Carni'vle'

No its not a typo, but an idea, a concept to draw teaching and teachers onto the vle with a collective purpose. Over a beer, Mark Hellen helped me conceive a whole school teaching project that might give the vle a colourful launch. Mark proposed and supported the concept of a whole prpject centred on the theme ‘Carnival.’

Mark outlined potential calendar dates to associate with the project and a series on wonderful (and tested) ideas, albeit from taken Primary school context. Maybe that is the learning point of this post. That conversing with people outside your common communication circle may have more value than you realise. Perhaps  planning broaden project based learning is most effective when introducing our Primary School colleagues, teachers well versed in designing and fulfiling broad subject schemes of work within a context?. Perhaps it offers a way to introduce Year 6 Primary School students into Year 7?

The conversation throw out a few subject contributions –

PSRE / geography – a passport to the world here, cultural perspectives to carnivals, PE – acrobatics, Science – fireworks, History – the historic context to carnivals, Music – rhythms of a carnival, Design Tech – Costumes, Art – colour wheels.

With just a little research it is interesting to find out that there are a number of education outreach programs associated with Notting Hill Carnival, a UK Centre for Carnival Arts! Ethnic Business models incorporates the Maths, well finance and so I could go on.

Ideas need wings, but they also need landing gear.

Now the real challenge, landing the concept and convincing the head there is value in a project I personally would not have time to lead, but would be able to co-ordinate through the vle? Its either the Carnival or the Community Mentor program and I know which has added verve/colour. Feel free to add ideas.

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