Creativity of students boosted by Danish methodology of art instruction

Elementary schools of the province initiated Danish methodology of art instruction from the school year of 2014-2015. Comparing with the older methodology, the Danish method is more creativity encouragement by offering students more opportunities of learning practice and application in real life.

Nguyen Du Elementary School students are following an arts hour under new method. Photo: A. Sang.

Nguyen Du Elementary School in Thu Dau Mot City is one of the first schools to implement the new method. At the observation position in a class of drawing together of Grade 1 students, we could enjoy the comfortable and active hour. They were first introduced to the lesson by answering to questions about which flowers and animals were grown at home. Then, they were divided into groups discussing the drawing topics. The created works varied depending on individual creativity. Working in group and drawing whatever they wanted, the students were free in learning which was very inspiring to them.

Arts hour of Phu Loi Elementary School students in Thu Dau Mot City was of the same interesting approaches as they were introduced to “emotional” drawing without looking down to the paper. They drew a drinking glass. Then, the instructor introduced different shapes. Students, then, make use of the glasses brought with them, and drew without looking down on the paper through their imagination before correcting abundant details. Apparently, the new method enabled learning, playing and creating ability of the students in arts hour. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thoa, an arts instructor, stressed on creativity opportunities offered to the students during the arts hour so that they could discover anything new.

Through an amount of time following the new methodology, Mr. Tran Huynh Thao Nguyen, arts intructor of Binh Nham Elementary School in Thuan An Town, asserted that the method was to develop communication, presentation, and exploration stimulation which were all the factors of creating learning eagerness.

Before implementing the Danish method, during summer time, Department of Education and Training has opened training courses for arts instructors from elementary schools. Three month of implementation was still perflexing to some instructors. Thus, they were grouped in accordance with their localities to discuss the profession with observation of sample class hour.

In fact, the new method was troubling in some schools as the arts instructors were so unfamiliar to the method without much support by curriculum and facilities. Mr. Tran Huynh Thao Nguyen said: “To facilitate best effects we need full instruction time from 40 to 45 minutes; however, an arts hour is only in 35 minutes. To enrich the lesson, we, the instructors are required to invest with more time.” Beforehand, under our observation, many arts instructors are combining the methods to deliver the best lesson hours for their students.

Reported by A. Sang – Translated by Vi Bao