overcoming barriers to creative teenage group success
DESCRIPTION
This slideshare is the story of one educator's learning about what really gets in the way of successful group creativity for teens. Teens have a tough time. I know: I was one once! At a time when their intellectual focus is critical to their future success, hormones and social pressures make this very difficult. A few years ago I discovered that, if I ignored these pressures, I could prevent some pupils from achieving. Conversely, when I changed the way I facilitated creative projects to accommodate thinking about teams and emotional intelligence, alongside the subject-based skills and learning of the individual project, I began to see surprising results. The learning that came from this is now being applied in a new project-learning programme for schools. Enjoy the slideshow.TRANSCRIPT
BARRIERS
Castle Walls © Bill C Martin 2009
To Group Music Success with 11-18s
...and how to overcome
them
Berlin 1989. Photo: Gavin Andrew Stewart via Creative Commons
Teenage groups have always been based
on:
age
Blue Candles on Birthday Cake. Photo: Joey Gannon via Creative Commons
abilityPhoto © Bill C Martin, Schools Prom 2009
friendship groups
& in music: genre/ensemble
Photo © Bill C Martin, National Festival of Music For Youth 2009
But there’s aPROBLEM:
In his work with teenage composing & performing groups, since 1989, music educator Bill Martin has noticed that...
Pupils are often reticent
to engage fully with creative group tasks
Pupils are often reticent to engage fully with creative group tasks
HYPOTHESIS:
In extended group work...
...it can be too challenging, personally,
to take creative risks
WHY?
Able students can gain peer approval
when they perform(low social risk)
Photo: © Bill C Martin 2009
Uncertainty in creative group work means:
Risk of losing status
Photo: Graeme Maclean via Creative Commons
That’s why both able & less able
pupils may lack confidence to take creative risks
The Social Risks
are just too great
The Social Risks
Photo: © Bill C Martin 2011, Holmfirth High School, parental permission obtained
Friendship groups? They seem safer
but...
Many are based on similar personalities,
tastes & preferences
Those similarities can cause
territorial rivalries & clashes
during concentrated projects
THE CHALLENGE
How can we minimise social/personal
obstacles to musical group success?
MODELS FROM BUSINESS
Including: Meredith Belbin's work on management teams
And:Daniel Goleman's work on emotional intelligence
Meredith Belbin’s book: 'Management Teams: Why They Succeed or
Fail'www.belbin.com
Belbin identifies:
Belbin identifies:9 team roles in successful
teams
Most successful teams:
1 team role = 1 person
Most successful teams:
1 team role = 1 person
No roles duplicated
Most successful teams:
Belbin's original workwas with adults.
Belbin's original workwas with adults.
In his PRS Composer-in-Education work (1989-93) Bill first tried a light-touch version (11-18s)
Just 5 team roles, equivalent to:
He formed some groups using team role preferences
In later projects he also used an emotional intelligence
audit (Goleman)
http://danielgoleman.info
to help young people improve their
personal/social skills
& increase personal
attainment in group work
Together, this changed
Everything!
Regardless of pupils' musical or academic ability...
Regardless of pupils' musical or academic ability...
…having sole responsibility for a
team role increased confidence
Regardless of pupils' musical or academic ability...
Pupils felt safer to contribute creative musical ideas
More pupils felt better able to:
More pupils felt better able to:
Take creative personal risks
More pupils felt better able to:
Take creative personal risks
Support others' ideas without judgement
More pupils felt better able to:
Take creative personal risks
Support others' ideas without judgement
Build rapport
More pupils felt better able to:
Take creative personal risks
Support others' ideas without judgement
Build rapport
Take pride in own team responsibilities
More pupils felt better able to:
Take creative personal risks
Support others' ideas without judgement
Build rapport
Take pride in own team responsibilities
Contribute musically without fear
Academically less able pupils became more engaged
Academically less able pupils became more engaged
More able pupils found it safer
to venture creative/risky ideas
BILL’S REALISATION
“I had prevented some pupils from achieving...
“I had prevented some pupils from achieving...
when I didn't attend to non-musical obstacles
to engagement”
THE RESPONSE? (c 2013)
To work with schools & young people to
explore & develop ways to:
1. Increase pupil engagement2. Raise pupils’ attainment
…through collaborative groups
in authentic music-focussed projects
THE RESULT?
A partnership project between Bill C Martin &
Elsium Solutions
A schools' project in which pupils:
Design, Curate,
& Performmusic events.
Where music is the vehicle for a range of
learning
Where music is the vehicle for a range of
learning(not just music)
Where young people can develop the skills to
overcome personal barriers to success
A partnership project between Bill C Martin & Elsium Solutions
THE STRUCTURE
4 strands:
4 strands:1. Musical communication
4 strands:2. Team/interpersonal skills
4 strands:3. Technical
4 strands:4. Staff CPD - covering everything
1. Musical communication
2. Team/interpersonal skills
3. Technical
4. Staff CPD
iPads are used:
As musical instruments(alongside other instruments
& voices)
& to create video learning diaries
& document the work
THE GOAL
To increase engagement &
individual success
THE STRATEGY
Focus on:team roles, emotional intelligence & communication skills...
Focus on:team roles, emotional intelligence & communication skills to...
overcome barriers to full engagement
in the music & in other project teams
Options
1dayWeekend
3 days5 days
1 term2 terms3 terms
Shorter programmes focus more on music & iPads
Longer programmes also develop team skills &
emotional competences
CHOOSE FROM:
Schools seeking improved pupil attainment or cultural change...
Schools seeking improved pupil attainment or cultural change...
...should choose programmes
lasting 5 days or more
