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Imaginative Education Training Courses by shannah — last modified 2010-03-11 15:44

This summer, instead of our usual conference, IERG will offer short training courses for people interested in learning more about Imaginative Education and how to put it into practice, on 27th (p.m. only), 28th & 29th JUNE , and also our Learning in Depth program 30th JUNE. These short courses will be taught by Kieran Egan, Gillian Judson, and Kym Stewart. We will be announcing registration information here shortly.

A new book about IE: by shannah — last modified 2010-03-08 09:35

Engaging Imaginations and Developing Creativity in Education Edited by Kieran Egan and Krystina Madej. The book contains a series of papers about various aspects of IE, both theoretical and practical.

Sean Blenkinsop leads a $1,000,000 project by shannah — last modified 2010-03-12 10:42

"Aligning Education and Sustainability in Maple Ridge, BC: A Study of Place-Based Ecological Schooling".

APPLY NOW: Fall 2010 Master of Education (MEd) Degree Program by shannah — last modified 2010-03-16 14:11

Imaginative Education - Vancouver, Application Deadline: April 15th, 2010

Additional Director of IERG by shannah — last modified 2010-02-15 16:21

Gillian Judson has joined the IERG Directorial team, with Sean Blenkinsop, Kieran Egan, and Mark Fettes. Gillian completed her Ph.D. at SFU in 2009. She worked as a Research Assistant to IERG during much of her degree program, and has been a post-doctoral fellow with IERG since Jan. 2009. She continues to make significant contributions of both a theoretical and practical nature to our work.

Learning in Depth book coming soon by shannah — last modified 2010-02-15 16:25

"Learning in Depth: A simple innovation that can transform schooling" is to be published sometime in the summer of 2010 by University of Chicago Press. The LiD idea, is catching on in many countries, including Canada, the U.S., Japan, Australia, England, Romania, and maybe others. Currently more than 1,000 children are building LiD portfolios, a number than may well double come Sept. 2010.

Report on ADHD project by shannah — last modified 2009-10-30 12:48

IERG has been involved in a significant project in Romania concerned in part with how IE ideas can be useful for children with ADHD. The project was designed, coordinated and implemented by Nadia Tarnoveanu, Stefan Popenici and Ciprian Fartusnic. They have now produced a report on the project (in English) which will be of interest to anyone concerned with this area of educational difficulty.

First IE Charter School opened Sept. 2009. by shannah — last modified 2009-10-27 12:52

The first Charter school based on Imaginative Education principles has opened in the Corbett school district in Portland, Oregon. Corbett is a small school district that currently has an Elementary, Middle, and High schools on a single site. Teachers and administrators in the district have been associated with IERG for a number of years.

Japanese text that describes IE by shannah — last modified 2009-10-30 12:50

We are pleased to announce the publication of Prof. Kiyotaka Miyazaki’s new book, "Children's leaning, teachers' learning: Saito Kihaku and Vygotskian education." A number of the chapters are derived from papers that Prof. Miyazaki first presented at the IERG conferences during the past five or six years, where he has been a regular presenter, bringing Japanese ideas, especially those of Saito Kihaku, to our attention. His work has proven valuable for us, as we hope his introducing Vygotskian and IE ideas to Japan will also be fruitful.

Learning in Depth on CBC Radio by shannah — last modified 2009-10-13 10:50

Linda Holmes, a teacher in Langley, B.C. and a graduate of the IERG M.Ed. program, has been implementing the LiD program in her classroom. The experiment was the subject of a report on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. National News on Friday11th. Sept. 2009.

IE in China continued by shannah — last modified 2009-09-28 11:27

We are delighted to announce the publication of Dr. Qingyu Pan’s new book about Imaginative Education. The book is titled IMAGINATIVE TEACHING; its first printing is 5,000 copies. This comes close on the heels of Dr. Pan’s recent article in the Chinese journal Educational Research, which also describes IE and what it offers to Chinese education.

