Create Self-Esteem in Youth by Hilary Brosnihan

Designing for a healthy self-esteem in youth by means of active creativity.

Create... Self-Esteem in Youth the impact of active creativty on self-esteem By: Hilary L Brosnihan

Acknowledgments Designing for a healthy self-esteem in youth by means of active creativity.

Create... Self-Esteem in Youth the impact of active creativty on self-esteem

To the casual observer, this body of work may appear to be solitary work. However, to complete a project of this magnitude requires a network of support, and I am indebted to many people. I am most especially grateful to my lectures, interviewees, friends and family, for their guidance, support.

The following special thanks it required too:

By: Hilary L Brosnihan

Lectures: Peter Barker, Louise Moody, Tom Nelson, Cherrie Lebbon & Tim Ball The Newman Family Selma Nemer

By: Hilary L Brosnihan SID: 2041733 MDes Consumer Product Design M112ID Jan. 2010

Participating School: The Cardinal Newman Catholic School: A specialist arts and community college & Christopher Billing All who participated in interviews and focus groups & Matthew R. Reome who read numerous drafts

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Create... Self-Esteem in Youth the impact of active creativty on self-esteem

Abstract Designing for a healthy self-esteem in youth by means of active creativity.

Background: Within the 9-12 age group self-esteem is a rising issue. A

Create... Self-Esteem in Youth the impact of active creativty on self-esteem By: Hilary L Brosnihan

multitude of different factors in adolescent life create stresses that can lead to lowself esteem. This low self-esteem can lead to depression and overall performance drops in school. Exploring the nature and structure of self-esteem as a dynamic system it can be seen how it can be shaped and changed. This research looks at using active creativity (the ability to imagine and to create by a physical means; interacting with a person or object) as a tool to develop a healthy self-esteem.

Results From numerous interviews and insights one is able to draw the

conclusion that if active creativity is used, directly addressing the components that form the basis for healthy self-esteem, it can have a lasting impact. Focusing on the idea of “working with your hands” it is obvious how toys such as construction sets, make-believe toys, and crafts fall into this area of active creativity. One finds in the interviewed reflections that these activities leave a lasting memory. This exploration of new ideas, thoughts and beliefs, being acted out through active creativity, teaches the child how to better grasp and develop their own self-concept. This ability to explore and share is vital in developing a healthy self-esteem because a large part of self-esteem is based on the evaluations of oneself, both from one’s own perspective and from that of one's peers.

Conclusions Self-esteem can be shaped by means of active creativity. To

create a positives experience with active creativity one must address the aspects of the play cycle: exploring, imagining, making, socializing, and positive feedback. Consideration must be taken to provide a hands on experience, and a lasting tangible result to the activity. This will allow the participating youths to explore their selfconcept, and will promote further creativity and social interaction. The mobility of the design must be considered to allow for various locations; and a technological aspect should be considered to keep the interest of today’s technologically minded youth. If all the criteria are met then the experience provided would help in developing a healthier self-esteem. .

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Designing for a healthy self-esteem in youth by means of active creativity. By: Hilary L Brosnihan Acknowledgments................................................................................................p.3

4.4

Active creativity as a tool in developing a healthy self-esteem.

4.5

Where does technology fit in?

4.6

Designing for a healthier self-esteem in youth by means of creativity.

The Guideline.........................................................................p. 49-55

Abstract................................................................................................................p.5 Table of Content................................................................................................p.6-7 Table of Figures and Images ..............................................................................p.8-9 Glossary..............................................................................................................p.11 Forward .............................................................................................................p.12 Research Plan and Methods..........................................................................p. 13-15 Introduction......................................................................................................p. 17

What is Self-Esteem?................................................................p. 19-28

1.1

What is Self-Esteem?

1.2

Unhealthy Self-esteem

1.2.1 Low Self-Esteem: What is it and what does it cause.

1.2.2 High Self-Esteem: What is it and what does it cause.

1.3

Healthy Self-Esteem: What is it and how is the foundation laid for it.

1.4

Changing Self-Esteem

1.5

Adolescence and Self-Esteem

Education’s role in self-esteem and creativity ............................p. 29-32

2.1

How do current methods of education effect self-esteem? How is this changing?

2.2

How is education effect creativity and play?

2.3

What activity creativity is doing in the classroom?

