Tag Archives: Creative Learning Networks

CLN News, CPD, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Creative Conversation Christmas Celebration

Leave a comment

Edinburgh’s Creative Conversation Christmas Celebration is on Wednesday 11th December 2013.This one has a slightly different focus and our Creative Catalysts are people who have been inspired by Creative Conversations to take action. Different ways of working, challenges to the norm, surprises, being outside the comfort zone and inspiring stories of deep pupil engagement can all be expected.

The Creative Conversation is titled ‘What Difference Does it Make?’ and that is exactly what you are invited to discuss with colleagues.

I would also like to thank all of you for coming to Creative Conversations and hope you can join Gillian Tee, David Cameron, Lucy Vaughan, Heather Lucchesi Eileen Littlewood and Lindsay Fullarton in what I am sure will be a very enjoyable conversation about Creativity across Learning.

Coffee is from 4pm and the Creative Conversation will begin at 4.30. Wine and seasonal nibbles will follow at around 6pm till 7ish.

Places will fill up very quickly – please email Linda Lees <Linda.Lees@edinburgh.gov.uk> for an invitation.

CLN News, CPD, Edinburgh, Partnerships

Edinburgh Creative Conversation with Don Ledingham

Leave a comment

Creative Conversations are Edinburgh’s now well established strategic response to developing the Creative Learning Network for the City. They feature as a case study in the recently published 3-18 Curriculum Impact project Creativity Across Learning. This successful approach has been picked up by colleauges in other local authorities and Education Scotland. You help make them the success they are and your invitation to the next Creative Conversation on Creative Leadership is attached.

Creative Conversation Invitation – Don Ledingham – download the pdf invite

Date for your diary:

The first of the 2013/14 Creative Conversations will be on Monday 25th November at 4pm for 4.30 till 5.45pm with wine and canapes afterwards (venue to follow with confirmation of attendance). I am delighted that our Creative Catalyst this session is Don Ledingham.

Don Ledingham’s Creative Conversation is titled ‘Try a Little Tenderness….’ which may seem like the wrong song title for a session on Creative Leadership, but with Don as the Creative Catalyst, you can expect a few surprises! Don talks about forgiveness in leadership and about creating space for creativity and innovation. He thinks aloud and in public, challenging other leaders to open up and let go. He now works with Drummond International and will go global soon, so catch him while you can. No mere theorist, Don has been a Head Teacher and Director. This will be a memorable start to this session’s Creative Conversations. Coffee is from 4pm and the Creative Conversation will begin at 4.30.

As with all previous Creative Conversations, David Cameron will facilitate the discussion. You are invited to continue the conversation with Don, David and colleagues over wine and canapes at around 5.45/6pm.

Places are filling up very quickly – please email the address in the pdf  if you would like to attend and receive full venue details and confirmation of your place.
CLN News, Uncategorized, West Lothian

West Lothian Creative Learning Network – Colouring Outside the Lines

Leave a comment

Friday 8th November 1.30-3.30pm, Linlithgow Burgh Halls, Linlithgow

Download the event flyer here: West Lothian Creative Conversation 1

West Lothian Creative Learning Network will hold it’s first Creative Conversation event on Friday 8th November at the Linlithgow Burgh Halls

Our idea is to offer a platform for anyone interested in the future of learning in West Lothian to discuss, debate and create. The structure of the conversation will include specialist input, updates from the residency project we doing this year and space to explore practical implementation in classrooms. We are aware of some inspiring creative teaching in West Lothian and we want to bring these voices together.

Our first conversation…

• …will establish a shared language and vision.

• …will start the debate by identifying the people curious about continuing the conversation.

Although we will be discussing West Lothian, this event is open to all as we know that similar conversations and challenges are happening nationally and we want you to be part of the conversation. Please see the linked PDF for more information, to book your place please contact Fiona Macfarlane, Arts Officer (Learning) on 01506 773873 or email fiona.macfarlane2@westlothian.gov.uk

Please book by Wednesday 6th November.

CfE, College CLNs

Creative Learning: Innovations and Ideas from the College Sector

Leave a comment

Earlier this week, College Development Network hosted an event for the College Creative Learning Networks to share learning and ideas from their work in promoting creative and innovative approaches to learning and teaching.

Some really interesting ideas and priorities emerged during the discussion including:

a) the need to examine more closely the links between creativity and enterprise;

b) modelling how creative approaches can be used in more traditional subject areas;

c) extending and developing partnerships and links with the wider community and

d) ensuring that governance and leadership are aware of the centrality of creativity in policy and practice.

The event also provided an opportunity for attending Creative Catalysts to hear about  Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan from Joan Parr of Creative Scotland, and about Education Scotland’s Curriculum Impact Report on Creativity Across Learning from Sheila Page, HMI.

CfE, CLN News, Creativity Portal, Education News, Partnerships

Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan and Curriculum Impact Report on Creativity Across Learning published

Leave a comment

Exciting news this week as two important documents relating to creativity across learning were launched at the Scottish Learning Festival:

Published by Creative Scotland, Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan aims to inspire educational policy makers and practitioners to utilise creativity to benefit learners in schools and other settings.

