Funded by the Scottish Government’s Education Scotland’s Creative Learning Network and East Dunbartonshire Culture & Leisure Trust
“The teacher, like the artist, the philosopher and the man of letters, can only perform his work adequately if he feels himself to be an individual directed by an inner creative impulse, not dominated and fettered by an outside authority.” Bertrand Russell (cited in Kelly 1999: viii)
Over the last ten years, In Cahootz has delivered workshops to teachers in East Dunbartonshire through Education Scotland’s Creative Learning Network programme.
The Creative Team uses drama and visual art activities to explore creative interventions within a classroom setting to deliver the Curriculum for Excellence. These sessions are very interactive and participative and aim to develop new skills and experiences as well as an increased knowledge of using creative activities with the pupils. They were developed in collaboration with a teacher and her class to improve literacy, storytelling, listening skills, and numeracy. Through the Creativity for Excellence programme they have also developed, in partnership with teachers, a number of creative resources for delivering Maths and Science in primary schools e.g. Maths – place, value, timetables, moneymaking, Fibonacci Sequence, exploring patterns and sequences, multi-step problems, and famous mathematicians. Science – life cycles, inheritance and the human body.
Feedback:
“An area of Maths that can be tricky for children to master is problem-solving. The techniques used by Kate and Rachel of asking the children to write stories, and not concentrating on the number facts is something I will use again in the future. When we are completing problem-solving activities in class, I still remind the children of their own stories and how they can read them to try to work out which calculations they need to carry out.” Teacher, Bearsden Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
“We enjoyed learning about famous mathematicians and making our currency. This fitted nicely into our money topic and also to help the children to devise a reward system in class.” Teacher, Bearsden Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
“The children gained great experience in Literacy and English, Drama, Art & Design and Health & Wellbeing. Children who usually struggle with or dislike Art & Design participated fully in lessons designing bank notes and creating patterns based on Fibonacci. Children who are usually very quiet and reserved participated in Drama activities, acting out the story of a famous mathematician or a story created for a word problem.” Teacher, Bearsden Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
Generally, I noticed a huge shift in attitude towards Maths. All children really looked forward to Maths on Mondays, cheering when I put it up on the timetable! This was particularly evident in one child who usually describes in great detail how much she detests the subject. In addition, one child with significant behavioural difficulties thoroughly enjoyed participating in group activities and games that he would usually refuse to take part in.” Teacher, Oxgang Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
For more information about availability and cost of this programme, please email: info@incahootz.co.uk