Aims of the Festival

The Emporium of Dangerous Ideas aims to re-establish the importance of dangerous ideas as agents of change in education – to shift the axis of what is possible! It is for everyone who is passionate about education including college, university, school staff and students as well as those engaged in education throughout the creative communities.

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Thursday 26 March 2015

Office Surfing- A Dangerous Idea for creativity at work

The Dangerous Idea ... Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a very different environment from your usual workplace?
Would you like to try it out and become an office surfer?
Would you like your organisation to Host an office surf? Would you like to meet people from other professions and sectors?
What? ... Spend some time in a different work environment, doing your work or work as a host, welcoming a surfer to experience your working environment.
Why? ... Two reasons (among many!):
1. To become more aware of the physical work environment, and the effect it has on your work. Does your workplace help you to be creative? How is the new environment different? What about it is helpful? Any ideas you could take back and implement in your own workplace?
2. To meet new people and have interesting conversations. The random coffee scheme that was organised by Education Scotland has put hundreds of people together for interesting conversations, and ideas have grown out of it. Benefits?
As a Surfer you get:
• the chance to see what working in a different environment feels like, and how it suits - or doesn't - your work and your style
• to benchmark your own work-space against the one you are visiting, and against best practice, and come away with ideas for improvement.
 As a Host you get:
 • feedback on your work environment from a fresh pairs of eyes, based on rigorous research rather than just personal preference
You both get and interesting and unexpected connection.
The Emporium of Dangerous Ideas gets:
• stories, photos and videos from surfers and hosts about their experiences
 • the assessment of what makes a creative environment
 • lots of great learning to share
Results of the office surf will be shown at the Emporium Finale in an exhibition of creative change. This will take place on Friday 19 June 2015 view programme and book online: http://events.collegedevelopmentnetwork.ac.uk/events/show/5200
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If this sounds like a Dangerous Idea that you would like to be a part of, please contact Dawn Brooks dawn.brooks@cdn.ac.uk for more information on how to take part.
 Any responses should be in by Thursday 30 April 2015.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

If you step on the green path you have to run!

That's the rule established by pupils who have designed their learning environment, not just in their classroom but throughout the whole school.  Any teacher, pupil, visitor to the school knows that once on the green path that winds it way through the school, they are obliged to run.  What a brilliant idea, and only one of many that comes from involving learners in creating a space in which they feel they can learn.

Professor Stephen Heppell  provided a very thought provoking lecture/conversation at last night's Creative Conversations hosted by City of Edinburgh's Creative Learning Network.  He gave amazing examples of  pupils and students of all ages creating and making their own learning spaces - both inside and outside.

Particularly ingenious was a permanent sign put up outside one classroom that read Classrooms of The Future - Under Construction, for of course they are ever evolving, and never permanent.

The finale fo this year's Emporium will be in the event spaces of CDN.  Last year we had the finale inside a Kelpie, so a bit of a difference.   But, the space is what we create it, and that's what will be asking educators to do - create a future creative  learning space, and exhibit examples of how they have taken risks, played with possibilities and shifted the axis in education.

Check out Stephen's website and be inspired: http://www.heppell.net/