The Creative Learning Plan is the result of work by a partnership of organisations working across Scotland in education and creativity and sets out an ambitious vision for creativity in education over the next 10 years.

Among the changes the partnership is aiming for are:

  • New policies and plans supporting creativity throughout Scotland
  • More creative teaching practices and support for creative initiatives within local authorities, schools and places of learning
  • More support for and understanding of the value of creativity and experiential learning by parents and carers.

Find out more and download the Plan here: Creative Learning Plan

Education Scotland’s Curriculum Impact Report on Creativity Across Learning sets out key findings from a review of current practice in Scotland and focuses specifically on the development of creativity skills in learners. It proposes a definition of creativity is and identifies a set of core creative skills or attributes.

‘Scotland needs to prepare its young people for life and work in an uncertain economic and social environment if they are to thrive in an era of increasingly rapid change. The need for a well-developed set of higher-order skills will be a key part of the toolkit they will need and the ability to think creatively will be one of the most important tools in that toolkit’.

Download the Creativity Across Learning 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report here:

Creativity Across Learning Report

CLN News, East Ayrshire

Creative Minds on the Agenda

Leave a comment

Author Gordon Brown, from Glasgow, gave the keynote speech – and food for thought – at a recent ‘Naturally Creative’ event in St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock

Around sixty teachers, artists and students from across East Ayrshire interested in networking and finding out more about what’s going on in the arts attended the evening, which was organised by the Council’s Creative Minds Team.

“The Creative Minds Learning Network in East Ayrshire is growing both in numbers and diversity of  membership.  It’s fantastic to be part of this exciting movement of people championing arts and cultural education in our schools and the wider community.  Gordon’s presentation created a real buzz of dialogue and activity challenging the way we work and how we do things providing a stimulus for thought and action.”  Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator

Gordon, who delivers ‘creativity training’ under the Brain Juice brand as well as writing crime novels, shared his ideas about what creativity is and how it works. This sparked discussion about the role of creative minds in business and about the value of teaching creativity in schools.

Those who attended the get-together also had a sneak preview of the outstanding new St Joseph’s Academy art exhibition.

Many took advantage of opportunities to meet and chat with fellow artists, teachers and parents in a friendly, informal setting.

People were also invited to put their names down for future workshops, visits and experiences, as the new Creative Learning Opportunities training diary for 2013/14 was launched.  The network is part of a national initiative funded by Education Scotland and Creative Scotland.

Councillor Eoghann MacColl, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “There’s quite a network locally of artists, practitioners and people simply interested in the arts and culture.

“I’m delighted that the Creative Learning Network provides such a stimulating forum for like-minded individuals to get together and discuss ideas in this way, in order to enhance creative, artistic and cultural education for our young people, in line with Curriculum for Excellence”.

Helen Duncan

Cultural Co-ordinator

East Ayrshire Council

Educational & Social Services

Creative Minds Team

The Wallace Building

John Dickie Street

KILMARNOCK

KA1 1HW

T: 01563 555 650

www.facebook.com/#!/helen.duncan.313

www.facebook.com/CreativeMindsLearningNetwork

CLN News, CPD, East Ayrshire, Events

Creative Minds Learning Network, East Ayrshire: “Naturally Creative”

Leave a comment

Tuesday 17th September, 4.15pm for 4.30pm, St. Joseph’s Academy, Grassyards Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 7SL

Keynote Speaker: Gordon Brown, Brain Juice

Once again the Cultural Co-ordinator Team within East Ayrshire’s Creative Minds Team has successfully secured funding from Creative Scotland and Education Scotland to continue to support our growing movement of professionals championing cultural education in our schools and communities.  This promises to be an interesting, informative and enjoyable event providing a platform to connect and collaborate with new partners, generate ideas and make things happen.  Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone you think would be interested in coming along or you feel would benefit from taking part.  All we ask is that they contact us with their details (name/designation, artist etc/establishment) so we have a handle on numbers. There will, as always, be an opportunity to connect with colleagues, teachers, artists, parents and pupils in a welcoming and friendly environment, enjoy our hospitality and a special preview of St. Joseph’s Academy Art Exhibition.

We will also launch our Creative Learning Opportunities Training Diary for 2013/14 which offers workshops, funding advice, visits and experiences to name only a few, and we invite you to book your creative learning opportunity of choice at the event.

As well as being a successful author, our keynote speaker Gordon Brown, has over 25 years experience in sales and marketing, including 14 years with Bass Brewers and as Director of Brands for the Tennents portfolio. He will share his knowledge and ideas to provoke discussion about the role and importance of creative minds in business and to fully recognise the increased value in teaching and nurturing creativity skills in schools. http://www.gordonjbrown.com/about-2

We hope you will continue to support the network in order to safeguard and shape the future of arts and cultural education in East Ayrshire.  Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you require any further information at this time.