Play and Creativity its purpose in adolescents........................p. 33-40

3.1

6. Outstanding Research ............................................p. 57 Reference...........................................................................................................p. 58 Bibliography...................................................................................................p. 59-60 Key Literature Review....................................................................................p. 61-63 Appendix

Ethics Paperwork .................................................................................p. A 2

 Research Plan ..................................................................................... p.A 19

Adolescent Psychology Interview (audio included on CD)......................p. A 31

Teacher Interview (audio included on CD) ............................................p. A.35

NEC Visit Review Finding and images ...................................................P. A 43

Youth Interviews & Reviews (audio included on CD).............................p. A 45

Youth Focus Group Activty (audio and video on CD).............................p. A 59

Reflective Interview studies (audio Included on CD)............................. p. A 67

All Consent forms.................................................................................p. A 89

What is Play?

3.1.1 What is Play?

3.1.2 Who Plays?

3.1.3 The Process of Play

3.2

What is Creativity?

3.3

What is active creativity in youth today?

Active Creativity and Self-Esteem.............................................p. 41-48

4.1

How does creativity tie into self-esteem

4.2

Adolescents needs for creativity and a health self-esteem.

4.3

Imagework the foundation of active creativity p.6

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Table of Content

Create… Self-Esteem in Youth

Figure 1. Note from past journals......................................................................................................p. 12

Figure 20. Imagework allows us the opportunity to: (Plummer 2005:34).............................p. 42

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework......................................................................................................p. 14

Figure 21. Change can be Good: Develop a stronger sense of yourself ( Based on (Nemer 2009) & (Plummer 2005))................................................................................................................p. 48

Figure 3. Time Plan...........................................................................................................................p.15 Figure 4. An affective (top down) Model of Self-Esteem (Figure 1.2 (Brown J. 2006:7)).................p. 20 Figure 5. Foundation of a Healthy Self-Esteem (based on Plummer 2005).....................................p. 22

Figure 22. The System for Designing a Healthier Self-esteem in Youth through Active creativity ( based on ( Brosnihan 2009), (Brown, S. 2009), (Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009))......p. 50,55 Figure 23. Active Creativity a Core to Developing a Healthy Self-esteem in Youth ( based on ( Brosnihan 2009), (Brown, S. 2009), (Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009))...............................p. 51

Figure 6.Self and Others (based on Plummer 2005)........................................................................p. 24 Figure 7. Self Knowledge (based on Plummer 2005).......................................................................p. 24 Figure 8. Self-reliance (based on Plummer 2005)............................................................................p. 24

Figure 24. Community: How Socializing builds Self-Esteem through Creativity ( based on ( Brosnihan 2009), (Brown, S. 2009), (Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009))...............................p. 52 Figure 25. Evaluate the Outcome of Active Creativity to Develop a Healthier Self-esteem ( based on ( Brosnihan 2009), (Brown, S. 2009), (Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009))..............p.53

Figure 9. Self-acceptance (based on Plummer 2005).......................................................................p. 24 Figure 10. Self -expression (based on Plummer 2005).....................................................................p. 25 Figure 11. Self-confidence (based on Plummer 2005).....................................................................p. 25 Figure 12. Self-awareness (based on Plummer 2005)......................................................................p. 25 Figure 13. Issues in Changing Self-Esteem ( based on (Nemer 2009) & (Plummer 2005) ).............p. 26 Figure 14. Youth Life (9-12) How Self-Esteem is developed (based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Plummer 2005))............................................................................................................................................p. 27 Figure 15. Youth Life (9-12) and understand of location, activities, social life and the issues they create. (Based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Plummer 2005)................................................................p. 28 Figure 16. What is Play? (Based on (Brown, S. 2009))...................................................................p. 35 Figure 17. Personalities of Play (Based on (Brown, S. 2009))........................................................ p. 36 Figure 18.Process to Play (Based on (Brown, S. 2009))................................................................p. 37 Figure 19. Process for Active Creativity (Based on (Brown, S. 2009) & (Plummer 2005)...........p.39,44 p.8

