief biographical notes on Henry. The class can then either write the biography from their notes or create the biography electronicallyusing cutting and pasting facilities. Henry VIII had an exciting and interesting life. Not only was he married six times, but he transformedreligion in England and was reponsible for the destruction of monasteries throughout the country. There is, in fact, so much aboutHenry VIII that"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Project Based Learning - Tudors - Full Plan

22 Aug 2017

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      string(5626) "workA new way of markingMarking students’ work is an arduous task that requires heaps of patience and time. Sometimes, it is nigh on impossible to explain your feedback using a red pen and it can be frustrating to try and limit your explanation to fit on the page. To overcome this obstacle, I use a digital inking tool to mark work by hand on my Surface device’s interactive screen. With this piece of technology, I can mark work far more creatively and informatively. Being able to use annotations and diagrams is an amazing asset that can help students grasp concepts that are difficult to put into words. When using the digital inking tool, all my feedback is saved securely in the cloud, which offers parents the chance to view my comments at home and further support their child’s learning. By providing parents with the opportunity to experience first-hand how beneficial technology tools can be in aiding their child’s learning, it involves them even more in their child’s education and makes them feel part of the journey. Examples of my marking using the digital inking toolEmpowering our studentsThe key to maximising the positive effects of technology in teaching is to find the tools that empower children to have their own voice. With workbooks stored in the cloud and pupils able to access them outside of the school period, you can encourage them to populate them during school holidays to document their activities and experiences. There is nothing more exciting than having pupils come back into school after a break, proudly presenting to their classmates about their visits to museums or historical sites. It not only increases engagement, but it gives pupils a sense of ownership over their learning and allows them to figure out what they enjoy. As teachers, it can be difficult to provide for individual student needs with the time and resources available to us. Of course, we want every child, regardless of ability or learning challenges, to be able to participate in lessons in a way they feel most comfortable with. Technology goes a long way to increasing accessibility in education and there is a wealth of free tools available that can be used by all students. Dictation tools convert speech to text. A simple but amazing tool that can help students of all abilities to write freely using just their voiceReading tools read text out aloud, breaking words into syllables and identifying parts of speech to aid understanding Focus tools can block alerts and notifications, to help students get work done without distractionsColour changers enable you to boost colour contrast or get rid of colour completely. For those who are colour blind, suffer with light sensitivity or have a visual preference, colour filters can also be used to customise a screen’s colourSimple techniques such as increasing the spacing between lines, letters and words can also help students to read more easilyAmplifying our student’s voicesThere is a child in my class who felt too shy to share their opinion in front of their classmates and I wanted to give them the chance to engage in a way that did not fill them with fear. I started using Flipgrid which is a free programme where teachers can pose a question and students can record their answers in short videos individually on their device. For example, for homework you can ask your class who their favourite character is in a book and why. If you asked this during a one-hour class, the likelihood of you being able to hear every pupil’s answer is slim. By using Flipgrid, every student can share their thoughts and develop independent thinking in their own time, without the time pressures of a class. For me personally, I now have the opportunity to hear the thoughts of one of my pupils who previously preferred to remain silent. Providing skills for the futureThe need for problem-solving skills, teamwork and resilience are ever more important in today’s working world. Research reveals that 66% of teachers believe technology is critical to broadening these skillsets and so the role of technology in the education syllabus is likely to increase. By weaving new and accessible technologies into existing teaching methods, we can enrich the curriculum and help our students prepare for their future careers. In order to teach our pupils these vital skills, at Broadclyst School we practice project-based learning. Each year, we give each Year 5 class an ‘end-product’ – a performance at the Killington National Trust Site for their parents, the teachers and the wider community. The students are then split into different teams, including researchers, script writers, costume designers, and set designers, and are required to think of the process that they need to implement in order to put on the performance. Through the use of cloud-based collaboration tools, this process cultivates the skills of team work, flexibility and independent thinking that our younger generation are increasingly in need of for their future. Life-long learning for pupils and teachersFor us as teachers, it’s an interesting time. We are learning new ways of working through the adoption of technology – perhaps even as many as our pupils. Whilst we encourage younger generations to prepare for their future, emphasising the necessity of collaboration, flexibility and teamwork, we must remember that these skills should also be reinvigorated amongst our teaching community too. We know that technology will play a fundamental role in all our futures. So, it’s essential that"
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Digital Learning

Exploiting the Potential of Classroom Tech

12 Aug 2019