Trading Places/CR.E.A.T.E. Programme

Approach to Learning History

On the Introduction days in June 2003, participating artists and teachers met with the management team over two days to make acquaintance and get an introduction to the main components of the project. The training took place first at the The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, and at Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin the next day. The first presentation was by Sheelagh Dean, a specialist in history at the Southern Education and Library Board in Dungannon. She shared a toolbox for 'Creative and Critical Thinking Skills' and demonstrated how they could be used in an investigation of history and geography. She also explained how this project could fit into curriculum goals both in the north and south of Ireland.

Creative and Critical Thinking Skills Toolbox

"It's not about covering the content, it's about unvcovering the learning" - Elaine Jackson, Author of Barnaby Bear geography series

During her presentation, Sheelagh pointed out that especially with the advent of technology access to information has increased, yet the quality of learning has not. "We have to stop The Encarta Syndrome" she explained, this is when students go to a search engine and print off and hand in 60 pages of 'research'. Research needs to be focused, she advised.

In her toolbox, Sheelagh had many ways to make thinking explicit, and help focus research for students. For example, she showed how Edward De Bono's Six Hats could be applied to specific questions about Linen History. by wearing different hats, students could be shown how to look from different perspectives.

Sheelagh handed each person in the group a resource pack with references and worksheets to use in the coming project. In fact, the Kids' Own Team used one of these critical thinking tools the next day; we examined [+] Positive [-] Negative and [?] Interesting points about using new media technologies. It was a great way to get conversation started and keep it focused.

A few other points shared by Sheelagh included:

• History is about people; help the students to form a vision of a person to relate to.
• Students don't remember content, they remember context. Our job is to give them context.
• Less is more, in terms of research. Stop the Encarta Syndrome.
• Best resource in the classroom is the teacher.

See some resources available online about History of Linen in Ireland.

Visit the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.