Curriculum We have developed a three year integrated curriculum that is taught from the same canon of knowledge that all schools do for this age. However, we look at the curriculum, in all its component parts – the sciences, art, literature etc. – as something that has arisen out of human activity in history. The curriculum recreates the process that the great scientists, mathematicians, artists, etc. went through to come to a particular insight, inviting the student to discover the process of thinking and the exploration of knowledge. For example, in Mathematics one such journey took them from the practical Astronomy of the Greeks through the practical navigational geometry of Alexandria arriving at our modern Trigonometrical surveying practices. The historical context draws the students’ interest and appeals to their imagination, and by getting them to go through the same steps as were taken in the past they can make the connections and discoveries for themselves. By going through this process, the adolescent not only is able to understand, but more critically forms a connection to a particular subject.
How we organise the education We select appropriate topics from this vast canon and study one subject over a period of 3-4 weeks each morning forming a project block or main lesson. Appropriate here refers to topics which draw students into an active engagement – both on the hands-on aspect (eg. the mechanics branch of physics) but also on a more inner level (exploring how they observe, feel and think about a work of art like a painting or a poem; in the context of the lesson in History of Art or English literature.) This 3 - 4 week period allows us to go into some depth with the students. It allows us to expand the historical and human side of the subject and to draw the student into a relationship towards it. They are encouraged to write, draw, paint, act, model (in clay etc.), their own individual responses.
At the completion of the project block, the students are asked to reflect on their work, to set learning goals for the next block (from comments on improving presentation, spelling, to the extent they look forward to the next block and why etc.) and to review goals set from the previous one. Very soon we see how students are drawn into a relationship with their work that is reflected in the presentation, artwork and careful description of the content. They begin to participate in their own learning process and can, towards the end of their stay with us, take ownership of it and through this will:
The aim of giving them a strong foundation for developing as socially competent people with a sound, practical morality guiding their actions and behavior, will have been achieved. Year One Curriculum 2005/2006 The Yearly Curriculum is arranged in main lesson blocks of subjects 2 hours everyday lasting either 3 or 4 weeks each listed on the top line and underneath is the craft lesson.
Weekly Timetable
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
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Main Lesson |
Main Lesson |
Main Lesson |
Main Lesson |
Main Lesson |
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Irish |
Mathematics |
German |
English |
Music |
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Craft |
Art |
Games |
Gardening |
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The work at Alfa is very hands on and principles are much easier to grasp when we create the environment to experiment with them.’ Alfa Student 2005 |
The Teaching
Tutors
An important part of Alfa is that the students work with a variety of people in the course of their time with us. The Craft tutors are a very important part of the Alfa ethos. They are people living and working in East Clare who are masters of their particular craft; we are very lucky that our students have the opportunity to work with them. For example our students have learnt blacksmithing, making pokers and other implements with Peter Collins who has worked as a blacksmith for over 40 years. Other craftspeople include Allie Kay, a textile artist, Mark Wilson who teaches green woodwork, tin and copper smithing and ceramics.
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The benefits
are numerous; the students work with unfamiliar materials and experience the
nature of such materials. They experience that basic raw material such
as iron or raw wool through certain processes, such as heat can be
transformed into useful and/or decorative artefacts. The importance
this has on a students’ ability to make sense of and understand the world in
its manifold variety and myriad forms cannot be
underestimated. In the Craft person the students meet people whose knowledge and dexterity of their craft always impresses the students. The fact that they make their living in a rural environment by creating objects through the skills that they have, is important. |
The crafts
that are taught at Alfa are clothes making, blacksmithing, rustic furniture
making & green woodwork, ceramics, clay modelling, making vessels out of tin,
stained glass, wood carving, wool felting, basket making, marionette and shadow
puppet making and performance.
There are two other subject tutors who teach German and English.
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At Alfa everyone interacts and has their say. The teachers treat the students as equals, rather than inferiors and with the fairness they deserve.’ Alfa Student 2005 |