Learning in Depth Resource materials by shannah — last modified 2009-08-17 13:56

The Learning in Depth project continues to gather interest and increasing numbers wanting to implement the program. More programs are planned to begin in Sept. 2009, and others plan to use the Fall semester for January 2010 implementation or the academic year to prepare for full implementation in Sept. 2010. In response we have prepared a DVD of Resource materials to help any teacher or administrator wanting to become involved in the implementation process.

IERG Workshops by shannah — last modified 2009-07-27 09:50

We have been giving workshops throughout the summer, in England, Singapore, the US, and nearer to home. The picture to the left shows activities at a one-day workshop at Crofton House school in Vancouver, using the Resource materials described below. We have been introducing the general principles of Imaginative Education and also the Learning in Depth project.

IE Resource Materials & Suggestions For Their Use by shannah — last modified 2009-07-27 09:34

We have available a limited number of new kits entitled: “Introducing Imaginative Education: Resource materials & suggestions for their use.” They are designed to help anyone who wishes to introduce Imaginative Education in professional presentations, workshops, or classes.

New M.Ed. cohorts. by shannah — last modified 2009-08-20 11:08

We had planned to open a new M.Ed. cohort beginning Sept. 2009 at our Surrey campus, but were surprised and delighted to be flooded with applicants. We had so many excellent teachers applying for the program that we have opened two cohorts instead.

IERG 2009 Conference by shannah — last modified 2009-07-23 12:07

This year's conference keynote speaker, Eleanor Duckworth, inspired the audience with a talk that included both bits of history about her own education on the way to becoming a Harvard education professor and successful author, and examples of children having imaginative and "wonderful ideas." Hear Eleanor's talk by going to the video...

More on the conference by shannah — last modified 2009-07-29 13:55

Global recessions are one thing, but when they affect our conference that’s something else again. This year we had a smaller than usual group, but the interest level was perhaps higher, and many people spoke of the added pleasure of more frequent interactions with people.

IERG receives funding towards environmental school by shannah — last modified 2009-07-22 11:45

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council has committed $20,000 in initial funding to support preparation of a $1M+ grant proposal for a new school based on ecological education principles. The lead researchers are Drs. Sean Blenkinsop and Mark Fettes.

IERG related Publications by shannah — last modified 2009-02-14 23:46

Various IERG members and associates have been busy scribbling away, and we are a little awed by the number of publications that have emerged recently about our work. You can download a list of books, articles, curriculum materials, journal special issues, resource “kits,” etc. here.

IERG Wins Grant to Study LiD by shannah — last modified 2009-02-14 23:10

We have been awarded a grant to study pilot implementations of the “Learning in Depth” program. Dr. Allan MacKinnon will be one of the lead researchers, aided by Melanie Young, a Ph.D. student at Simon Fraser University. The project is to run for two years.

Further books in Romanian by shannah — last modified 2009-02-08 08:17

Stefan Popenici, “our man in Romania,” soon to move to New Zealand, has continued with Nadia Tarnoveau and Cipriam Fartusnic to develop IE ideas for children in Romanian schools with the symptoms of ADHD. They have recently published two further books that show how forms of imaginative education can significantly mitigate the problems such children experience and demonstrate.

Imaginative Media Education by shannah — last modified 2008-12-15 09:45

For three years now Kym Stewart, the amazing Media Lab crew, and IERG have created memorable experiences for students, opening their eyes to the magic of TV, movies and videos as part of their unique media-education program based on the theories of Imaginative Education.

IERG ideas discussed on TV by shannah — last modified 2008-12-15 09:41

You can see a discussion of the IERG’s aims and work on the TV program “Your Education Matters,” hosted by Paul Shaker.

New Chinese Section by shannah — last modified 2008-11-17 08:59

We are beginning to add a Chinese language section to the website, and start it with a translation of the introductory pages of our current site. The most substantial item is a translation of the Brief Guide to Imaginative Education. 我们正在为本网站开通一个中文板块，以中文的首页介绍开始，并附上一份完整的中文版的“富有想像力的教育简介”。

Workshops in Romania by shannah — last modified 2008-12-01 09:36

Annabella Cant, whom many of you will recall from our 2007 conference, is currently delivering workshops on Imaginative Education in Romania. She writes: “It was such a wonderful atmosphere, and I felt so relaxed and happy doing this! I was impressed with the great feed back and their questions. They were asking when is the next one!”

