Creative approach

CREATIVE APPROACH
A creative approach to learning

Gaining insight into teaching practices at the International School of Venice...
It’s not what you do, but the way that you do it. In international teaching what you learn certainly is important, but so too is the way it is taught. And one of the challenges – and rewards – of international education is taking students to new and unexpected places, while at the same time unlocking their creativity across the curriculum.
It is a well-proven fact that creative and experimental teaching and learning develops students of all ages into thinkers and doers who can explore their interests, develop their strengths and grow into knowledgeable and independent learners, workers and citizens of the future. Even the way a question is phrased can encourage intellectual development. ‘Children and young people need to have the opportunity to think outside the box, because in the modern world they have so many new challenges and choices,’ says Nicola Waugh, educational director at the International School of Venice (ISV) in Italy. ‘We have to teach them to look at things in new and creative ways. Creativity also improves students’ enthusiasm for learning and their general wellbeing. It brings out the fun in life, and with enjoyment comes understanding.’ As Waugh also points out, in an international setting creativity helps students to cope with the complexity of language acquisition and to develop strategies to deal with human relationships and unexpected situations.
The visual arts and performance subjects such as drama and music are traditionally seen as the main sources of creativity in the classroom. But they are not the only ones, and they are often mere starting points to explore other academic disciplines. For example, in one learning activity tried out by teachers at ISV during a Book Day pupils spent time listening to a poem and then creating visual metaphors to express ideas and experiences. An analysis of the wording of the poem and children’s efforts to redraft their own versions came afterwards, and were based on mental imaging. ‘As I draw, my ideas get clearer and I can think differently about different things,’ commented one pupil. ‘Writing what I see and what I draw is easy, and I understand things better.’ Both primary phase children and middle school students at ISV also combine literacy studies with drama – staging original theatre pieces, going on educational visits to see plays performed, and discussing literary adaptations. This enhances their understanding and appreciation of plays and also their use of language.