Creating Spaces

This was a document prepared to promote the group in advance of the Arts Council OpenEd conference held in the Roundhouse Camden Town:

Creating Spaces: Making space for creative thinking in education

Who we are:

We are an independent, interdisciplinary, cross-institutional group of professionals who are committed to developing the creative use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. Members are drawn from a diverse community and include representatives from:

• Schools, higher education and educational research
• Inspection and advisory services
• Educational publishing and software production
• The media and industry

Aims

As a group we aim to promote a more inclusive, relevant and theoretically informed approach to teaching and learning with technology.

We are committed to the effective communication of our experience and practice in the creative use of technology in education to the wider community of educators and policy makers through:

• Lobbying
• Sharing information, resources and advice
• Disseminating best practice
• Intervening in debates about the future of teaching and learning and the role that technology may play

What we believe

As a group we all have experience of effective creative learning in practice.  We believe that this can only happen through recognising the potential of all young people and through helping teachers to develop/repossess/reclaim their own curriculum.

A working definition of creativity:

Creativity is the challenge to create something tangible out of abstract ideas.

Within this process young people will:

• be energised
• be empowered to express their ideas and opinions
• celebrate their individuality and the individuality of others
• appreciate and understand the connections between themselves and the rest of the world
• look at things from alternative perspectives
• be curious
• become confident and self motivated
• be inspired to work with spirit and imagination and soul
• make decisions, make collaborative decisions, compromise around the decisions they make and make difficult decisions.

Open Exchange

• we plan to open our discussion to a wider audience at OpenEd
• we will present 4 short case studies that have harnessed technology to make room for creativity in teaching and learning
• we invite you to join us to help clarify how we can move forward...