Circular Planning Frameworks by shannah — last modified 2008-10-29 14:07

The latest development in our Planning Frameworks for teachers is Tannis Calder’s Circular frameworks. Many teachers find these more “user-friendly” than our other frameworks.

Teaching, Learning, and Imagination at Smith College by shannah — last modified 2008-10-29 13:26

Smith College, Massachusetts, recently sponsored a conference on “Teaching, Learning and Imagination.” Many of the presentations were from teachers in the Smith College Campus School, where they have been experimenting with implementing IE ideas in their teaching.

Reimagining the School from the Ground Up by shannah — last modified 2008-11-17 10:41

Published in September 2008, Kieran Egan’s latest book—The Future of Education: Reimagining the school from the ground up—is an attempt to show how both traditionalist and progressivist forms of education have let us down. The second half of the book is a “history” of education from 2010 to 2060, showing how we might realistically, practical step by practical step, remake the schools to better reflect the ideals of Imaginative Education.

Dr. Qing-yu Pan, visiting Scholar by shannah — last modified 2008-09-29 10:08

We welcome Dr. Qing-yu Pan who will be with us for six months as a Visiting Scholar. He comes from Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.

New Introduction to IE Resource kits available. by shannah — last modified 2008-09-28 16:30

We are putting the final finishing touches to our new “Introduction to Imaginative Education: Resource materials.”

First On-line M.Ed. Graduates by shannah — last modified 2008-09-21 21:56

The happy-to-graduate group who recently successfully completed our first on-line M.Ed. in Imaginative Education.

New Japanese and Spanish Sections by shannah — last modified 2008-09-28 16:37

You may have noticed that we have added two further language sections to this web site.

New book by long-time IERG associate by shannah — last modified 2008-09-21 21:57

New book by long-time IERG associate.

IE in Romania by shannah — last modified 2008-09-21 22:27

The large project connected with ADHD students in Romania is developing very successfully. Dr. Stefan Popenici and Dr. Nadia Tarnoveanu have recently conducted training workshops for teachers in the cities of Brasov, Constanta, and Piatra Neamt.

More IERG on YouTube by shannah — last modified 2008-09-21 22:29

You might want to take a look at our latest brief video on YouTube or on TeacherTube. It involves a discussion of the Learning In Depth project, with Tannis Calder, Kieran Egan, and Don McCleod.

IERG awarded a $60,000 grant by shannah — last modified 2008-09-21 22:30

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's International Opportunities Fund has granted IERG $60,000 to continue its work with centres in other countries. The project is to focus on development of teacher education materials and programs in various countries so that they can better implement Imaginative Educational methods. The picture is of (left to right) Sean Blenkinsop, Florentina Ion, IERG's Romanian publisher, Kieran Egan, Therese Iliscu, our translator, Nadia Tarnoeveanu, and Stefan Popenici, in Bucharest in 2007.

RA Position Available by tmartin — last modified 2008-06-23 13:07

IERG's LUCID project, "Learning for Understanding through Culturally Inclusive Imaginative Education", has a Research Assistant position available.

Harry Potter and Imagination by shannah — last modified 2008-06-25 11:52

J.K Rowling, on receiving an honorary degree from Harvard recently made the following comments, that all IE promoters would share:

Teaching 360˚ by shannah — last modified 2008-03-17 10:28

A new book, edited by Gillian Judson, who is currently completing her Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University, and working as a Research Assistant for IERG, has just been published by Sense Publishing. The book contains essays by teachers who have taken IE M.Ed. courses, or who are researchers allied with IE.

The 6th Imagination & Education conference by shannah — last modified 2008-02-11 11:44

The 6th. Conference on Imagination and Education was held in Canberra, Australia from Jan. 29th. To Jan. 31st. 2008. Participants came from more than a dozen countries. It was a lively and excellent event. Sean Blenkinsop, Tannis Calder, Kieran Egan, Mark Fettes, Kathryn Ricketts, Kym Stewart, and Jean Warburton came from the IERG at SFU. The Dean of Education at SFU, Dr. Paul Shaker also attended, and graciously introduced Kieran Egan’s talk.

