Wendy Johnson Creative Learning

Wendy Johnson Creative Learning

I’ve been involved in education for many years, beginning my career as an artist in residence in a Nottingham college for three years before helping to set up and lecturing on a new arts access course. Since then I have worked in a range of educational settings as a freelance creative practitioner and over the last four years working as a creative agent for the Creative Partnerships programme. I work with a range of ages and ability, including pre-school to adult and family learning. Throughout my work I have been developing my skills through training and partnership work and have a growing understanding of pedagogy and how creativity can impact on learning.

Creativity Matters Project

Blakesly Hall Primary School

Creativity MattersCreativity Matters was a project set up in Birmingham to give artists and teachers training

together and the opportunity to plan sessions that implemented some of the training. Following

training, which introduced us to Reggio and involved practical activities and discussions, we

paired up with our school to plan two days working with the children. Our focus for the two

days was to develop the children’s verbal skills. We hoped that by encouraging the children to

use their imagination and observational skills to stimulate an awareness and curiosity of their

surroundings, helping them to feel a greater connection between themselves and positive

experiences in school life. The children really enjoyed the freedom of having the space to move

around, exploring the materials available to them. They were making discoveries and sharing

them with friends. They were engrossed in finding out what they could do with the materials

and moving freely around the room. We set up the room to work with clay. We put out very

basic tools, to roll and texture the clay. Tables were set out so that the children could choose to

work individually or in groups. Most children at first seemed to play with the clay individually but

were very keen to share and enthuse with each other. During this session the children worked

very freely with the clay, discovering qualities of clay, which may not have been discovered if we

had asked then to make particular objects. They added water to the clay, making watery clay

slips, they discovered how the clay stuck to itself and other surfaces. The project was extremely

successful in providing an opportunity for staff to observe the children learning in a very different

way.

Jump Start Joy Project

Derbyshire County Council

Jump Start JoyThe Jump Start Joy Pro ject Was set up by Derbysh ire Early Years to in troduce

the idea of artists working in early years settings. The pro ject focused on

bu ilding a relationsh ip between the artist, the staff and the ch ildren . The

pro ject was also concen trating on creative processes, documenting what the

ch ildren were learn ing rather than final product. Du ring the pro ject we were

able to spend more time looking, talking and feeling the changing state o f

clay. The ch ildren played freely w ith the clay and we worked w ith other

mediums and saw how the ch ildren transferred skills. Th roughou t the pro ject

we explored pattern and shape and using plaster we extended the ch ildren ’s

understanding of the materials they were using. I worked closely w ith the

staff , documenting the ch ildren ’s learn ing. At the end of each session we

evaluated and discussed what we wou ld do in fu tu re sessions. I t was eviden t

th roughou t the pro ject that the ch ildren were problem so lving, using new

vocabu lary, understanding processes, transferring skills, developing

construction , commun icating together and developing their own ideas and

story telling . Having worked w ith the staff who were presen t th roughou t the

sessions I noticed that they became more comfortable using the materials

and more aware of how the ch ildren were using the materials to express

themselves. The staff became confiden t talking to the ch ildren abou t what

they were do ing and were starting to th ink abou t how they cou ld develop the

pro ject and use the skills they had learn t in fu tu re activities.

Forest School Training

Forest School TrainingI have recen tly attended Forest School Train ing at level 2 . The week long

train ing has developed a greater sense of what the ou t doors can offer, creating

learn ing opportun ities, wh ich are not possible indoors. I experienced an exciting

and stimu lating learn ing environment, wh ich used ou tdoor space to develop

question ing, in terest in the environment, raised awareness of the senses,

developed teamwork and problem so lving skills.

I also felt it bu ilt on my own skills o f working w ith ch ildren in all settings,

encou rag ing safe working skills. I developed a greater awareness of using

stimu lus such as story and props to create a hook, wh ich can encou rage

in terest and invo lvement.

The cou rse provided skills in :

Using equ ipment safely g iving greater freedom to learn .

Working in teams to develop ideas of working in ou tdoor environment.

Developing the use of using stimu lus such as storytelling to develop learn ing.

Using space around us, developing senses, appreciating and using the space

for various activities.

Family Learning in the outdoor environment

Forest School Family Learning

Rosehill Autistic SchoolThrough task work the students are encouraged to explore and investigate,developing their awareness of the world around them.

They are encouraged to use their senses; smel l ing, touching, looking,

l istening.

Throughout they are encouraged to express and communicate

verbal ly and none verbal ly.

Using chosen st imulus the students are set tasks using a range of materials in order to explore and develop t heir ideas.

Rosehill School, Nottingham

Rosehill School

Using Creative approach to story telling

Working w ith Au tistic ch ildren at Roseh ill I used a variety o f approaches to

encou rage the ch ildren to use there imagination and also everyday experiences

to develop story telling .

Using simple box theatres to encou rage story telling , studen ts were

encou raged to create imaginary scenarios and develop their own characters.

Some studen ts expressed their stories more verbally, fo r o thers they

expressed th rough imagery. Some pu t words together using the type writer.

Du ring th is activity it was possible to observe some of the difficu lties the

ch ildren were experiencing,such as extending or adapting their ideas to work

w ith others, explain ing verbally what they wan ted to express.There were

positive learn ing experiences ach ieved that were unexpected, such as

creating sound effects and one ch ild who suggested an imating their stories,

using the camera.

Creative approach to story telling

Contact

Wendy Johnson

8 Cromford Road

Wirksworth

Derbyshire

DE4 4FH

Tel: 01629 822061

Mobile: 07963 629366

Email: wendyjohnsonceramics@hotmail.com