Office for Education and Schools Diocese of Leeds Religious Education Equipping Children for Life Equipping Children for Life

WHAT IS RE ABOUT?  “IMAGINE”  Word of Jesus that begins the Parable of “The Sower”  Why does he use the word “IMAGINE”?  Is it to pretend?  Is it to make people happy?  Is it to help them think and understand?

IMAGINE…  Jesus is critical of the Pharisees  Speaks in Parables so that they won’t perceive or understand  Why can’t they understand?  Has it got something to do with their in- ability to “imagine”?  Are they ‘closed off’ (Pharisee ‘separated ones’), not open to change?

IMAGINE IS REAL  We have grown up with “Imagine” meaning ‘make believe’.  ‘PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP’ (Lk. 5:4)  Imagination is about a depth of understanding  It is about perceiving beyond the surface and seeing something much deeper  Great saints had the ability to “imagine”.

IMAGINE IS THE WAY  Saint Therese; St. Francis  Saw beauty and magnificence of God in a little flower/ ‘brother sun and sister moon’  Therese recognised she was called to be something like the flower – to do her part in the service of God  Francis saw the imprint of God within creation: ‘seeing God in all things’  Use of imagination – Perceive the height and depth

RE and IMAGINATION  Religious Education is about developing Imagination  In school it is about children and young people contemplating the depths of the mystery of God in the reality of their lives  Scripture, Tradition and Interpreted Experience will be the foundation of this task

THE TEACHER…  The task of the teacher is to tap into the “Religious Imagination” of our children who are by nature – receptive and open to the transcendent  To enable them to discover the heights and depths of the Mystery of God  Teachers have the task of facilitating this discovery through their ministry to the children

To Teach is To IMAGINE  What does the teacher need to do?  Need to be somebody who can answer that command of Jesus: “IMAGINE”  To see beyond the surface – to begin to perceive - like in the Parable of the Sower - the hidden meaning.  To be engaged themselves with RE  To continue to develop their religious imagination

How Do We Accompany the Children?  This is truly an adventure into learning  Need to have a good idea of styles of learning appropriate for RE and for the children we work with  Everybody has a learning style and we must identify this

What does a Visual Learner Look Like in RE?  “that looks right” – needs to see it (sees text in recall)  Sit near teacher to avoid visual distractions  Likes writing and drawing: remember that way  Neat handwriting and good spelling  Likes to read  Doodles  Struggles with the spoken word  Quiet and neat  Attention to detail  Awful at jokes!

VISUAL IN RE  Enjoy Demonstration  Watch DVD and Presentation  Read Religious Text: HIGHLIGHTER  Enjoys Visual Media – Art and Symbols  Draws Religious Pictures  Imagine what Things Look Like: thinks in pics  Imagine Narrative, Use Pictures to Explain, Discuss, Analyse Narrative

What does an Auditory Learner Look Like In RE?  “That rings a bell”: needs to hear it!  Talks to Self Aloud  Enjoys Talking  Easily Distracted  Likes to be Read to: - written info little meaning until it is heard!  Enjoys Music  Likes Listening Activities/Hearing Explanations

AUDITORY AND RE…  Likes to Sing Words  Mnemonics  Retell and Explain Narrative  Share Evaluations and Point of View  Work Well in Groups and in Partner Talk Sessions / interviewing  Listening to Demonstration / guest speakers  Engage in Discussion Lessons

What about our friend Mr Kinasthetic?  “I don’t follow you”: needs to touch, move, do it!  Taps Pencil or Foot…  Enjoys Doing…  Not a Great Reader  Outgoing by Nature  Hands While Talking  Walks Around and Daydreams!

KINASTHETIC AND RE  Working with artefacts, symbols  Role Play: Envoys; act out rituals / stories  Liturgical dance  Works standing up  Sign language  Listen to music while working  ‘Freeze Frame’: ‘meaning of things’, ‘Stations of the Cross’, reactions to events  Timelines  Write things down / scribing  Highlighting text  Modelling behaviour / instructing others  Making models etc  Story sacks

Implications…. Visual  Colourful Resources  Use of Religious Text  Links with Literacy and Guided Reading  Use of Symbolism  Importance of Artefacts

Implications… Auditory  Good Use of Reading Aloud  Discussion Groups  Trios and Envoys  Hot Seating  Role Play  Contributing to Discussion and Debate  Being Attentive to Speaking and Listening Skills

Implications…Kinasthetic  Lessons with Pace and Clear Expectations  Activities that Involve Different Skills  Inviting children to Move Around: Envoys  Discussion Groups  Working with IWB  Artefacts  Drama Work and using Lots of Different Media.

DEVELOPING RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION  Three Storey House  To Gather:- various sources of information using skills and media  To Explore - Interpret:- engaging in the media gathered –asking questions using skills to work with the sources; giving reasons, show understanding, explanation  To Apply:- make links to my life; engage and respond

Gathering Information  Who is the Greatest Resource?

What Do You Do With Your Information?  IMPORTANCE OF questions  What Type of Questions Do You Ask Children In RE?  Explore the Range  What Opportunities do we Give Children to Raise Questions?  To Model Good Questioning?

KEY SKILLS TO SUPPORT EXPLORATION AND INTERPRETATION  Importance of the Use of Skills  Skills Associated With All Learning Styles

Engage using Art: Questioning  Choose suitable image – National Gallery/Google  Use art to develop EXPRESSION / EMPATHY  Challenge spiritual imagination  Match scripture with art  Design CD cover with scripture / hymn words  Anything puzzling, interesting, surprising?  What’s missing? What would you add?  Prediction: what happened next or before?

Skills in RE Using Art INVESTIGATION: ~ find out about / from ~ sort ~ sequence INTERPRETATION: ~ draw meaning from ~ understand meaning of symbol EMPATHY: ~ recognise motivation, emotions ~ understand peoples’ circumstances and reasoning (bubble map, target map, bridge map, continuum line)