ENHANCING CREATIVITY IN A CLASSROOM AND BLENDED LEARNING SETTING
Course
Enhancing creativity in a classroom and blended learning
OFFER | ENHANCING CREATIVITY IN A CLASSROOM AND BLENDED LEARNING SETTING
A practical method for designing creative projects with students
Enhancing Creativity is a course dedicated to helping teachers, educators and their students learn how to plan and run creative processes, find creative solutions to educational challenges, and increase overall creativity. We use the Design Thinking Method, which has been successfully utilised in a wide variety of sectors all over the world and is constantly being developed. We chose Design Thinking because it is a very dynamic and human-centred approach to learning, cooperating and problem solving. It can be flexibly implemented in an educational environment, serving equally well as a framework for course design or a structured framework for identifying challenges, developing potential solutions, refining and testing ideas.
During the course, you will get to know and experience all stages of the process: empathy, needs identification, ideas generation, prototyping and testing. You will gain knowledge about Design Thinking good practices, but also to experience tools and methods used in each Design Thinking stage. To make each stage even more useful for teachers and educators, we developed a series of simple and effective exercises aimed at keeping the creative juices flowing both in the classroom and in one’s personal life.
The pandemic has forced us to embrace online learning. Design Thinking provides us with the opportunity to design new ways of working with students remotely. It is a method used by creative industries who have been pioneering online work for years, and we can use and adapt this knowledge to enrich online learning. Through this course, participants will develop Design Thinking skills that they can use within their teaching to create new solutions and tools.
Enhancing Creativity course is a professional development course for teachers from all over the world, creating a unique experience that combines learning, experiencing creative flow, and networking with peers from different nations and backgrounds. We are aware that teachers spend so much of their time encouraging and supporting their students and forget to nurture themselves! Enhancing Creativity course devotes time to techniques in mindfulness, self-nurturing, curiosity. Creativity is born in an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort. The participants will be exposed to different types of icebreakers and energisers, including outdoor challenges.
For whom?
This course is for European managers, coordinators and administrators, trainers, teachers, and other educators.
What do we expect from participants:
- English level – communicative / intermediate 60%
- Physical fitness – you enjoy gentle physical activity, such as cycling and hiking 40%
- Good attitude and openness 🙂 90%
ENHANCING CREATIVITY IN A CLASSROOM AND BLENDED LEARNING SETTING
A practical method for designing creative projects with students
Enhancing Creativity is a course dedicated to helping teachers, educators and their students learn how to plan and run creative processes, find creative solutions
to educational challenges, and increase overall creativity. We use the Design Thinking Method, which has been successfully utilised in a wide variety of sectors all over the world and is constantly being developed. We chose Design Thinking because it is a very dynamic and human-centred approach to learning, cooperating and problem solving. It can be flexibly implemented in an educational environment, serving equally well as a framework for course design or a structured framework for identifying challenges, developing potential solutions, refining and testing ideas.
During the course, you will get to know and experience all stages of the process: empathy, needs identification, ideas generation, prototyping and testing. You will gain knowledge about Design Thinking good practices, but also to experience tools and methods used in each Design Thinking stage. To make each stage even more useful for teachers and educators, we developed a series of simple and effective exercises aimed at keeping the creative juices flowing both in the
classroom and in one’s personal life. The pandemic has forced us to embrace online learning. Design Thinking provides us with the opportunity to design new ways of working with students remotely. It is a method used by creative industries who have been pioneering online work for years, and we can use and adapt this knowledge to enrich online learning. Through this course, participants will develop Design Thinking skills that they can use within their teaching to create new solutions and tools.
Enhancing Creativity course is a professional development course for teachers from all over the world, creating a unique experience that combines learning, experiencing creative flow, and networking with peers from different nations and backgrounds. We are aware that teachers spend so much of their time encouraging and supporting their students and forget to nurture themselves! Enhancing Creativity course devotes time to techniques in mindfulness, self-nurturing, curiosity. Creativity is born in an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort. The participants will be exposed to different types of icebreakers and energisers, including outdoor challenges.
For whom?
This course is for European managers, coordinators and administrators, trainers, teachers, and other educators.
What do we expect from participants:
- English level – communicative / intermediate 60%
- Physical fitness – you enjoy gentle physical activity, such as cycling and hiking 40%
- Good attitude and openness 🙂 90%
Locations and dates
Killary Lodge, Derrynacleigh, Leenane, Ireland
Date: contact marzena@m-powered.eu
Course fee: €490
We run many of our courses in this amazing location on the west coast of Ireland. It’s called Killary Lodge. It is a brand-new villa, just 250 m from the waters of Killary Fjord, in the heart of Ireland’s stunning Wild Atlantic Way. Killary Lodge is situated in a nature lover’s paradise. There are numerous walks and hikes nearby, in the mountains, through forests, trails and beaches, as well as endless cycling routes and lots of swimming options, both in the fjord and at nearby beaches. Connemara National Park is just 15km away.
