(Newswire.net — May 7, 2015) Singapore, Singapore — What is your creative outlet? Reading? Writing? Cooking? Art? The iCreate Conference on January 23 and 24 at Singapore American School was a great opportunity for attendees to get in touch with their creative side and learn how valuable a creative approach can be in childhood education. With a variety of presenters including Candace Fleming, Kim Gruia, Alvin Pang, and SAS faculty members, among others, the iCreate Conference offered information about creativity in a variety of mediums and how it can be applied in a classroom setting.
No matter where your creative passion lies, there was something for everyone at this year’s iCreate Conference at Singapore American School. The presenters came from a variety of creative fields including; writing, poetry, art, and more. Attendees learned what creativity looks like and received practical advice on how to be more creative. Through a variety of activities and topics, the participants learned how to teach creativity in the classroom.
Among the presenters were several authors, including Candace Fleming, who describes her career as an author as the “perfect way to combine all the things I love: stories, musical language, history, and reading.” Author and illustrator, Eric Rohmann, admits to not being a “big reader” as a kid, but couldn’t resist the urge to take what he saw in the world around him and tell visual stories through drawing. Says Rohmann, “My first drawings were something like stories. Little worlds populated by stick-figures on lined notebook paper. The stories were about me, my family, my pets, and usually dinosaurs. It didn’t always end well.” These authors demonstrate that creativity is a personal process, inspired by the world around us.
In addition to the amazing presenters that SAS welcomed for the conference, several of the presenters are school faculty, including Kelly McFadzen and Shaun Kirkwood. With 20 years’ experience teaching art, McFadzen hosted a workshop, Honey, I Shrunk My Art, in which participants created pocketable artwork made out of Shrinky Dinks. A regular presenter at the Asian Region Art Educators (ARARTE) College, she believes that “five minutes spent painting can turn a bad day into a good one”. Kirkwood, an EdTech Coach in the elementary program at SAS, uses iPads and other technology to foster creativity. Working with grade level teams, he helps develop activities and workflows on the popular device. His workshop, iCreate on the iPad, showed attendees how to use a variety of apps to create “simple, silly, funny, and engaging” multimedia artwork and demonstrated how the device and creations can be used in childhood education.
The iCreate Conference was a valuable opportunity to tap into one’s creative side and learn about the benefits of applying creativity in childhood education. No matter how creative you are, iCreate Conference demonstrated the value of encouraging creativity as a teaching tool.
Quote Sources:
Candace Fleming: Candacefleming.com
Eric Rohmann: Ericrohmann.com
Kelly McFadzen: SAS Website
Shaun Kirkwood: SAS Website
Image Source: SAS Website
About Singapore American School
Singapore American School (SAS) is an independent, non-profit, coeducational, college preparatory day school offering an American curriculum with an international perspective for students in preschool through grade 12. SAS has the largest Advanced Placement program outside of the United States, is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in the U.S., and offers the American High School Diploma at the senior level. Established in 1956, the school primarily serves the American and international expatriate communities of Singapore.