Uncharted Territories: Adventures In Learning - Softcover

Hywel Roberts; Debra Kidd

Softcover

ISBN 10: 178135295X ISBN 13: 9781781352953

Publisher: Independent Thinking Press, 2018

Synopsis

Hywel Roberts and Debra Kidd s 'Uncharted Territories: Adventures in learning' is a book of prompts, provocations and possibilities designed to nourish creativity and generate ideas that will get teachers and pupils excited about learning.

In this time of high-stakes testing, growing mental health issues among young people and increasing pressure on teachers to focus on rote repetition and practice papers, we have to step back and ask: What is the purpose of education? If you think it is to get children through tests, then this book is probably not for you. If, however, you think it is to develop wisdom in children the capacity to think, to apply knowledge, to empathize, to weigh up evidence, to consider consequences and to make informed choices then this book is most definitely for you.

Rooted in practice and grounded in research, Uncharted Territories invites a reassessment of what curriculum coverage can look like and provides an abundance of hooks into exploratory learning that place learners of whatever age knee-deep in dilemma, so that they are thinking deeply, analytically and imaginatively. These are not knowledge organisers or schemes of work; rather they are inspirational forays into imagined contexts for learning which, as fantastical as they may appear, always have the real world as their destination. Signposted by story starters and inductive questions not to mention the beautiful illustrations which are sure to fire children s imaginations Hywel and Debra s innovative routes to learning will help teachers stray from the beaten track of the curriculum and instil in learners a sense of purpose as they discover, manipulate and apply knowledge and skills across a range of collaborative, cross-curricular problem-solving contexts.

Each chapter focuses on a different place such as a remote castle or a mysterious cave, where the learning will be applied and challenged and is packed with starting points and what ifs ...? to establish rich landscapes for exploration and a wide range of opportunities for discussion and writing. To help map out the territory ahead, Hywel and Debra guide the teacher around the key learning landmarks linked to each context s overarching concepts and lines of inquiry, and point out the many different curriculum areas to which the explorations naturally lend themselves to. The authors go further by offering transferable ideas which can be adjusted to work with whatever age group, as well as a variety of context-based tasks to enable the teacher to explore how elements of, for example, literacy and/or numeracy could be incorporated in order to save curriculum time.

While Uncharted Territories is a rallying call to arms for the imagination, in each of its chapters Hywel and Debra also delve into the why in order to present the teacher with a comprehensive debrief of the learning processes and the theoretical and academic underpinning. Furthermore, the authors provide a helpful listing of drama techniques and relevant books and poems that can be incorporated into the learning journeys, as well as useful advice on how to assess and evidence their outcomes.

Designed for use with learners of all ages, from early years to secondary.

About this title

About the Author

Hywel Roberts is a creative educator with 16 years experience in the classroom teaching secondary drama and English in schools, both rough and smooth. Hywel is now a freelance consultant and Independent Thinking Associate specialising in Drama for Learning, Mantle of the Expert, Lures into Learning and engagement across all phases of learning.

Debra Kidd was born in a house with an outside toilet and remembers her dad studying and moving their family to bigger houses with inside bathrooms: a living example of the value of education. She taught for 21 years in all phases of education, and has a doctorate in education. She lives in the north of England.

Review

This forest is an exciting forest, a creative forest, a forest built of language and stories and the feeling that you yes, you can help to build the forest. In a world of No, but ... , this forest is a splendid What if ... Enter and enjoy! --Ian McMillan, poet, broadcaster and comedian

Uncharted Territories is an excellent resource for supporting a rigorous inquiry-led approach to classroom practice. At its heart is an understanding of the natural link between play, curiosity and creativity, and it features some innovative ideas for making connections across disciplines. The starting points, or the keys as they are termed in the book, for each section are designed to stimulate a child s imagination by focusing on areas such as forests, castles and space. The questions and strategies have a freshness in their approach, and the authors offer plenty of suggestions to take topics in exciting new directions. --Richard Parker, Principal, ISL UK

Uncharted Territories is an absorbing, thought-provoking book full of practical suggestions, organised to be accessible and yet rooted in a strong theoretical foundation. Throughout, Hywel and Debra talk to teachers in a way that will build confidence, reap benefits and improve their learners life chances. Whether you are a novice or someone who has been this way before, Uncharted Territories is a book that will help you tread a pathway into the imaginations of young people. A pathway that will wend its way through worlds of thinking, wondering, deciding and acting ... and will help children to grow into the kinds of people who will make a difference in their own world of tomorrow. Have a read and give it a go ... the territory is your own to explore and to chart. --Mick Waters, Professor of Education, University of Wolverhampton

Edition details

• Publisher: Independent Thinking Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 178135295X
• ISBN 13: 9781781352953
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160