Once upon a time a huge giant let out a terrifying roar when she discovered that her golden egg had been stolen.
“Stop changing things”
Once upon a time a little boy called Little Red Riding Hood was told to stick to the path.
“Why do you keep messing up the story”
Not knowing what to do can be uncomfortable – if left long enough it can be distressing. We like knowing what happens next; cliff hangers only work because they suspend time encouraging us to come back for more to discover what happens next. We love weather forecasts to discover if it will be sunny tomorrow. We want things to be calm and peaceful as it suggests certainty. Disturbing images only last a finite time within the media as they present a ‘not knowing how to deal with it’ or ‘but what can I do?’ scenario. We tie things into a bow and go to sleep knowing that tomorrow will be like today and much similar to yesterday. Continue reading
Hidden Giants and West Lothian Creative Learning Network will dare to take an alternative approach to addressing the current big issues in education: curriculum design, raising attainment, and participation. We invite education professionals to join us, to collectively reposition our thinking and challenge our core beliefs. We propose meeting in everyday spaces on three different days.
My step-son, amongst a number of other conditions, is diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He finds it difficult to deal with uncertainty and change. Hence, as I sit here and type this blog we are dealing with heightened confusion arising from school being cancelled due to the snow. As other children find fun in the white stuff we must remember those who struggle with moments of significant disruption like this.
“Optimism of the action, is better than the pessimism of the thought” Greenpeace
Engrained in our work is the belief we need to embrace failure and accept risk as part of the every day. This mind-set can only be actioned from a position of strength and confidence. We must believe in the risk before we take it. Failure is then accepted as ‘worth it’ and something to be learned from. Preaching this message in a CPD session with teachers or in front of 30 P4’s is easy for me. As a practitioner I know I have to put myself in situations that scare me and expose my vulnerability. This belief has contributed to the decision made by myself and partner to leave Scotland for two months to live and work in a small town in Chile called Frutillar.
This blog highlights the process we have gone through with two classes in one of the schools we are collaborating with. I think both examples offer a good insight into what we mean by Situated, Attentive, Immersive Learning (SAIL):
Hidden Giants has worked in partnership with Dunning primary in Perth & Kinross since January 2015. The residency has generated incredible conversations in the classrooms, the staff room and further afield. It has provoked my thinking and refined my approach. Through our work there are two key strands which I thought it would be worth sharing:
