[RE]LEARN 2020 - The Learning Innovation Festival

What do you think of when you think of the word creativity? Do you think of artists and designers only? Or do you think of something deeper? Do you think about a freedom to explore? To enquire? To challenge? To make and embrace mistakes? To tackle inequalities? To embrace change? These are the things that I think of when I think about the word creativity and all of these elements I have seen in my students, teachers and parents since I introduced creativity at the forefront of my teaching and leading. Through my speech I would like to encourage fellow teachers, leaders and educators to approach education as we would in a design studio, to use creative and collaborative tools to extend our planning practices and our teaching methods. Through this speech I will share with educators a range of tools such as a design thinking and ViP, which can be, but rarely are, applied to an educational setting. I would like to share with fellow educators a range of research and practices across the globe that are putting creativity, a connection to nature and heart-centric teaching at the epicenter of their practice and thriving as a result. I would like to share my educational plan for a school for the future, with roots in Bauhaus inspired pedagogy, high quality sustainable resources, a love of nature, project-based learning to inspire and encourage inquiry and an engaging and calm environment. Many of these approaches I am either currently using or have in the past. I would hope that my talk would inspire, motivate and give tools for a more holistic and human approach to education. It is our best tool to encourage positive change, form well-rounded, resilient, happy and confident young people.