Presented at LILAC 2009

1. ““You’re good at findingYou’re good at finding
things out.”things out.”
Developing questioning skills:Developing questioning skills:
Creative Partnerships in North EastCreative Partnerships in North East
England.England.
Fiona M ForsytheFiona M Forsythe
Fionn Consultancy ServicesFionn Consultancy Services

2. Where do these quotes comeWhere do these quotes come
from?from?
““It helped us to think about asking goodIt helped us to think about asking good
questions and giving careful answers”questions and giving careful answers”
““We came up with 50 different questionsWe came up with 50 different questions
that we wanted to know the answers to”that we wanted to know the answers to”

3. What is Creative Partnerships?What is Creative Partnerships?
““The government’s flagship creativeThe government’s flagship creative
learning programme, designed to developlearning programme, designed to develop
the skills of young people across thethe skills of young people across the
primary and secondary sectors”primary and secondary sectors”
www.creative-partnerships.comwww.creative-partnerships.com

4. So what do they do?So what do they do?
““We foster innovative, long-termWe foster innovative, long-term
partnerships between schools andpartnerships between schools and
creative professionals, includingcreative professionals, including
architects, scientists, multimediaarchitects, scientists, multimedia
developers and artists. These partnershipsdevelopers and artists. These partnerships
inspire young people, teachers andinspire young people, teachers and
creative professionals to challenge howcreative professionals to challenge how
they work and experiment with new ideas.they work and experiment with new ideas.

5. ……
Young peopleYoung people develop thedevelop the skills they needskills they need
to perform well not only in exams andto perform well not only in exams and
extra-curricular activities, but also in theextra-curricular activities, but also in the
workplace and wider society”workplace and wider society”
www.creative-partnerships.comwww.creative-partnerships.com

6. in summaryin summary
EnquiryEnquiry andand researchresearch are at the heartare at the heart
of the experienceof the experience

7. A Creative AgentA Creative Agent
Supports the development of creativeSupports the development of creative
learning in schoolslearning in schools
Creative learningCreative learning
““Imaginative activity fashioned so as toImaginative activity fashioned so as to
produce outcomes that are both originalproduce outcomes that are both original
and of value”and of value” All our futuresAll our futures

8. Attributes of creative learningAttributes of creative learning
 Formulating good questionsFormulating good questions
 Effective problem solvingEffective problem solving
 Making connections and seeingMaking connections and seeing
relationships between subjectsrelationships between subjects
 Exploring ideasExploring ideas
 Reflecting critically about learningReflecting critically about learning
 Learning about learningLearning about learning

9. An Agent’s visionAn Agent’s vision
““We support schools to develop enquiry-We support schools to develop enquiry-
based programmes with imaginative andbased programmes with imaginative and
relevant research questions through activerelevant research questions through active
listening, questioning and challenge, withlistening, questioning and challenge, with
children as protagonists in their ownchildren as protagonists in their own
learning”learning”

10. Richard GerverRichard Gerver
““Creativity is one of the DNA strands ofCreativity is one of the DNA strands of
education”education”

11. Attributes of creative learningAttributes of creative learning
 Formulating good questionsFormulating good questions
 Effective problem solvingEffective problem solving
 Making connections and seeingMaking connections and seeing
relationships between subjectsrelationships between subjects
 Exploring ideasExploring ideas
 Reflecting critically about learningReflecting critically about learning
 Learning about learningLearning about learning

12. Pete McGuiganPete McGuigan
““Learning to enquire is as much aboutLearning to enquire is as much about
professional development as it is aboutprofessional development as it is about
raising standards for children. It is anraising standards for children. It is an
approach, disposition or an attitude ofapproach, disposition or an attitude of
mind, rather than a solution, and it ismind, rather than a solution, and it is
based on the notion that true professionalsbased on the notion that true professionals
in education must themselves be lifelongin education must themselves be lifelong
learners.”learners.”

13. I wrote…I wrote…
How does Creative Partnerships influenceHow does Creative Partnerships influence
information literacy in an academicinformation literacy in an academic
setting?setting?

14. Perhaps it should be…Perhaps it should be…
Does creative learning createDoes creative learning create
opportunities for information literacyopportunities for information literacy
training?training?
oror
Can information handling skills deepen aCan information handling skills deepen a
students use of enquiry based learning?students use of enquiry based learning?

15. ……or even…or even…
In exploring the enquiry, do we forget howIn exploring the enquiry, do we forget how
to find out?to find out?

16. Sue CowleySue Cowley
““When it comes to finding and working withWhen it comes to finding and working with
information, we can help our studentsinformation, we can help our students
develop a number of important thinkingdevelop a number of important thinking
skills.skills.
These include speed reading, noteThese include speed reading, note
taking…”taking…”

17. Richard GerverRichard Gerver
““Creative people are dangerous; creativeCreative people are dangerous; creative
teachers are deadly”teachers are deadly”
but…but…
What if creative teachers were ace atWhat if creative teachers were ace at
finding things out – what would that befinding things out – what would that be
like?like?

18. Thank youThank you
fionn@forsythe.demon.co.uk