Welcome to HERG! by shannah — last modified 2008-02-11 09:09

On January 24th. And 25th. 2008 the Holistic Educational Research Group was formally inaugurated at a conference at LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Sean Blenkinsop and Kieran Egan of IERG were invited speakers.

Singapore Slings and Arrows by shannah — last modified 2008-02-11 09:09

Tannis Calder, Kieran Egan, and Mark Fettes delivered a two-day workshop to members of the Singapore Minisitry of Education on Feb. 4th. & 5th. 2008. The focus was on how Imaginative Education could influence particularly the Singapore Social Studies curriculum.

Engaging Education Video by tmartin — last modified 2008-02-12 16:13

Starting on January 14th with a seminar led by Kym Stewart and Roman Onufrijchuk, our spring seminar series "Engaging Education" is being recorded for public viewing.

Embodied Theories at Play by tmartin — last modified 2008-03-11 10:48

What happens when a dancer/researcher performs her inquiry in a public space in a university beside a coffee shop and classrooms?

Learning in Depth by shannah — last modified 2008-05-15 14:27

You might be interested to explore a new IERG project called “Learning in Depth.” The LiD item in the navigator bar will also take you there. This is an innovation to the curriculum that may transform the experience of schooling for all students.

Theory and Practice of the Storyline Method by shannah — last modified 2008-05-15 14:29

Many IERG folk will be familiar with the work of our colleagues in the Storyline movement. We are happy to announce a book just published that gives a good sense of the theory and practice of the Storyline method.

IERG on YouTube! by shannah — last modified 2008-04-18 12:32

We announced a while ago that we were experimenting with some brief videos that describe some of our teaching principles and their implications for practice. We have now revised the first seven and have mounted them on YouTube, at http://www.youtube.com/IERGvideo

Spring Seminar Series by tmartin — last modified 2007-12-18 16:28

We are pleased to announce the dates and speakers for our Spring Seminar Series. We will post abstracts, rooms and times as more information becomes available.

Books By Associates: Scientism & Education by shannah — last modified 2007-11-08 14:01

Emery Hyslop-Margison, currently an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick, has published, with M. Ayaz Nazeem, a critical examination of the growing pressure to apply scientific principles as a means to improve education.

Books By Associates in Romanian by shannah — last modified 2007-11-08 14:01

This volume, in Romanian, is written by Stefan Popenici and Kieran Egan. It examines the astonishing rise in diagnosing so many children as suffering from Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder. The book provides a critique of the widespread use of this designation, and explores the degree to which imaginative education might provide a better prescription for many children.

Next Fall Event - Nov 16 by tmartin — last modified 2007-11-02 17:02

We are pleased to have Kathryn Ricketts join us. She is working hard to plan our fall and spring seminar events and here are the initial results of all that work!

"You are now leaving Flatland... by tmartin — last modified 2007-10-26 12:40

"You are now leaving Flatland. Why we need imagination in education" is a short article written by IERG Australian Associates, Drs. Robert Fitzgerald and Thomas Nielsen and their PhD student, Bronwen Haralambousin.

Educational Change on Haida Gwaii by tmartin — last modified 2007-10-16 16:52

"Islands on the Edge: Science, Culture, and the Politics of Educational Change on Haida Gwaii" is a public talk that will be presented by Dr. Mark Fettes on October 25th.

Romanian Conference on Imaginative Education Video Online by shannah — last modified 2007-10-13 17:27

Our Romanian-speaking associates may be interested to see video of a recent International conference on imaginative education and inclusive strategies for students with ADHD.

New book by IERG associate by shannah — last modified 2007-10-16 15:32

Dr. James McKernan has recently published a radical book about curriculum that departs from old models and focuses on students' imaginations, creativity, and understanding. `

Intake for 2008 Masters Program by tmartin — last modified 2007-09-11 18:07

The deadline for the next intake is February 15, 2008. This MEd is set up as a Coursework/Comprehensive Exam program over two years.

