Over two school years (2011- 2013) , 11 schools in Klaipeda region have joined the Creative Partnerships programme.
Klaipėda Vite secondary school undertook a creative learning project with a photographer. By creating an inter-active map together, pupils have learnt mathematics and natural sciences. The project participants explored the school and its nearest environment, applying the knowledge practically and developing their imagination.
This is just a single example of how studying challenging subjects such as sciences can become playful, stimulating and engaging and can develop team work skills. It also required the students to be disciplined and hard working on a continuous basis to successfully achieve the tasks they were set.
The goal of Vydunas’ secondary school was to get a better grounding in chemistry. They invited an architect and a scientist to work alongside teachers and with the pupils they conceived a complicated world of molecules and reactions. They also worked to integrate art and physics by analyzing routine phenomena of the world. In doing this it became obvious that the composition and optical effects of paintings were simply different aspects of the same object. Last year Vydunas’ School worked together with a film director to create features. Students themselves created film ideas, scenarios, wrote the texts, acted and shot the scenes. One of their short films was bestowed with the Lithuanian Amateur Cinema Union Award 2012.
Teachers involved in “Creative Partnerships” confess that initially they were rather cautious about the novelty of having actors, film directors, architects, designers, musicians, photographers and scientists in school. But later, during the creative planning stages and when the artists were active working in classrooms with pupils, tiny as well as more significant changes were observed. This really demonstrated the benefits of working alongside creative professionals and the teachers’ doubts were overcome. Teachers also noticed that students that were usually passive in the classroom were growing in self-confidence, were able to express their thoughts more readily and were finding the strength to speak in front of an audience.
Another unexpected shift in the teaching approaches and ways of working unfolded at Klaipeda Business School of Sewing and Services, which has been participating in “Creative Partnerships” for two years and was working on the Change school programme. Inspired by the experience and attitudes that creative practitioners brought into school, teachers started to cooperate closely with each other to improve their professional skills and to share how to apply creative and innovative methods in teaching across both general and professional subjects.
The involvement of school communities in creative quests and discoveries has promoted a change in contemporary understanding of education. In “Creative Partnerships” young people recognize the world more vividly and they are able to see how their knowledge and skills can be applied in practice. Creative professionals are also developing their practice and how they can use their own experiences and skills to inspire creativity in both students and teachers.
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