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Table of Figures

Glossary Active creativity: is the ability to imagine and to create by a physical means, having to also do something and or interact with someone or object. Creativity: is the ability to imagine and the process of having original ideas that have meaning and doing something with them. Healthy Self-Esteem: is about the feeling competent and feeling lovable or 'approved of' and involves the evaluation of one's self-concept by others and them self. Imagination: is the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or experienced directly Imagework: being able to visualize different images one is able to run through scenarios and outcomes without the risk of failure. This kind of roll-play lets one explore issues they are having, and lets them test the different outcomes, as well as different roles they could play without a real world risk. Play is an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and sense of time. It is also self-motivating and makes you want to do it again. Row Teaching: a style of teaching where the pupils are being lecture by the teacher. There is little peer interaction and questioning involved. Self-concept: the overall view that we have of ourselves. This includes our appearance, ability, temperament, attitudes and beliefs. Self-esteem: a system of evaluations that effects how one feels about themselves and their self-concept. Youth: refers to the 9 to 12 age range. p.10

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Forward When Iw and en as younger , I met jo a girl o 13 yea yed many o n f the s rs old ame h -line called and I w of the Amy. S obbie as 12 tim s and when have n es and em games he was a fa we sta ail. We ever m ntastic that I rted c lived o et face loads d listene o i d r . Amy respon n opp about to face w d a o i e n s arou r site en , still s veryth g via m to pla n d he wa yo ing s a ver s of the cou essage boa d to talk nline. Amy d from issues rd y fine ntry so do id w friend w e I reme wn about h n’t always h e had at ou w too m r scho ave th mber erself e. We ould o for a f e a l s t becau b chatte times. to gam est op ew mo se I w d i S e n h s i ons of e also nths b we lik as doi a hard ed su he ef ng poo time fi rly in s ore I was gr ffered from rself and te nding games ounde nded clinica chool things online d t l h d f a e r o t s p h mt Am res an e Due to d chatted a liked or wan y wasn’t do he comput sion. e nd thi from t m ngs se ting to find ing very we r he com y poor gra em ll. S the de p excite d to ch uter for abo and lack o to be lookin m. Still we p he had f att gu layed ut at she ha d bein to Amy and two weeks. ention in sc p. gd h When tell played I came ool I was gr and co oing. I looke her what I ou back o ha d ul waited n-line nded . After dn’t find he over all the d being up I was to and r b a few also p days I or any mes oards we c fi osted n d ou hatted sage got on taken on an t what too m a board tha an email ba s. Finally I d gam sent h any of t we c ck from The sh e h h r a e an em es we ock to tted o her ol r m e d d n ok a w a s wasn’ hile to and it had . Amy had p er brother t il and t arou k h a nd wh s i en she et in. I coul lled her. She ssed away. at was dn’t b She ha felt so had c elieve low. it. Th ommitted s d en I fe u lt guilt icide. y that I

Research Plan and Methods The full research plan and ethics can be found in the Appendix on p. A 2 and A.19. The research that was undertaken for this study into the effect that active creativity has on the self-esteem of youth consisted of mostly interviews as it is an open format to discuss with experts and a generation of different people provided key insight into the topic and left room to question and ask in more detail then a questionnaire or survey would have provided. Along with interviewing adolescences and reflective interviews done by generation, an active creativity focus group was done. This was to provide hands on insight into what youths would do and think. It also provided another open format to discuss the activity and gain insight into peer groups and group setting. All interviews and activity are in the Appendix in further detail.

On the following pages is a Conceptual Framework in which was used to organize research tasks, as well as a rough time plan of the research tasks.

(Note 2009)

This memory of mine was from 1997. With current issues and the rise in depression in youth over the last decade as well as the rise in suicides one starts to question why and what can we do?(Schindehetter 2004:136) Depression and self-esteem are greatly tied to each other. There are other factors at work related depression but this issue of self-esteem is a very large one that has potential to be shaped.(Plummer 2005) Children with low-esteem are at risk for having issued with depression but at the same time it can be said children with too high of self-esteem have these issues as well. Creating and having a healthily self-esteem is essential. The age range from 9-12 is an interlude of considerable changes in youth. This period in their life can be filled with a lot of stress and self worries or doubts (Bee 1997); because of this the following research is focused on them. Along with this creativity and self-esteem have a relation that needs further exploring. The following research focus on this issue of active creativity and how it impacts self-esteem to aid in design for a healthier self-esteem in youth. p.12

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Research Task

Reflective Interview on hobbies (6 people)

Research Task

Research Task Focus Group Activity Object

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Research Task

Research Task Focus Group Activity Object

Research Task Benchmark of Creative Play Kit/Toys

Research Task Interview adolescent psychologist

Research Task Book/ Journal / Video insight into self-esteem and gender differences

Interview teachers

Research Task

Interview what do youth like/dislike parent/child interviews

Research Task

Research Methods

Conceptual Framework

up gro

Pla y In Spe te r ci v iew alist ?