Krakow, Poland
Date: contact marzena@m-powered.eu
Course fee: €490
Erasmus+ client support
Erasmsus+ programme can cover all of the associated costs (travel, course fees) allowing your organisation to participate FOR FREE in this course!
Writing a successful project application is not easy. Our team of experienced project writers would like to support you. Completing the application process with our assistance is much easier than doing it on your own, guaranteeing you a higher success rate of being approved for funding.
Read about our SUPPORT here.
M-Powered PIC number: 915657982
OID code: E10172805
The course price includes
37 hours of workshops and teambuilding activities run by experienced trainers (in Ireland or Poland)
The opportunity to practice moderating and using various tools including Design Thinking to work with a group
Welcome package “I’m M-Powered” worth €19,99 (a towel, a notebook and a bag) + maps of the course place
Course programme
The programme may change, according to the weather, participants’ requirements, or other issues. The participants will receive a detailed programme a month before the course.
Day 1 – Sunday
Duration of activities: 3 h
| 4:00 pm | Arrival to Killary Lodge and room allocation |
| 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Welcoming session |
| 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Sauna on the beach & a swim in the Killary fjord |
Day 2 – Monday
Duration of activities: 8 h
| 7:30 am – 8:00 am | Guided meditation (optional) |
| 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Breakfast |
| 09:00 am – 1:00 pm | Diamond Hill hike, Connemara National Park |
| 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Workshop: Who are we and why are we here? – Getting to know each other, integration through meaningful and creative exercise and group work. – Creating a positive learning space and atmosphere. – Introduction to the creative approach towards problem solving based on the Design Thinking method. |
| 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Break |
| 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm | Workshop: – Design Thinking benefits and good practices. – Creativity in online education |
Day 3 – Tuesday
Duration of activities: 8 h
| 8:30 am – 9:00 am | Guided meditation (optional) |
| 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Breakfast |
| 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Teambuilding outdoor activity session: Killary High Ropes Course |
| 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Workshop: How to boost creativity? – Getting over fear of creativity in problem solving. |
| 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Break |
| 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm | Workshop: Finding creative inspiration – Empathy as a way of finding inspiration for problem solving. – Learning and experiencing different tools for starting the creative process, including online resources and opportunities. |
Day 4 – Wednesday
Duration of activities: 8 h
| 8:30 am – 9:00 am | Guided meditation (optional) |
| 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Breakfast |
| 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Teambuilding outdoor activity session: Bushcraft |
| 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Workshop: Developing and motivating creative work: – Effective brainstorming and other methods of ideating. – Exercises, icebreakers and energisers for overcoming creative blocks. – Creating a creativity-friendly space and atmosphere. – Mural.com and Jamboard as online tools supporting the brainstorming process. |
| 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Break |
| 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm | Warkshop: Pathways for successful creative problem solving: – The art of prototyping. – The three dimensions of prototyping and creative work. – Choosing the right idea for problem solving. – The art of giving and receiving feedback. – Using Google Forms for online evaluation. |
Day 5 – Thursday
Duration of activities: 8,5 h
| 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Guided meditation (optional) |
| 8:30 am – 9:30 am | Breakfast |
| 9:30 am – 1:00 pm | Teambuilding outdoor activity session: “Famine trail’ (hike along the Killary fjord) & sheepdog demonstration |
| 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Break |
| 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Workshop: Transforming creative ideas into real actions: – Planning the implementation of creative solutions. – Risk management in implementation. |
| 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Break |
| 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Workshop: – Reflection: How do I use the course outcomes in my work as an educator? Certificates ceremony and celebration! |
Day 6 – Friday
Duration of activities: 2 h
| 9:00 am – 10:00 am | Breakfast |
| 10:00 am – 12:00 noon | Reflection & evaluation |
| 12:30 noon | Departure Killary Lodge |
| 2:00 pm | Galway |
The programme may change, according to the weather, participants’ requirements, or other issues. The participants will receive a detailed programme a month before the course.
