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Video of trouble with the police - A School Social Invention Workshop The Book of Visions - An Encyclopaedia of Social Inventions, 15 July, 2002 http://www.globalideasbank.org/BOV/BV-40.HTML
School Social Invention Workshops The Institute for Social Inventions has for over four years now been running social invention workshops in state schools. The formula is very simple: a class (of any ages from 7 to 18) is allocated a budget of up to L25 to spend on a project of their own devising that will benefit either the school or the local community, with the project to be completed within one term of weekly two-hour sessions. In session 1 pupils look at problems in their school, neighbourhood and own personal lives, selecting one or two problems to focus on. In session 2, they are taught 'brainstorming' as a way of coming up with as imaginative as possible ways of tackling these problems. In session 3, they draw up an action and evaluation plan, so that they will know at the end of the term to what extent they have succeeded, according to their own criteria. Thereafter, the pupils carry out their plan, sometimes working hard between sessions, and often ending up with striking projects. The following items describe some of the workshops.
Video of trouble with the police - A report from schools workshop leader Karen Chessell Ten non-academic fourteen year olds in my social inventions workshop at Raines Foundation School, Bethnal Green, were encouraged to brainstorm on problems to do with school, the community and their personal lives. Two major problems areas were identified: experiencing school as a 'prison' and getting into trouble, especially with the police. Further brainstorming for solutions to these problems produced the idea of going out of the school and making a drama documentary film that could be used to teach younger children how not to get into trouble. Under my guidance and that of their teacher Carolyn Hallohan, the pupils set about outlining a film script and enlisting information and help from relevant sources. A video camera was organised by one of the pupils. Welfare Education Officer, Mr Waters, gave valuable preliminary information on legal aspects of juvenile crime and also accepted an acting role as social worker. Sergeant Jackie Hunt and PC Russell Taylor from the Bethnal Green Police Station not only agreed to come to talk to the class but also to take part in the dramatised 'arrest' scene complete with police van and its flashing lights. Furthermore, they arranged for the use of the Arbours Street Magistrates Court so that scenes in the charge room, courts and cells could be shot. Five of the pupils proved themselves to be 'naturals' as actors, doing justice to the work the whole class put into ideas for plot, location-hunting, music and artwork. The film is scheduled to be screened to other classes, with money from donations going to a local detention centre. - 'Social Invention Workshops - A manual' designed for teachers or other group leaders, is available from the Institute for Social Inventions, 6 Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, London N4 2BT (tel 020 7359 8391; fax 020 7354 3831) for £2-50. The Institute pays for and provides Social Invention Workshop leaders for state schools, mainly in the London region. The Book of Visions - An Encyclopaedia of Social Innovations. Edited by Nicholas Albery. The Book of Visions encyclopaedia was first published in Great Britain in 1992 by Virgin Books an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd. The material was collected, typeset, laid out and reprinted in 1995 by Institute for Social Inventions, 20 Heber Road, London NW2 6AA Copyright © Institute for Social Inventions 1992 |
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Further information about Raine's Foundation School today can be found at: www.rainesfoundation.org.uk
Further information about The Old Raineians' Association can be found at: www.oldraineians.com
Further information about individual Old Raineians, including their memories of the school and their teachers, a message board, a list of famous pupils and some school photographs, can be found at: www.friendsreunited.co.uk