Research Goals

Who

Objectives Identify needs and wants of youth (9-12)

Objectives What effect do objects have on self-esteem.

Objects

User Feedback

Time Plan

Project Aim Discover if active creativity make a postive impact on self esteem in youth.

Framework

How does active creativity effect self esteem in youth?

Objectives What effect do activities / interactions have on selfesteem.

Activities

p.15 p.14

Introduction

From the original background research into depression and self-esteem issues in youth mentioned in the forward the follow research on creativity and self-esteem needed further exploring. It seem a valid direction to take in helping to shape selfesteem, but had limited knowledge base to it. This topic provided an interesting dynamic to explore, with the question can creativity make an impact on self-esteem in youth? The following body of work explore what self-esteem is, how it related to creativity, play and education, and how one can design using active creativity as a means to promote a healthy self-esteem in youth.

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1. What is Self Esteem?

(istock 2009)

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Self-Esteem

1.2 Unhealthy Self-Esteem

The exact definition of Self-Esteem is hard to pin down; it’s a topic to which entire books have been devoted, for the purposes of this paper however, a generalized description will do. Self-Esteem is a system that effects how one feels about themselves. It does this by creating ways to evaluate oneself. These evaluative are made both internally within one’s own mind and externally by people in one’s life.

1.2.1 Low self-esteem: What is it and what does it cause.

The Diagram below illustrated this multifaceted self-concept system.

An aﬀective (top down) Model of Self-Esteem Global Self-Esteem

A person with low self-esteem may create unrealistic concepts of how she/he would like to be or how she/he ‘should’ be. (Plummer 2005:14) With low self-esteem one finds the people that have it, have little to no internal self-esteem concept or self evaluation resource because of this it can lead to period of depression that are very hard to break free from. (Plummer 2005:15) There is significant evidence that low self-esteem is heavily related to depression. In this example that Plummer used from Overholser, “They conclude that low self-esteem was closely related to higher levels of depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideation, and an increased likelihood of having previously attempted suicide (Overholster et al. 1995).” (2005:16) Low selfesteem can affect all areas of one’s life.

Global Self-Esteem X Evaluative Feedback

Evaluative Feedback Self-Evaluations

Feeling of Self-Worth Figure 1.2 (Brown J. 2006:7)

These evaluations are what help to create ones feeling of self-worth and competence. This boils down to how one feels and thinks about themselves, how others view them, and how those views affect their overall view of themselves, known as their self-concept. (Brown J. 2006)

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1.2.2 High self-esteem: What is it and what does it cause.

High self-esteem is less common then low self-esteem. High self-esteem is the result of a very strong positive self-evaluation without accepting global evaluations. (Brown J. 2006) High self-esteem creates an unrealistic concept of how one would like to be and how one thinks they ‘should’ be. (Plummer 2005:14) Also Croker points out that, “high self-esteem people are unrealistically positive about themselves and their abilities and take too much credit for success.” (2006:121)With this unrealistic view they set themselves for failure but instead of blaming themselves they tend to blame outward sources. Blaming failure on external factors causes greater self-esteem instability. (Crocker 2006)This instability can lead to such issues as narcissism and schizophrenia.

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Self-Esteem

1. What is Self Esteem?

Foundation of a Healthy Self-esteem

1.3 Healthy Self-esteem: What is it and how is the foundation laid for it. Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem

1.3 Healthy Self-esteem: What is it and how is the foundation laid for it.

Self and Others

Self Knowledge

The foundation of healthy self esteem is formed from a number of interrelated aspects. Knowledge of one’s self, understanding how that relates to the knowledge about others, and the interpersonal skills required to further develop this understanding through social interaction

Foundation of a Healthy Self-esteem

Self-reliance

Self-expression

Self-acceptance

and examination from alternate perspectives. The foundation aspects are highly interconnected. Confidence, Reliance, Acceptance and Expression share reciprocal relationships. Self-confidence is the ability to be comfortable with whom one is, and the understanding you can be different and have a right to express it. Confidence is strengthened by the positive feelings associated with being self-reliant and the feedback provided from self- expression. Self-Reliance is the ability to cope and adjust with different situations. In turn and self-confidence allows one to be certain in their abilities, promoting further self-reliance and expression. Expression allows a person to explore and accept themselves, to know what they are good at or have to improve on. In turn this self-acceptance allows an individual to further explore and express who they are. Self-acceptance and Self-Confidence affect and individual’s self awareness, their ability to understand their own feelings and understand how to address and change those feelings.