Day 1 – Monday
Duration of activities: 8 h
| 9:00 am – 10:30 am | Welcome session |
| 10:30 pm – 12:30 noon | Workshop: Who are we and why are we here? – Getting to know each other, integration through meaningful and creative exercise and group work. – Creating a positive learning space and atmosphere. – Introduction to the creative approach towards problem solving based on the Design Thinking method. |
| 12:30 noon – 1:30 pm | Lunch |
| 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm | Workshop: – Design Thinking benefits and good practices. – Creativity in online education. |
| 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Free time |
| 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Guided walking tour of the Old Town and Krakow Christmas Market |
| 7:00 pm | Dinner in the Old Town |
Day 2 – Tuesday
Duration of activities: 8 h
| 9:00 am – 12:00 noon | Art Workshop: How to boost creativity? |
| 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Workshop: Finding creative inspiration – Getting over fear of creativity in problem solving. – Empathy as a way of finding inspiration for problem solving. – Learning and experiencing different tools for starting the creative process, including online resources and opportunities. |
Day 3 – Wednesday
Duration of activities: 8 h
Workshop and sightseeing in Wieliczka or Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
| 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Transport to Wieliczka or Bochnia Royal Salt Mines |
| 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Sightseeing in the salt mine |
| 11:00 pm – 12:00 noon | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Workshop (organised in a conference room at the mine) |
| 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Transport back to Krakow |
Day 4 – Thursday
Duration of activities: 8,5 h
| 9:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Workshop & lunch Pathways for successful creative problem solving: – The art of prototyping. – The three dimensions of prototyping and creative work. – Choosing the right idea for problem solving. – The art of giving and receiving feedback. – Using Google Forms for online evaluation. |
| 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Workshop in the Museum of Contemporary Art |
Day 5 – Friday
Duration of activities: 7 h
| 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm | Workshop: Transforming creative ideas into real actions: – Planning the implementation of creative solutions. – Risk management in implementation. – Reflection: How do I use the course outcomes in my work as an educator? |
| 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Certificate ceremony and celebration! Reflections and course evaluation |
Course details – travel, food, accommodation and outdoor activities
TRAVEL
The best way to get to Killary Lodge is to fly to Dublin Airport (ideally on Sunday morning). From the airport, you can take one of the buses to Galway: Citylink or GoBus. The journey takes around 2.5 to 3 hours.
We organise transport from Galway to Killary Lodge. It takes around 1.5 hours and costs approx €15.00 one way (you can pay the driver or he can send you an invoice). We’ll book a driver when all the participants confirm the time of their arrival.So, please, let us know as soon as you book your flights.
The course starts on Sunday evening with a welcoming dinner and finishes on Friday around noon.
You will leave Killary Lodge on Friday afternoon. The best option is to book a flight home on Saturday. You can also stay an extra night in Galway (which we recommend!) or in Dublin. If you would like to do some sightseeing, we recommend visiting the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. You can book a bus day trip from Galway.
ACCOMMODATION
The course is organised in Killary Lodge. All participants and trainers will stay in this villa.
The lodge features a beautiful, fully equipped kitchen with a large dining area. There is also a stylish lounge, which opens out onto an extensive outdoor area. The lounge has 3 large couches and plenty of comfortable chairs so there is plenty of space for everyone to sit and socialise. Further seating is available in the adjacent reception room.
Each of the 10 spacious bedrooms are individually designed with bespoke features. All bedrooms are en-suite with bathrooms equipped with rainforest showers. Most bedrooms are very flexible in their configuration; some can be set up as twin or king rooms, others have bespoke fold down beds or wooden bed pods. These pods give great privacy and some of them are bunk pods, which are always a huge hit with kids and adults alike!
Price (5 nights’ accommodation + food + outdoor activities):
- € 490 if sharing a room with 2-4 other participants
- € 560 for single room allocation
FOOD
Nutrition is essential for our bodies and minds to work properly. In Connemara, you’ll eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, and fish. Our delicious dinners will be cooked by Kim and Reinaldo, a couple who run a food truck called Misunderstood Heron, which was recently named one of the 10 Coolest Food Trucks in the World by the Lonely Planet travel guides!
The price of meals (3 meals per day) is included in the accommodation price.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
We always combine physical activity into our courses. We adapt outdoor activities to participants’ fitness level. Proposed activities are:
- Hiking along the Killary Fjord and watching a sheepdog demonstration
- Cycling in Connemara to Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Gardens
- Stretching exercises
- Climbing
WHAT TO BRING
- Comfortable clothes
- Warm and waterproof clothing for hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities
- Waterproof shoes
- Hair dryer (if you need one)
- Favourite snacks and a bottle of wine if you like (the nearest shop is 5 km from the Lodge!)
- Swimwear (On the first evening, we organise a sauna session on the beach with a swim in the fjord. This activity is optional.)
You can read more about the venue, environment, and our approach in one of our blog articles. You can also find photographs of previous workshops on our blog.
