AT A GLANCE
Provision for learners:
Derby Museum and Art Gallery houses a wide range of important collections, covering porcelain, paintings, archaeology, history, local regiments, geology and wildlife.
The Silk Mill Museum is on the site of the world's oldest factories, the Silk Mills built by George Sorocold in 1702 and 1717. The displays tell the story of the industrial heritage of Derby and its people.
Pickford House Museum shows life for all the occupants of the house in Georgian times. The upper floors feature displays of toys and toy theatres, and the Museum's excellent collection of historic costumes and textiles
Model for working with trainees:
This project supported informal placements for trainees.
ITT PROVIDER
Name of project:
Bloom!
Higher Education Institution:
University of Derby
ITE Course:
BEd
No. of trainees involved:
120
Year group:
Year 2
Subject area:
N/A
Logistics:
One week placement
There were approximately 120 Initial Teacher Training (ITT) students, in Year 2 of their BEd course. During the two weeks of the project this cohort was split: half the group worked on Bloom! each week while the other half were on placement in a special school. Thus 60 students were split across the three museum sites each week.
Provider motivation:
The course leader of the BEd course at Derby University was very keen to give students hands on experience of creativity focused work including partnership working with creative practitioners.
There was a desire to get students to interact with museum settings.
QTS Standards:
Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The project aimed to provide ITT students with an opportunity to undertake a short placement in an educational environment other than a school, working in partnership with a range of creative practitioners. The intended outcomes were for ITT students to understand how to:
- teach in a way that develops creative attributes of young people, for example: an ability to improvise, take risks, show resilience, and collaborate with others
- work with a range of different creative practitioners through a range of different art forms
- work in collaboration with peers, creative practitioners and teachers
- work effectively in a heritage setting
- plan, present and perform ideas and processes on the final day
- use time as a theme for the project
ABOUT THE PROJECT
It was hoped that the students would be able to use a School Improvement Issue as the focus for the project.
Two visual artists, a drama practitioner, a musician and a storyteller were all involved as partners in the project and supported trainees whilst on placement.
Participants worked together to plan, design and undertake a project in one of the museum sites in a way that would be of value to a school.
The five partner schools involved sent children from the Reception class, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6. Some children had SEN including 4 autistic children.
OUTCOMES
Trainees
Although the teacher trainees arrived feeling they had an understanding of creativity, the project forced them to re-examine what it is and how they can encourage it in their classrooms. It was also important in getting them to identify ways in which they and their pupils can interact with creative practitioners and with other settings.
Museum staff
There was not a lot of impact here as they were not sufficiently involved in the planning and delivery. This is an aspect that could be further developed in the future.
University staff
Not so much learning outcomes as satisfaction at seeing the realization of an idea and the development of creativity in the trainees’ approaches.
SURPRISES
“The benefits of working collaboratively with other creative practitioners”
“I realised something fundamental – made sense of things I hadn’t done before… it changed my life in ways that other projects haven’t done”
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
The fact that it was designed as a required part of the course for the teacher trainees meant that it was more likely to be valued.
The input of the course leader from Derby University was crucial as she highly values creativity and wants to encourage it in her students.
The practitioners selected were of high quality and were able to work with the students and encourage them while also challenging them.
The museum settings provided the trainee teachers with inspiration and a wealth of ideas for activities with the children.