Self-conﬁdence

Self-awareness based on (Plummer 2005)

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1.3 Healthy Self-esteem: What is it and how is the foundation laid for it. Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem

1.3 Healthy Self-esteem: What is it and how is the foundation laid for it. Learning to co-operate with each other I can recognize others emotions and distinguish my feelings from others

How relationships function

Self and Others

Seeing from others’ perspectives

I can choose how to act and express How to maintain my own identity as a separate person as well as the interdependence of relationships based on (Plummer 2005)

who I am

where I ﬁt in

Self Knowledge

my personal values

I have the

ent with g to experim problem Being willin a e lv ethods to so diﬀerent m My opinions, thoughts and actions have value I have the right to express them

How i act in diﬀerent ways

Self-conﬁdence

Having a cr eative app roach to so and be con lving prob ﬁdent eno lems ugh in my abilities

How I am diﬀerent from others and the same

right to be

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Being ﬂexible

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Being able to able to adjust my actions, feelings and thoughts by self-monitoring with realistic assessments

based on (Plummer 2005)

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Self-acceptance Know ing with I am doi n wha t I cu g the be s rren tly h t I can ave

l bo

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All of these individual components are very important to developing a healthy selfesteem but at the same time it is there connection to each other that creates a balance as well. This balance of different pieces is just a vital to a healthy self-esteem as the pieces themselves. Along with this the development of a positive outlook are key to keeping a healthy self-esteem.

lo I fee

sica phy y th m

based on (Plummer 2005)

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1.5 Adolescence and Self-Esteem

An important thing to address about self-esteem is that, “since the feeling of worth has been learned, it can be unlearned, and something new can be learned in its place. (Satir 1991, p.27)” (Plummer 2005:9)

Adolescence is a time period of great changes both physical and mental in one’s life. Self-esteem is no acceptation. As noted in The Dynamic of Self-Esteem: A growth-curve Analysis by Scott Baldwin and John Hoffmann, “Adolescence is a time of transition in which youths take on greater responsibility as member of society.”(2004:105) At this point in life stresses increase dramatically. These stresses have a strong effect on self-esteem. Depending how this stress is dealt with it can lead to dislike of oneself and low self-esteem. (Nemer 2009) “Also with this period it is often marked by a feeling of loss of self and an epic struggle to re-invent or rediscover the ‘real’ self.”(Plummer 2005:16)

This ability to change isn’t that easy and there are some core issues in the ability to change.

Below are a set of factor that make this ability to change ones self-esteem difficult

Familarity

Threat

Issues in Changing Self-Esteem

A feeling of extreme discomfort. Awareness of imminent change in our centre or ‘core’ constructs. Feeling under threat one may experience the sensation associated with pain or anger

Fear

change in beliefs, thoughts or behaviour. By changing we can’t predict the outcome. Seek to stay with old patterns.

Self-Esteem

1.4 Changing Self-Esteem

In the diagram below, one can see how Self-esteem is developed and effect in general terms related to youth. Location dictates activities they do and thusly affects the social life they create. At the same time their social life affects their activities. From this social life different issues can develop which could lead to stress and or the development of self-esteem and a selfconcept. Youth Life (9-12) How Self-Esteem is developed and eﬀected Locations Deﬁnes...

Awareness of smaller change not as strong as a threat. But can be relative unpleasant.

Activities

Anxiety

Guilt

Is fed by avoiding of issues or experiences. Preventing new experiences avoiding change. Excessive worrying.

Feeling we have stepped outside of out ‘core’ role that we invented for ourselves. To overcome this Compromise is very important.

Creates...

Social Life can develop...

Criticalness

By ourselves and by others Creates issues with motivation and creating positives encouragement. based on (Nemer 2009) and (Plummer 2005)

Issues leading to...

Stress eﬀects...

