Dear David,

 

I used to teach EFL at the Portuguese Navy and there was not much space
allowed for creativity and innovation, but when there is a willing there
is a way.

And while many of the teachers held, and still hold on to those very
grey books, A colleague and myself decided to bring some color into that
educational setting. We started using the web to enhance learning and
motivate the students. You can see here some of the examples I engaged
my students with: http://virtual-waters.tripod.com/workingstudents.htm 

 

The students generally loved it. They were enthusiastic, being
pro-active and participating in class in amore meaningful way. And they
were also being quite creative, I must say.

 

Most of the colleagues never embraced those approaches as it was "too
much trouble". Being creative and innovative doesn't lessen the work, I
am afraid, but it does make the difference. My colleague and I felt we
had achieved something: meaningful learning. We are still trying to
follow the learning with the use technologies approach. My friend is now
using blogs with primary students (see my blog for further information
on that: http://eduspaces.net/cristinacost/weblog/168236.html ) and I am
working at the University of Salford, trying to engage staff in the
effective use of technologies. 

I think the web 2.0 is a fertile field for creativity yet to be explored
(by most people).

 

Thanks for sharing the wiki link. It has interesting, useful information
in it.

 

Kindly, 

 

 

Cristina Costa <http://eduspaces.net/cristinacost/weblog/> 

..........................................................

Learning Technologies Development Officer 

Research and Graduate College <http://www.rgc.salford.ac.uk/> 

University of Salford <http://www.salford.ac.uk/>  

Tel: +44 (0)161 295 6751

 

 

________________________________

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J.
Rosen
Sent: 08 May 2007 03:27
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1032] Creativity and Innovation,Fabric
of History, Shakespeare in Jail

 

PD Colleagues, 

 

In March of this year, I posted some questions here about nourishing
creativity and innovation:

 

If you are a teacher, does your program or school nourish creativity

and innovation? If so, how does this happen?

 

If you are a professional developer, how do your professional

development efforts nourish creativity and innovation?

 

Does your state ABE system nourish these? If so, how?

 

How do _you_ nourish creativity and innovation in your work and in

the work of your colleagues?

 

You will find at

 

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Creativity_and_Innovation

 

a list of possible sources - and examples - of teacher creativity

and innovation in adult literacy education.

 

What other sources and examples are you aware of?

 

To contribute your ideas of sources or examples, reply to this

message on the Professional Development discussion list and/or add

them to the above wiki page.

 

The Adult Literacy Education Wiki page,

 

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Creativity_and_Innovation

 

has been updated, and now includes, among other things:  

 

+ a link to the Fabric of History, a creative American History
curriculum that builds on students' interest in clothing and fashion
statements by helping them develop a framework of important dates and
events in U.S. history through an exploration of clothing and style in
the years 1600-1980. The curriculum includes timelines, pictures,
readings, formal and informal writing assignments, multiple choice
practice, and suggestions for interpreting and synthesizing new
information through visual, kinesthetic, and interpersonal activities.

 

+ a link to Shakespeare in Jail, a two-part article about an exciting
program in a women's correction institution through which teaching
Shakespeare came alive for students through film, reading and
discussion.

 

I hope you will visit -- and add other examples to -- the Creativity and
Innovation Wiki page.

 

David J. Rosen

djrosen at comcast.net

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/professionaldevelopment/attachments/20070508/1df129ad/attachment.html