Imaginative education in action

For more than a decade, former CIRCE Executive Director Gillian Judson has been collecting reflections and stories from teachers on the impact Imaginative Education has had on their practice. Here are a few of the pieces featured on her website imaginED: education that inspires.

The Selfish Teacher (By Christa Rawlings)

Curriculum through an imaginative lens

More insights into the diverse forms Imaginative Education can take in K-12 classrooms, in the context of particular subject areas, comes in the form of blog posts collected on the imaginED website. The curricular areas addressed there include:

Teachers studying their IE practice

Since 2003, the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University (home to the Imaginative Education Research Group and its successor CIRCE) has offered Master of Education programs with a focus on Imaginative Education. These programs have always included a significant emphasis on classroom inquiry and action research (AR), requiring students to delve deeply into their practice and to explore what happens when they engage their students’ imaginations in learning. Here is an excerpt from a letter to parents and guardians explaining the general intent of such research:

I am currently working on my Master of Education in Imaginative Education at Simon Fraser University. This program enables me to reflect on both my teaching practice and student learning with the intention of developing best practices. As part of my studies I have developed an inquiry project to examine how to document our learning. This inquiry will be based on my own observations and critical reflections to help me to assess my practice as a professional educator. Over the course of the next several months I will collect student work samples, surveys, reflections, and photographs to reflect on my practice. All elements of my inquiry will take place within the context of my normal instruction.

As all teachers (and teacher educators) know, the complexities of classroom teaching go beyond what any planning framework or curriculum theory can encompass. These AR projects illustrate the challenges and rewards of Imaginative Education in real classrooms. Their authors acknowledge the benefits of their learning in connection with IE, but they also identify ongoing questions, tensions and struggles.

We have highlighted a few projects here, covering a range of grades and curriculum areas. More can be found in our research database here.

Where do I fit?: Using the Learning in Depth Program as a tool for inclusivity for all learners in the classroom.

Alberti, Andrea (2021)

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Just write one more sentence! A cognitive tools approach to teaching literacy in the primary classroom.

Ameresekere, Judith (2022)

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Investigating Dramatic Activity as a Cognitive Tool in a Grade 6/7 Classroom.

Chambers, Helen L. (2022)

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Re-engaging with nature as evidenced by nature journaling.

Farley, Laura (2022)

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Filling nature’s bucket one small act at a time: An Imaginative Education approach to connecting, relating, and appreciating our place

McArthur, Jenna (2021)

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Math, dance and play: An Imaginative Education approach to meaningful integration of mathematics and dance

Paziuk, Katalin Toreky (2022)

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Imaginative inquiry: A cognitive tools approach to inquiry-based learning

Perdue, Dawn (2022)

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Loving the Teeny Tiny Forest: Deepening connection to land and place for Mythic learners in the interest of cultivating ecological care

Redford, Rosetta (2021)

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Not a stick: The impact of natural elements and outdoor play on writing engagement

Rempel, Kim (2021)

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One walk at a time: An Imaginative Education approach to outdoor learning.

Sandham, Megan (2021)

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Elemental superpowers:  A cognitive tool approach to teaching science in the intermediate classroom

Tan, Cherie (2022)

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Artivism: Igniting social justice through visual arts and imagination

Thiesen, Shannon (2021)

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An Imaginative Education approach to grammar instruction in the elementary context

Wong, Kendra (2022)

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