Self-Esteem based on (Brosnihan 2009) and (Plummer 2005)

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1.5 Adolescence and Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem

It is important to note the developmental differences in boys and girls that this age. Girls tend to go through puberty earlier then boys and the way in which girls and boys interact with their friends this age differs. Bee points out, “Boy friends are more likely to gather in large groups than in paired chumships, and the boys are less likely to exchange confidences and more likely to engage in some mutual activity, such as sport”, whereas girls tend to have closer pairing and a smaller tighter knit groups of friends. (Bee 1997, 333) Along these lines Beck mentions that boys tend to be more open to a new boy joining the group where girls tend to worry about a new girls coming in and their lost of place in the group (2007:91)

2. Education’s role in self-esteem and creativity

Another important issue to note is the effect body image has on self-esteem in youths. The media’s creation of unrealistic ideals affect self-esteem in youth, as it prescribes something that is far from reality. While this does affect both boys and girls, it tends to affect girls to a greater degree. (Kowalski 2004:41) The chat below was developed from a variety of interviews and insights into the life of modern day youths. A significant quantity of the issues relate to social issue with friends or family, and issue in school: such as bulling, the pressure from teachers to test well, and the assignment of copious amounts of homework. (Brosnihan 2009) All of these issues can cause a great deal of stress and affect the self-esteem in a negative way if not coped with in a health manner. (Nemer 2009) Youth Life (9-12) an understand of locations, activities, social life and the issues they create.

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Considering that the lives of young people today revolves extensively around their school lives it’s easy to see the impact that it has on their development as individuals. Education is a vital part of life and how it is taught can greatly affect how well it is learned and enjoyed by its pupils. With education being one of the many duties of an adolescent it is important to look into the stresses and issues involved and how they relate to self-esteem.

based on (Brosnihan 2009) and (Plummer 2005)

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2.1 How do current methods of education effect self-esteem? How is this changing?

2.2 How is education effecting creativity and play?

Dr. Selma Nemer, a Clinical Psychologist that works with adolescents, notes that the current educate system doesn’t respect the pupils. They ask for the pupil’s respect of the teacher, but they fail to respect what the pupil has to say. An open dialog to questions isn’t maintained in current main stream education because of the lack of time for the individual pupil, and a primary focus on testing results. If adolescents aren’t given respect they tend to shut off to what they are being taught. (Nemer 2009) Seeing these issues educators in the UK and the USA are starting to make changes to their teaching methods and how pupils are grouped for lessons. One major change is the movement away from row teaching. Even in classes such as Maths and English more activities and group based games are being incorporated into the lesson plans. (Moody 2009) Additionally there is an attempt to move away from over stratification based on skill levels “Advanced vs. Remedial”, but this is still very prevalent in areas such as mathematics and literacy. Schools such as the Waldorf Schools have a very different approach to schooling. There methodology groups pupils based on educational progress rather than age. For example a child might be in year nine Mathematics and year six English, but be seven years of age. This ensures children are always at a level that challenges their abilities. At the same time students are taught by different methods involving groups and practical work. Dr. Nemer finds that in mixed age group classes there is more cooperation of the pupils and less social cliques seem to form. Reduction in these social groupings helps to reduce stress and foster a greater focus on, and enjoyment of, learning. (Nemer 2009) Chris Billing a teacher at Cardinal Newman School sees similar results from having mixed groups. When possible Mr. Billing prefers to have a mix of gender and age; he finds that this helps pupils get more out of the lesson and feel a stronger sense of accomplishment. (Billing 2009) Activities involve pupils’ together help to play on the different pupils strengths. By being able to relate to their peers they build stronger relationships with them and with being able to use their own skill set they feel a sense of accomplishment. This notion of “I can do it” is very importance to self-esteem as it promotes a positive view of themselves. (Nemer 2009)