TRAVEL AND ATTRACTIONS
Most people travelling to Krakow will arrive at John Paul II International Airport (KRK). It lies 15km outside the city centre, a mere 20-minute train ride. However, some airlines still serve Katowice Airport (KTW), roughly 100km away.
Once you fly to Krakow airport (KRK), taking the train is the fastest way to reach the city centre. It is a 20-minute ride. Taxis, Ubers, and private drivers will drive you to the centre in about 35 minutes. Public buses usually take 50 minutes to reach the main station (they have many stops along the way). The cost of getting from the Airport to the city centre varies from 4 zł (PLN) for a public bus, up to 100 zł (PLN) for a taxi.
Krakow is a very walkable city so, once you arrive, consider exploring on foot instead of via bus and tram. See a guide to Getting Around In Krakow for more details.
If you would like to stay a couple more days in Krakow, we recommend to visit:
- Wieliczka Salt Mine
- Wawel Royal Castle
- Schindler’s Factory
- Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps
ACCOMMODATION
There are a lot of hotels and apartments in Krakow. You can book your accommodation on one any hotel website, such as www.booking.com or www.trivago.com. If you are not sure how far your hotel will be from the course venue, please get in touch with us at marzena@m-powered.eu . We will be happy to help!
FOOD
Nutrition is essential for our bodies and minds to work properly. In Krakow, we will bring you to restaurants where you’ll be able to order healthy lunches and dinners. We will also provide healthy and tasty snacks to keep you energised during the workshops and coffee breaks.
Lunches will be served in a nearby restaurant. Each participant will pay for themselves (an average lunch price is €5 – €8). We’ll also organise one big group dinner on Monday to show you one of our favourite Krakow restaurants (average dinner price is €15 – €20).
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
We always combine physical activity into our courses. We adapt outdoor activities to participants’ fitness level. Proposed activities are:
- Walking tour of Krakow Old Town
- In warm months (April-September), cycling to a Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec (13km one way along the Vistula River on a cycle path)
- In cold months (October – March), walking tours of the famous salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia
WHAT TO BRING
- Comfortable clothes
- You can buy almost anything you need in Poland cheaply as it is a reasonably priced country, so the golden rule is to always pack less! Bigger supermarkets are open late, even 24 hours (although shops are closed on Sundays). You can also rely on the Żabka chain of convenience stores from roughly 6am – 11pm daily.
- You do not need a lot of toiletries – Toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, soap, razors and deodorant are available in every ‘drogeria’ at roughly the same price as in other European countries. Look for a branch of Rossmann, Natura or Biedronka.
MONEY IN POLAND
- Poland’s currency is the złoty, abbreviated to zł or PLN.
- Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards are widely accepted in Polish shops and ATMs (‘bankomat’).
- A couple of museums are cash only and it useful to carry coins for public toilets and snacks from street vendors. In some restaurants, you can only tip staff with cash. However,the vast majority of places will accept a debit or credit card as well as contactless payment.
- A general rule of thumb is to buy roughly 300zł (about €70) at home and bring it with you as backup. You can always get more from an ATM.
Trainers
Marzena Wieczorek
Project Management and Design Thinking Trainer
Kasia Piecuch
Design Thinking Certified Moderator
Methodology: minimum PowerPoint presentation – maximum practice
David A. Kolb
We truly believe in this statement and we design our courses based on a methodology called the Kolb’s cycle. According to Kolb, effective learning happens when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages:
- having a concrete experience followed by
- observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to
- the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalisations (conclusions) which are then
- used to test hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences
Benefits
• Competences to conduct creative workshops on and offline.
• Competences to stimulate and moderate creativity among students.
• Specific tools for carrying out each stage of the Design Thinking process.
• The opportunity to practice moderating and using various tools including Design Thinking to work with a group.
• Increased opportunities for professional and career development.
• Improved English language competences.
• Increased motivation and satisfaction in daily work.
• Wider European network.
• Personal development.
What others say
The Design Thinking workshop moderated by M-Powered trainers helped our Foundation to define and shape ideas on how to further develop the art and music festivals that we organise in Krakow, Poland. The workshop made us realise that even the most complex idea can be divided into prime factors. Thanks to good planning combined with hard work, success is at our fingertips.
We really appreciate the impeccable professionalism and skills of both Kasia and Marzena from M-Powered, who quickly developed this workshop for us. From the beginning to the end, I felt that the workshop was inspiring for all participants. All I can do is to wish the M-Powered team every success in their future projects! I fully recommend the M-Powered team as highly professional Design Thinking trainers.
