Over the last week Naomi and I have been a bit out of sorts. Between end of unit assignments for Naomi and a bout of unwanted Covid for me, we feel like we need a little shot of creative energy, so we thought we would pass on a few inspirational things to listen to or read that will keep you ticking along on your path to teaching for creativity.
#1 If you love a good podcast as much as we do while you’re walking the dog or driving to work then our first pick is a goodie!
The Learning Future podcast with Louka Parry is a brilliant look at a range of global thought leaders as well as discussions with teachers and leaders from schools around Australia who are trying to change things up and create schools that work with the changes that are happening in our world right now.
Check out the A-Lab series of episodes in season 4 with Charlie LeadBeater and the schools he partners with on purposeful learning and agency or listen to Valerie Hannon in season 2 as she speaks about the learning ecosystem and how we can redefine success. We love listening to Valerie!
#2 Want something more practical?
Check out The Teacher Takeaway podcast with four Australian teachers giving you actionable ideas to use in your learning space. Choose from subjects like writing meaningful texts in Season 4, Ep14 or Ep 4 as they speak to Lyn Sharrat about humanising the assessment data we’re collecting. Great for local content for our Aussie teachers but also an energising source of ideas for educators from other corners of the globe.
#3 On the book front I can’t stop telling people about an oldie but an oh -so relevant book by the incredible educator, Ron Berger.
He is doing amazing things in the US as part of the EL Education movement (EL stands for expeditionary learning) and has written a wonderful little book called An Ethic of Excellence about his project driven teaching that expects a lot from its students and gets a lot in return. If you want to feel all warm and fuzzy about what is possible in the classroom, this book is a must!
#4 And lastly, a book that is useful for all ages and stages, Beautiful Questions in the Classroom by Warren Berger & Elise Foster.
With so many teachers telling us that their students have stopped being curious and don’t seem to know how to ask questions anymore, this book will help you turn that around. With practical ideas and strategies as well as case studies and access to videos, you will be fostering that inquisitiveness we’d all like to see in the classroom before you know it.
And if you’d like to have your own copy of this book.. fantastic news… we are giving a copy away during the next few weeks!
Just download a copy of our new free pdf White Board Wonders to have a set of quick, ready to use, engaging activities to promote creative thinking; try one or two out with your learners and let us know how it went.
Simple!
We’re choosing one lucky educator to receive this book as well as another brilliant copy of Trevor Mackenzie’s Inquiry Mindset: Assessment edition which answers questions about how we can assess inquiry learning in the classroom. We met Trevor last year on a PL session and we want you to be as inspired as we were with his teaching practices!
So, why not give something new a try and encourage your students to join you outside their comfort zone? You've got to be in it to win it, right?
We look forward to hearing from you very soon!
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