Y JONES July 19th 2011
About the project:
Creative Partnerships was a scheme with a wide brief for students to use technology and involve the community in an original project. We chose 12 year 8 and 9 students who were G&T or high achievers who had areas to improve upon; for example attendance or behaviour to run the project. Our aim for the students was for them to become more engaged with their own learning and school as a whole.
With the help of the pupils we hired a Creative Partner, Grant Watson from Pursued by a Bear in the Farnham Maltings. He works as a writer, director and filmmaker. With his guidance the students decided to make a film installation that involved the local community by using the local history group to inspire stories/memories for film. After interviewing members of the group students wrote, cast, sourced costumes and locations, performed and filmed three small stories that were linked together by editing. These stories represent a fictionalised history of Hale. This was then screened at Farnham Maltings Spring festival and was well received. A private screening was held for friends of the school on Tuesday 12th in 21c.
Over the course of the project as a teacher I learnt about creative teaching methods for my classroom, project based learning, working in a team myself and inventive ways of using technology. The students seemed to develop well and developed ownership over the project. Their ability to work in groups improved also. The most obvious improvement in some students was the development of their confidence and their ability to speak up and perform.
