“CREATIVE SCHOOLS: GIVING AN ANSWER TO STUDENT NEEDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY” (SANDRA FERNÁNDEZ DEL CASTILLO)

1. VIDEO AND ARTICLE

Hi everyone! The last work that we have done is a video talking about our ideal school, what type of things we could change, talking about the different methodology at school, the structure of the building etc. I think that this is a interesting work because we can improve our imagination and improve our knowledge about how are the schools nowadays and how we'd like to be it in the future. And being in the 21st century think there are many things that we have to change.

This work I found very interesting as we could investigate how are the schools now, and above all has made us wonder if what we want for the future is this or prefer to be a change.

To begin this project we decided to see some videos from previous years to get some ideas of how we could organize our video. Then we read several documents and also decided to see different videos on the internet to inform about some of the problems that could now be in schools and all this began to get some ideas in order to create our work. One of the items that gave us the teacher talks about inclusive schools and this was what I found most interesting, spoke especially of the importance that we must give multiculturalism to eliminate prejudice we currently have, also the importance changing the traditional methodology and which makes students see school as boring. If something I like about this work is to learn new things about inclusive schools as it is something that we are talking a lot about it and we have to inform us to change education in the future.

An article which took some ideas on inclusive schools was "Developing inclusive schools" Mel Ainscow. In general, all read documents have helped us to get an idea that we had to deal points in the video, to search for information on how schools are realizing now and the things that did not work and needed change.

After making the video with my group and after watching the videos of other colleagues, I have taken many ideas on the different ideals schools each created. Of these ideas I'll talk later.

In class also we saw some videos to finish this work. The video that I liked most was of Ken Robinson, saying that schools are killing creativity. Ken Robinson explains that creativity is as important as literacy. I totally agree with him, as a creative child is much more motivated to learn and investigate that a child whom they are taking over his creativity because they prefer to teach only academic things for in a future he can go to the university. Currently mathematics and language are at the top of subjects while activities such as music or dance are not given importance and children who like this the people say to they that this is not going to feed they in the future, and taking away their dreams. Something good that the children have, as Ken says, is that children are at risk, they are not afraid to make mistakes. Being so open, they develop that creativity when they doing things, this creativity that being older is lost, mainly due to the fear of risk. In my opinion I think that creativity is something fundamental that we have to increase in children, who inquire into, investigate, develop their own thinking and knowledge, allowing them to perform the activities they like and not just teaching academic things.

Another video that we saw in class was that of a schoolyard. This courtyard was designed in circular shape, with nets in the trees so that children would not fall and a railing around it. In this way children are in contact with nature, do not have barriers like a normal yard, this makes children can feel free, disconnect and play. What I liked most about this project is the option that they give to children not to have limits to play and learn at the same time. Another thing that struck me is that they consider that noise is important, especially for sleeping, children sleep with noise, when they are with silence can not sleep. In general the structure of this building makes children have fun and learn in a very different space than we're used to seeing.

2. IDEAS FOR IDEAL SCHOOL

In this part I will talk about the general ideas that I think an ideal school would have to have. These ideas are the videos we have done in class. First I must say that all videos have been great and everyone has contributed something new and new ideas. Although in general all have tried the same topics each group has always added something new. The most interesting topics and have me like that should be in an ideal school have been:

•           Methodology: all groups have agreed that in general need to change the traditional methodology to a constructivism model because it seems the most appropriate for children to learn at schools. Also the importance of carrying out cooperative learning in the classroom, we must introduce more practice and not just theory. A project-based learning. Also the importance of students to work in groups.
•        Values: has also spoken in all the works of the importance of teaching children values such as respect, solidarity, confidence, tolerance etc. This would be easier if the relationship between teachers and parents were good, from collaboration between them, to teach good values at home and at school teachers also do so. It has been proposed in several groups have open days for the relationship between parents and teachers were better. Also the importance that have that teachers trust in their students.
•      Timetable: we have all agreed on the importance of having more breaks for children to be disconnected, a more flexible timetable to help working parents and have no one place to leave their children, also a schedule where teachers have time to prepare classes and have meetings with parents etc. The Team Perk group much focused on this issue and propose long breaks between classes.
•       Inclusive classrooms: here mentioned much the importance of multiculturalism and diversity and the importance of seeing that all are equal regardless of our race, sex, color, ideas etc.
•      Resources: all groups mentioned the importance of equal resources in all schools, like for example new technologies, also being able to have a public transport for children etc.
•           Problems: Although we have said many changes that we would like our ideal school also have to take into account the problems we want to solve. Some of them are bullying, send fewer homework, there is much theory etc.
•     Structure of the building: we have all said they would have to have extensive play areas, swimming pool, facilities for the disabled, classrooms for activities such as music or art, an auditorium to make plays etc. For example, the group Wanderlust proposed having classes on the street so that students were not always locked and could be learning in other areas.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion an ideal school would have to have many of the ideas that I mentioned above. I wish the methodology with which students were taught need to be Constructivist, eliminating the traditional methodology and let the children form their knowledge with the help of the teacher as a guide. A school where teachers saw the importance of allowing students to learn by themselves. Where there not exist problems such as bullying or discrimination another because of the skin color, for example. A school where good values can be teaching and not only matter to taught subjects, because is well train children academically but also is important to form children as good people. I think everything I said about the videos are things that should be in my ideal school and although they are very difficult things to achieve, if we all do our split, I'm sure that in the future we can get a change.

Finally I would like to reflect on a topic. A girl in my group is Erasmus and she is from Germany, she was telling us things about her educational system and it has nothing in common with the Spain model. In our video we said that the German model was a good model but the teacher suggested us that children in Germany with 10 years they need to choose what will they want to study, which here in Spain is with 16 years old. I think this is not good because with 10 years children are not yet ready to think what they are going to want to study, are children who are starting to build their knowledge and developing their skills so I think that  a very early age to  years is an early age to choose this kind of things.