Our recent National Creative Learning Network event focused on the curriculum. We wanted to know what young people think of the totality of the education offer they experience and how it might be improved.

‘The young contributors were fantastic. They were really clear about what they felt they needed from school education and teachers and also about what they had to give’ (participant)

Our two ‘must haves’ were:

• Learner voice – in order that professional dialogue was informed by children and young people’s experiences of education.
• Creativity – it was essential that we adopted creative approaches and delegates were immersed in creative thinking from the outset.

You can read the full story here: How we really listened to learners and find out how to deliver your own Imagine If… event here:
bit.ly/ImagineIfCurriculum

National Creative Learning Network Development Day

This month CLN Coordinators met together at Codebase in Stirling for a development day focused on sharing practice. Colleagues from Edinburgh, West Lothian, Angus and Stirling talked about programmes of work supported by the Creative Learning Fund. The four very different approaches shared prompted rich dialogue and enabled us to explore the importance of long-term  strategy; embedding creative teaching and learning; using creativity to challenge classroom ‘norms’ and a design thinking approach to help practitioners visualise the creative process.

Find out more about the Creative Learning Networks here:
http://bit.ly/CLNsScot

World Creativity and Innovation Day takes place
on Sunday 21 April. How will
you celebrate? We’d love to
hear about your plans!

Enterprising Educator – DEADLINE WEDNESDAY!

Scotland’s Enterprising Schools has been working in
partnership with CREATE and
the University of the Highlands and Islands to launch the ‘Enterprising Educator’: a fully funded and accredited Masters-level module for Scottish Practitioners. You can find all the course information here. The application deadline is noon on 28th March.

Articles

Author Angie Lake explains  why STEM and arts subjects are both important in the world – you might find this a useful article to share with young people.

Head of Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, Libby Curtis, discusses the importance of creativity and culture within society.

Finland, Switzerland and New Zealand lead the way at teaching skills for the future. Read more about the provision of future skills education here.

NEW RESOURCES:

How Do We Assess Creativity Skills?

This two minute animation explores how.
http://bit.ly/AssessCreativity

Foundation Apprenticeships

This quick guide offers helpful information for educational practitioners to learn more about Foundation Apprenticeships, the benefits they offer pupils and how schools in Scotland are delivering them.

Parent Toolkit

Children, now more than ever, need to understand how to evaluate changing information, respond creatively when problems arise, and be prepared for the jobs and opportunities of the future. Parent Toolkit offers some suggestions to help build learners’ cognitive flexibility.

Do you have an interesting piece of practice to share? Please get in touch!