2007 Conference by shannah — last modified 2007-08-13 23:56

We had over 400 people attend what most declared to have been our best conference yet!

IERG in Georgian by shannah — last modified 2007-08-23 14:18

For those who read and speak Georgian (this is not a joke about the U.S. State!) you may like to see, and download for use if you wish, a PowerPoint presentation about Imaginative Education.

Pre-conference workshop by shannah — last modified 2007-08-21 17:24

This year we again had around 20 people attend our pre-conference workshop. These workshops are designed for people who want to get a deeper understanding of Imaginative Education, and skill in both teaching with it and also in giving workshops themselves. If you think this kind of enhanced competence in using IE might interest you, sign up for the pre-conference workshop next year. Frank Baumann, Tannis Calder, Kieran Egan, Rod McKellar, and Kym Stewart all helped to make this year’s workshop a rich event.

Workshop for Corbett school district by shannah — last modified 2007-08-07 22:28

Three members of the IERG, Tannis Calder, Kieran Egan, and Caitlyn James recently offered a three day workshop for teachers in the Corbett school district, in Oregan

Teaching 360° by shannah — last modified 2007-08-07 22:22

We are happy to announce that a book of essays, titled Teaching 360°: Engaging learners’ imaginations, will be published by Sense Publishers in 2008

Culture in the Classroom - LUCID by tmartin — last modified 2007-05-24 12:29

The LUCID project was featured prominently at "Culture in the Classroom," a professional development conference hosted by Prince Rupert on April 27 and 28. More than 400 teachers, administrators, and trustees from around the province took part.

Teaching and Learning Outside the Box by shannah — last modified 2007-05-24 12:31

We are pleased to announce publication of Teaching and Learning Outside the Box: Inspiring imagination across the curriculum. This book originated in an early meeting of the IERG, during which someone recommended that we should compose a volume that would give an account of our ideas about imagination and its role in education.

CBC Education Forum Highlights Imagination, Community by vchunga — last modified 2007-04-16 08:40

The director of the LUCID project, Dr. Mark Fettes, was one of the featured panellists on a two-hour CBC Radio forum on Friday, March 30th, focusing on the future of education in British Columbia.

Educational Perspectives by shannah — last modified 2007-04-13 14:41

We are pleased to announce that the next issue of the journal Educational Perspectives will be a special issue devoted to Imaginative Education.

The new Brief Guide to Imaginative Education by shannah — last modified 2007-04-13 14:46

If you would like copies of the Brief Guide, just let us know: ierg-ed@sfu.ca.

Kym Stewart's Research Receives Media Attention by shannah — last modified 2007-03-27 23:21

She was the focus of a Burnaby Now! Article. The article described Kym’s media awareness project, conducted in partnership with a Burnaby teacher. Kym hopes to raise grade 3 students’ awareness of the unacknowledged power of advertising in their lives through an engaging “media detectives” unit.

Imaginative Education: Provoking Excellence Across the Curriculum by shannah — last modified 2007-04-24 14:20

Registration is now open for this, our 5th International Conference on Imagination and Education. Occurring during the conference will be our 2nd Annual Research Symposium on Imaginative Education as well as a Special Session by Dr. Mark Fettes and his team reporting on results from the LUCID project (http://www.ierg.net/LUCID).

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants funding to ierg by shannah — last modified 2007-04-13 14:36

The Imaginative Education Research Group has received a Developmental Grant from the International Opportunities Fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Teaching Literacy: Engaging the imagination of new readers and writers by Steve Hannah — last modified 2007-03-27 22:16

Corwin Press has recently published Kieran Egan's Teaching Literacy: Engaging the imagination of new readers and writers.

Falling through Autumn with Imagination by Steve Hannah — last modified 2006-11-07 17:20

 

Announcing the 5th International Conference on Imagination and Education by Steve Hannah — last modified 2007-04-13 13:51

Imaginative Education: Provoking Excellence Across the Curriculum Wednesday, July 18th through Saturday, July 21st, 2007 Coast Plaza Hotel at Stanley Park, in Vancouver, Canada