“CREATIVE SCHOOLS: GIVING AN ANSWER TO STUDENT NEEDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY” Irene Megías

               For this project, we had to design our ideal school, a school that answers the needs of all our students, a school that fosters conviviality and also, an inclusive and innovative school. No doubt, it was a very useful project, besides entertaining, because it has helped me to understand better what failures schools today are, what could be improved and what aspects need a radical change.

                Thanks to this project I realized that it is possible to change education and that one of the most effective strategies to achieve this is by transforming the centers. A transformation that addresses the organization and curriculum but especially focusing on the culture of the school. If we want to improve education, we must change our schools.

                As we read in one of the documents at the beginning of our project, to create personalized experiences for students we need to help them connect to the building and the people inside it. For example, in my team, we thought of creating a building that promotes open and bright spaces. In this way the child doesn’t fell locked in a physical or psychological way, and also it allow a more creative and imaginative intellectual development. This is good if we talks about innovate, create, develop new ideas… not only in a personal way in a social way too. The Saunalahti school, in Finland, also supports this idea and therefore has large windows facing outward and into other classrooms, as our ideal school.

                Furthermore, we thought that was important chanqe out the classroom furniture when posible because it offers numerous possibilities to perform different activities, especially in groups or teams. The main idea is the possibility to change the class in the way not to have the same order always, and in this way, all the furniture could be move, keep, fold… so it will be change in other thing. It depends on the needs. For students is bored sitting at individual desks facing the front as in the traditional classrooms, so we thought to group the tables so that students can helping each other. In this way we promote cooperative learning.

                In addition, it is important to maker different areas within each class, for example a corner to read books and stories (like a small library with books available for students), a space for new technologies where we can find computers, tablets or even video games, an area to study or  a leisure area to play where children can have fun playing.

                From my point of view, it is also important that the school counts with areas to chat with classmates, reading, drawing, study, doing some exercise or just relax; thus, all areas are potential places of learning. It is also important that all areas of the center is designed to encourage teamwork, in this way we can encourage collaboration between students and between them and their teachers. This zones and also the classrooms can be design to look for children’s motivation depending on the function of the activity that we want to develop. We could get it through colours, textures, heights, the distribution, music…

                All these ideas are shown in the video that showed the teacher in class where Takaharu Tezuka told us how was the building of an innovative school in Asia. In this nursery children have total freedom to run and play in the yard, because its structure is quite peculiar to what we usually see. Classes are not divided, it is all the same structure without bunds, so it helps them to develop concentration skills because they have to learn how to work with noise and how to concentrated in their tasks.

                On the other hand, this school is aware of the contact with nature. Also, Wanderlust focus in this point. For me is important the contact with the nature, I believe that to have a better children’s develop is a good idea to get the children in touch with it. It will be getting through many gardens inside and outside, green corners with different flowers that children should take care of them to interiorise responsibilities… Also al the glass windows which allows look outside.

                Leaving aside the structure of the school, it is necessary to talk about the methodology and how to educate our students. It is important to promote in they the ability to create their own knowledge. This will make our students feel more motivated and create in them a certain curiosity to learn. Also, the teacher is no longer the sole source of information, his/her role is to be a "guide" for they. Students will be challenged to be more proactive and independent, with teachers taking the role of facilitator. In addition, as we have seen in psychology with Ana Belen, we have to experimenting with problem-based learning kids work on projects where have that authentic contexts, often within their communities.

                Also, as Ken Robinson said in the video that we saw in class, creativity is important, so in order to take a good methodology we have to give more importance to the creativity. Creativity is essential so we have to encourage children in any way, have to imagine, dream... ultimately be free. Encourage creativity supposed to develop an abstract thought, to express themselves and be easier to solve problems throughout his life.

                Teachers who want our students to be able to think for themselves and generate creative ideas, we have much to offer they, just requires a little effort on our part; we must strengthen that generate personal ideas about any situation to talk in class, promote freedom of expression, encourage teamwork and let the kids fly with your imagination. In my view, creativity is more than just an artistic skill, is also about how we think and how we build and share our knowledge.

                In addition, is important to talk about have fun in class. It not refers that there aren’t concepts; it means that children will learn playing. When something is interesting for us we are motivated and work better so the teacher should generate an interest in children about concepts. With this they will learn without realizing.

                Following this point, the methodology, it is important to discuss how to assess our students (exams? projects? homework?…) I think it's important not to focus in the mark of a exam, but take into account other aspects, which for me are more important, such as attitude, interest and student work. From my point, we must teach children learn to practice and make them see that mistakes are not a bad thing, but a way to learn through them, which is known as “Learning by Doing”. Learning should be a succession of errors that are solved and acquires the ability to solve or avoid them. On the other hand I don´t think that is necessary to do a exam or a test every week; the near and worried teacher doesnt´t need exams, perfectly knows the note that deserves everyone. For me, the best option would be to opt for a continuous and formative evaluation. An assessment must address the needs of children, and therefore, must be rich and varied, so that the curriculum is open and flexible.

                As for homeworks, it is important to say that all teams talk about them. For example, “Amigos del football” said it is not necessary to send homework to children because they need time to play and have fun and we all agree. At this age children should develop certain skills and abilities are encouraged to play. Can only children learn with duties, responsibilities and homework...?. I don `t believe it. There are other substitutes like promoting project-based learning. Doing different projects, children develop their autonomy and responsibility  and also become the protagonists of their own learning. From my point of view, it is a good way to learn, work and especially what has been seen in class, so it seems a good substitute for homework.

                Another important thing we should talk about is values. Children should not learn concepts only, they should learn how to live in a society too because they live in one. Schools should educate professional but also people. The idea is to show children about the importance of respect and take care of environment. Each group mentioned differents ideas to implement it in our schools. I liked the idea of Modern Family, that said than it can be a good idea to have pets in class, thus the responsibility is fostered in students and also take care in living beings. Other groups such as The unknows, spoke about bullying and how to eradicate it. One idea that I really liked was to give children the opportunity to solve the problem through meetings where, together, try to find a solution. Thus, in addition to solving the conflict, students feel important because they feel heard and see that their opinions really count for something. It would ultimately create a democratic school, where students and teachers as parents can give their opinion openly.

                The role of parents is very important, and many teams talked about it. Educating children is not just a work of teachers, parents have a lot of work on it, so it is important that families and teachers are in touch and have a good relationship. Team Perk, for example, proposed the Family Day, it would be something like an Open Day, where parents can chat with teachers, meet other parents, see the work of their children, etc.

                Finally, is Important to talk about the time tables of our students and also the lenguages they will be taught. Referring to the schedule, I liked the idea of Team Perk: proposed a schedule in which each two subjects had a break. And as for the teaching of other languages I liked the idea of Crónicas Viajeras, who proposed that English is essential and we have to promote it, so all teachers (or the most of them) should native for teaching the lenguage in a more real way.

                I want to say that I know that this change is difficult and takes many time, but I believe that little by little, if we all get involved (teachers, pupils, families, the government…), we could make a better education system, and thus build a better future for our society. It is true that we can imitated another educational systems such as the german, which also we speak in class. The team Amigos del Football told us about how the education system in Germany was, and the truth is that it brings certain characteristics that, for me, are important and necessary, but we can not forget how strict is this system. With just 10 years children are divided according to their results or academic progress in previous years. As a future teacher, I do not think this decision is the right one. It does not seem right that at such a young age and children are separated between those who get good grades and those who not.

                As a conclussion, as I said before, is a very difficult task because it is not only in our hands, influence other aspects as we have seen in sociology like the context in where we live. We must work together to try to solve all these failures or difficulties as soon as possible to have a better education.