KELLOUGH Chapter 6: Preparing an Instructional Plan

Do Schools Kill Creativity?*

The premise behind blue school (a progressive independent school located in New York City's lower Manhattan founded by the members of Blue Man Group) is that children today are growing up in a world that is currently neither sustainable nor harmonious.  Children taught through creative learning experiences, can be nurtured into leaders with innovative solutions for the world's problems.  The Learning Experiences Ladder (page 232) of the text demonstrates this form of self-discovery teaching.

During the years I worked and went to graduate school in Rochester, NY, my husband (an art educator) and I spent a great deal of time at the Strong Museum researching lesson plans. They had a preschool based on the Reggio Emilia approach:

The curriculum at the National Museum of Play's Woodbury Preschool is Reggio Emilia-inspired and is therefore responsive to the interests of the children in the class. This approach uses an “emergent” curriculum philosophy that encourages teachers and students to work together to plan the curriculum and create projects. Guided by teachers who facilitate their explorations, children delve deeply into topics that fascinate and stimulate learning. Small and large group activities involve art, music, cooperative games, movement, pre-reading, math, and other age-appropriate experiences. Parents have the opportunity to see how their children learn through student art, photographs of students at work and play, video recordings, and projects.

Both these schools are aligned with the theory of multiple intelligences.  In the Peoria area, there are unique teaching opportunities for those who are interested in authentic learning: Bradley University's Worlds of Wonder program, The Sun Foundation in Washburn, ICC's College for Kids, Camp Innovation at St. Philomena's, and the educational offerings through local art/science centers or park districts.  All programs offer teachers a chance to design their own creative courses and make a little money in the summer, evenings, or weekends.

*Ken Robinson says schools kill creativityTED2006