Positively creative learning differences

Project Leads: Qona Rankin

Number of participants:  14

Duration: 5 days

Project Outline:

Until recently Specific Learning Difficulties have been more or less exclusively linked to a deficit model, however recently a more positive approach has emerged, particularly in respect to dyslexia and dyspraxia. Books such as ‘The Dyslexia Advantage’, ‘Amazing Dyslexics’, and ‘Positive Dyslexia’ give a more optimistic view and highlight the creative strengths thinking differently can bring individuals. However, part of Gove’s legacy as Minister for Education has cut back on creative subjects being taught at school. One of the effects of this is that many children with SpLDs are being forced to focus on subjects they find difficult. Without a level playing field, the opportunities creative subjects can offer, less sequential, more wholistic thinkers, to be acknowledged and rated by their peers, don’t exist. This, could result in a loss of self-esteem and confidence. These students may just give up.

This AcrossRCA project is your chance to collaborate with your peers and contribute to the positive SpLD movement by inspiring children with SpLD. It will also give you the opportunity of visiting a special needs school twice, where you will have the experience of communicating with a very different ‘client group’. The aim is having met with the ‘client group’ to illustrate to them, how your particular strengths have feed into your creative expertise and how this can lead to professional opportunities, thus motivating children to explore their own creativity and educating their parents into the various professional pathways within art and design, so that they can encourage their children’s different ways of thinking.

Timetable: 

Monday
AM: Briefing and visit to Bridge School. Interview students about how best to represent their strengths, what information would be useful for their parents to have and how they would best be able to access this information on-line.
PM: Discuss the children’s ideas, add to these from our own experiences and develop a structure for communicating our information. Discussion of prominent themes that students wish to pursue.

Tuesday
Students continue conversations, time for reflection and research.

Wednesday
AM: Progress meetings to agree a structure for the projects and also formatting details.
PM: Agree what is going to be produced and who is responsible for the various tasks

Thursday
Students continue to work in groups to produce and format their outcomes so that they can be included onto the ‘The Positive SpLD Site’

Friday
AM: Completion of projects
PM: Return visit to Bridge school so that the students can present their projects to the children, teachers and parents for feedback.