Post on 31-Mar-2015
Designing the FutureVocational Applied Learning Conference
Launceston 26-27 June 2009
Tam Paul
Professional Learning Team
Tasmanian Polytechnic
Playscapes Project
The Spiral Garden
“ Art is the vehicle through which we make connections between our inner life and the world. The world is a mystery and through the arts we engage in dialogue with the mystery. The arts give us forms that allow us to express ourselves in ways that integrate the head, heart and hands.”
Who is Involved?Boat Harbour Primary School students,
teachers and parentsStudents and teachers from Children‘s
Services, Construction and Art, Craft and Design departments of the Polytechnic
Artist in residence Anne Dunham
The Task
Make a series of playground sculptures -Playscapes – in the form of mobile picture frames that enable changing views of the landscape and environment in the Boat Harbour Primary School grounds
Create sculptures that will become part of the learning and play experiences of the students
How will it work? Anne Dunham will conduct a series of
initial workshops to explore the possibilities of materials such as metals, wood, clay, glass, enamel and mosaics
Polytechnic students will travel to the school and work on site
Parents and community members will contribute expertise and resources
Student Learning Outcomes
Execute project – from idea to exhibition
Design and create their own works for a specific purpose, ie, sculptures that interact with their environment and enhance their play spaces
Develop skills and techniques working with materials such as wood, metal and glass
Exhibit their works in the grounds of Boat Harbour Primary School to the wider community
Applied Learning(Herrington, Reeves, Oliver, 2003)
ill-defined, complex tasks, with real-world relevance
sustained over a period of time
provide different perspectives
provide the opportunity to collaborate and reflect
inter-disciplinary
integrated with the assessment
create polished products valuable in their own right
allow competing solutions and diversity of outcome
Elements of Effective Learning
relevant and interesting
active and engaging
flexible and adaptable
practical and reflective
self-directed and supported
meaningful assessment
Students are our Assets
Discover their talents and passion
Nurture their abilities
Realise their potential
Ken Robinson
“It’s education that will take us into this future we cannot grasp”
“We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it ... Or rather we get educated out of it”
“Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value which comes about through inter-disciplinary ways of seeing things”
Some more inspiration…