Please RSVP eileen.skinner@east-ayrshire.gov.uk to confirm your attendance if you haven’t already done so through Facebook www.facebook.com/CreativeMindsLearningNetwork

Sent on behalf of Helen Duncan, Cultural Co-ordinator and Zara Smith, Dance Motivator

Creative Minds Team, East Ayrshire

CLN News, CPD, GIRFEC, South Lanarkshire

Girfec: A creative approach

Leave a comment

An innovative conference, entitled Girfec: A creative approach, was recently held in South Lanarkshire as part of the Creative Learning Networks scheme.

South Lanarkshire’s Cultural Co-ordinator team organised the half day conference which was aimed at colleagues from across agencies and aimed to explore creative approaches to achieving positive outcomes for children, young people and their families linking to the wellbeing indicators.

The Cultural Co-ordinators are part of Integrating Children’s Services with a key remit for vulnerable families so undertake a lot of targeted working with schools and also with children and families. The conference gave an opportunity to bring together a wide range of colleagues to highlight the value of creative approaches when looking at girfec.

The conference offered colleagues the opportunity to hear from keynote speaker David Cameron, hear about practical examples and to network and discover the range of services already available within South Lanarkshire.

The objectives of the conference were to encourage staff to:

▫       Identify areas of their work where arts, culture and creativity could be used to address the wellbeing indicators.

▫       Gain a stronger awareness of national policy in relation to arts, culture and creativity in education.

▫       Take forward innovative approaches within own practice.

▫       Adopt collaborative approaches across resources.

The event was targeted at a wide range of agencies including social work, NHS and the voluntary sector.  The following chart shows the breakdown of who attended.

The response from delegates overall was positive with people citing the importance to gather information as being an important part of the event, as well as the chance to hear an inspirational and motivational speaker. One delegate noted “Enthusiastic presenters who made me think about new ways to approach my work with children & families” and another “Really put GIRFEC into a context which will enthuse practitioners.”

A short film feature was made by South Lanarkshire TV about the event – it can be found at the following link http://youtu.be/Tw_t2V-6QLg

Assessment, College CLNs, CPD, Education News, Technologies

Festival of Dangerous Ideas – free events

Leave a comment

Tuesday  18th June
Wild Ideas – Celebrating Failure and Success (1000-1500)
West Highland College UHI, Carmichael Way, Fort William

In the first part of the day, the West Highland Way Walkers who will just have completed their 5 day walk, led by young people from West Highland College  will exhibit the dangerous ideas that grew during their journey in the  wild. In the second half of the day, Outward Bound will lead a session that will explore how they have used the research on Mindsets to develop their work with young people

View Programme and Book Online

Wednesday 19th am and pm

Modern Assessment Tools to Match Modern Literacy Practices in These Dangerous Times

College Development Network, Argyll Court, Stirling (1030-1230)

In order for pedagogy to stay aligned with this seismic shift in communication, how could the ubiquitous practice of digital photography be used as an assessment tool?

View Programme and Book Online

Dangerous Assessment Conference (1300-1600)
College Development Network, Argyll Court, Stirling
Alastair Pollitt from UCLES will put forward the argument that we stop marking exam papers.

View Programme and Book Online

Thursday 20 June 2013
Learning Through Gaming (1000-1600)
Dundee College, Gardyne Campus

As part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, participants at the event are encouraged be as ‘dangerous’ as possible in considering how gaming can influence pedagogy and encourage greater engagement with learning.

Speakers include Chris van der Kuyl of brightsolid, Derek Robertson of Education Scotland and David Renton of Reid Kerr College.

View Programme and Book Online

NCLN, news, Partnerships

Scotland leads the way with its vision for creativity across learning

Leave a comment

We were delighted to learn that Paul Collard was impressed by the work we are doing in Scotland following his recent conversation with key players in our drive for a more creative Scotland.

Paul, who is Chief Executive of Creativity, Culture and Education visited Stirling on 17 April at the invitation of Forth Valley Creative Learning and the National Creative Learning Network (NCLN) to share findings from his international work on creativity in learning.

Together with Sheila Page, HMI, he provided inspiring input which stimulated constructive conversations about how we can better support the development of creativity in learners across Scotland.

Paul was particularly impressed by our approach to systemic change and the fact that we have a shared vision across national bodies and local authorities.

“I came away very inspired by what is happening in Scotland. I think you are a long way ahead of almost anywhere I am visiting at the moment. I think that the agenda you are addressing is of fundamental importance to the future of young people in Scotland (and hence the future of Scotland)”.

Discussion focussed on how we can best support creativity in schools – specifically how we can develop supportive approaches which will help teachers plan challenging learning environments that develop creativity skills in learners.

Attendees included members of the National Creative Learning Network; partners involved in developing Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan, led by Creative Scotland, and Education Scotland’s Creativity Review team.

The event was organised in partnership with Forth Valley Creative Learning, who held a twilight session led by Paul Collard: ‘How do we capture and measure creativity?’

For more information on the work of Creativity, Culture and Education, visit their website: http://www.creativitycultureeducation.org/