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Project-Based Approaches toTeaching & Learning in Scottish

PrisonsKirsten Sams: Manager, Offender Learning and Skills


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Summary

Background why the focus on project-

based learning?

Principles of Project Based Learning

Some Examples

Discussion/Questions


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Background

Inspiring Change/Desistance

Theory

Curriculum for Excellence

Active Literacy It works!


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Inspiring ChangeMajor investment by Creative Scotland to test power of the arts toengage prisoners in learning/

Aims:

stimulate offenders engagement with learning,

improve literacy skills, and

demonstrate the potential of the arts to support theprocess of rehabilitation.


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Inspiring Change In summary, our linking of the literature on arts in prisons with the

literature on adult learning suggests that participating in the arts mayenable prisoners to better engage in learning, particularly in terms ofimproving their literacy skills, by helping to change negative attitudesto education throu g h p ro v id ing c on textual ised a c t iv i ties that areinte re st ing a nd fun, in which literacy skills are used in ways that arevery different from those experienced at school; by building on andextending the knowledge and skills that offenders already have and

helping them to progress; b y p rov id ing a ra ng e o f d iffe rent a c t iv i tiesthat ena b les p eo p le to w ork to their st ren g ths in c ol la b o ra t ion w iththe i r p ee rs; a nd b y inc rea sing c onf id enc e a nd se l f-e stee m throug h

inc rea sing sk i lls a nd en c ou ra g ing soc ia l intera c t ion throu g h wo rk ing

tog ether on a b sorb ing p ro jec ts.


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Desistance

In defining or conceptualising desistance, some have suggested

that there is a difference between primary desistance,meaning a lull or crime-free gap in a criminal career, andsec ond a ry d esista nc e, meaning a change in the way that anex-offender sees him or herself (Maruna and Farrall, 2004).Essentially, secondary desistance is about c ea sing to see one ssel f a s a n o ffend er and find ing a m o re p o sitive id en tity ; it isabout successfully peeling off the criminal label that criminal

justice systems are so effective at applying.


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Desistance

Since desistance is about discovering agency,

interventions need to encourage and respect self-determination; this means working withoffendersnot onthem

(McCulloch, 2005; McNeill, 2006).


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Desistance The nature of imprisonment itself seems to run against the grain of

desistance b y l im it ing a g en c y a nd resp on sib ility, delayingmaturation, damaging soc ial ties (and sometimes building anti- social

ones) and cementing criminalised identities., where imprisonmentis necessary the challenge is to create whole regimes (not just formaloffender management or resettlement processes) that fo ster hop e ,m ot iva t ion a nd resp on sib ility , that ma inta in and d e ve lop p osit ive

so c ial ties(and that enhance offenders personal capacities tosustain positive roles and relationships, for example as parents), andthat help to build new pro-soc ial identities and social networks andcontexts in which these new identities can be embedded, nurturedand sustained.


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Curriculum for Excellence

The purpose of the curriculum is encapsulated in the four

capac i t i e s- to enable each child or young person to bea suc c essful le a rne r, a c onfide nt ind ivid ua l, a re sp onsib lec itizen a nd a n e ffec tive c ont rib u tor.

The curriculum aims to ensure that all children and youngpeople in Scotland develop the knowledge, skills and

attributes they will need if they are to flourish in life,learning and work, now and in the future.


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Active Literacy

Active Literacy is an ambitious primary school

programme, developed by North LanarkshireCouncil that aims to support improvements inliteracy and pupils participation in learning. Theapproach is child-centred and highly participative.

Evaluation has noted significant improvements inreading age (5 months ahead of control group)


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Active Literacy

As part of the Active Literacy programme everyprimary one pupil in North Lanarkshire was given awhiteboard and magnetic letters to aid theirreading development.

The scheme was a move away from traditionaldesk-based learning with an emphasis on working in

groups and the children talking to their peers,teachers and parents about the books they werereading.


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It Works!

The Prison

Long sessions High turnover

The Prisoner Group

Different levels of ability

Learning difficulties

Limited life experience

Boredom


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The Key Principles

Public exhibition or presentation (drives up

standards and raises awareness of key stakeholdersof the good work going on in the learning centres)

Multiple drafts learning to improve work accepting failure without being discouraged

Peer critique immensely valuable in building trustand respect among learners and engagingeveryone in the project/learning (be kind, specificand helpful)


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Key Principles

Is the Project:

Placed is it located in a place that is important to students

(e.g. their home, community, town, city or virtualenvironment?)

Purposeful will it result in a product, service or body ofknowledge that others will make use of?

Pervasive will students be sufficiently engaged in the projects

that theyll volunatarily want to take the learning outside (thelearning centre)

Passion led does it tap into students passions?


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Key Principles

Decide what you want your students to learn and

work backwards (learning goals and a plan forassessing them)

Make contact with people/agencies who can help(bring the outside in)

Fill out a project plan timelines/ whats flexible whats not

Monitoring and evaluation


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Examples:

Prison Arts Magazine:High Quality Prison Magazine

Challenge prisoners to stretch themselves aim high

Develop a range of skills introduce agency

Make public aware of positive work that happens in prisons

Raise awareness among prisoners of arts projects in thecommunity/ support transition

Encourage dialogue between prisoners and the arts in society


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Examples: Hidden City

Aims:

To engage prisoners in a literacy/creative writing c lass

To build their skills in other areas (animation, history, social andpolitical issues)

To help with speech and language problems (performanceelement)

To build confidence

To link them with the community Hidden City has been donewith non prisoner groups

To provide them with tangible evidence of their learning


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Hidden City

http://vimeo.com/37614795
http://vimeo.com/37614795http://vimeo.com/37614795http://vimeo.com/37614795http://vimeo.com/37614795


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Examples: Calendar

Aims:

To link art and literacy in the curriculum To encourage prisoners (and staff) to work together

To produce something useful which also highlightsthe good work of the learning centres

To encourage collaborative work across a numberof prisons


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Project Working: Benefits Higher (more sustained) levels of engagement

Develops whole person

Encourages interaction between prisoners

Broadens horizons

Offers opportunities to link learning to families andcommunities

Gives prisoners a tangible output something thatdemonstrates their achievement and can be part ofa cv


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Project Working: Disadvantages

Resource intensive

Requires planning and collaboration

Perceptions of prison

Not always easy to engage all staff/ can causedivisions in the staffroom

Training & Support for Staff


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More information

Kirsten Sams

Manager, Offender Learning & SkillsMotherwell College

1 Enterprise Way

Motherwell

ML1 2TX

Email: [email protected]


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Questions

?

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