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Many schools have been forced to cut the arts do to tighter budgets, a trend exacerbated by the current economic times. The arts are further reduced, as are break times, in order to focus more on the subjects with significant testing requirements. Both Dr. Nemer and Mr. Billing observe that some of the first things to see go when a school cuts back are drama, music, visual arts and design technology. It is as if there is a ranking of subject importance. In reality these lessons are just as important as they provide an outlet for expression and a means of grasping the world in an interactive manner. (2009) Current education methods are also detrimental to creativity through the grading process. Dr. Nemer points out one of the worse things that can be done when teaching an expressive subject is assigning a grade to it. From the Reflective and Youth Interviews one can draw the conclusion that one of the sources of aversion to some subjects is the over-focus on tests and grades. (Brosnihan 2009r) (Brosnihan 2009y) When subjects such as arts and drama are giving a grade without adequate feedback it can be detrimental to the student because poor grades can cause them to shy away from it believing they have no skill, resulting in the common assertion from the student: “I am not creative”. (Billing 2009) This statement is never true; one of the fundamental aspects of the human mind is the capacity to imagine. (Robinson 2009) Unstructured play is vital component of early childhood development, but by the time adolescents are in year seven most schools cease to make time for such breaks. Recent changes to testing requirements have caused some schools to shorten Recess periods, or abandon them all together. “With the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, many schools have significantly cut back on the amount of recess time for children. Some have even eliminated recess all together. With the focus now on preparing the children for testing into the next grade, there is less time to incorporate physical education or recess into the curriculum” (Trickey 2006) Stuart Brown explains the importance of play to childhood development: “Play shapes the brain and makes animals smarter and more adaptable. In higher animals, it fosters empathy and makes possible complex social groups, for us, play lies at the core of creativity and innovation.” (2009:5) These breaks are needed to help develop social interactions not only in young children but also in adolescents and teens. In the book a Child’s Work by Vivian Paley she discusses the role of fantasy play in young children and its use in understanding the world around them. The book uses classroom examples of how children learned though make-believe play and tactile toys such as construction sets. These actions help them to grasp concepts that they would otherwise have trouble understanding. Children are some of the best story tellers due to their openness and their desire to discover the world around them. This form of play is a creative learning tool that is often underused in the classroom. (Paley 2004:94)Paley notes that while the forms change, this kind of creative play does extend well beyond early childhood, into adolescents and teens.

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Education

In the current figures based education model the primary focus is the final grade. Far too often the response to a pupil’s inquiry is one of discouragement: “That won’t be on the exam”. This incorrectly focuses the child on obtaining a grade rather than on actually learning a subject. Long term retention, in-depth understanding and enjoyment of learning process are rejected in favour of memorization and regurgitation of the basic subject matter.

2.3 What active creativity is doing in the classroom?

Education

Active creativity is the ability to imagine and to create by a physical means interacting with people or objects. This appears in classrooms like Design Technology, Art, and Drama but also in other lessons with projects, group-work and hands on activities. This learning by doing is a key element to self-esteem in youth because it provides them with a sense of accomplishment, better described as the, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I made thatâ&#x20AC;? factor. It provides a tangible object to go with a lesson, promoting better retention. (Brosnihan 2009g) Dr. Nemer points out that it is essential to promote a healthy self-esteem because it helps promote oneself, by mind, body and soul. It is a key way to express oneself. When used in a group setting, creative learning allows each child is able to bring their own personal skill to the project and learn from their peers this helps to promote their individual skills and the skills of their team members. This helps foster a healthy self-esteem through feedback and acknowledgement of their individual skills and the skills of others. (2009)

3. Play and Creativity its purpose in adolescents

One school that is using a form of activity creativity is Four Oak Primary. Within their lesson plans a form of active creativity, a craft knowing as felting, is used to bond all the subjects and year groups together. They use felting to explain math problems in younger grades and in science classes to explain cell division. This felting activity is woven into lessons for all subjects. It is used in a big group project each year; contributed pieces are combined into a large hanging for the school. Based on the explanation the children gave about their subjects it was easy to see that not only did they understand the lesson subjects but they were also able to teach this felting skill to others and enjoyed doing it. They enjoy showing off the different projects, and there was a strong sense of pride and accomplishment in their work. One girl remarked that she got a lot better at math through the felting activities, she understood the lessons better and it kept her hands as active as her mind. (Brosnihan 2009)

(istock 2009)

Pupil Demo of Wet-felting (Brosnihan 2009a)

Play and creativity are essential to youths. It helps to promote a good mood and helps to develop lasting skills. Some activities done in play where creativity is one of the underlying forces are the most memorable moments, from building with Knex to coming up with a made up game to playing with friends.(Brosnihan 2009b)

Example Pin of cell division lesson (Brosnihan 2009a) p.32

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3.1 What is the Importance of Play?

3.1.1 What is Play?

3. Play and Creativity its purpose in adolescents

Brown states, “True mastery over a lifetime comes from one’s internal play compass. When parents and teachers push too hard to get kids to perform, children do not experience feelings of competence and do not create from within their own sense of mastery.” (2009:111)

Brown states, “Play is an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and sense of time. It is also self-motivating and makes you want to do it again. We have to put ourselves in a proper emotional state in order to play. (although an activity can also induce the emotional state of play)” (Brown S. 2009:60) Below are properties of play that related to Brown’s book Play: How it shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul.

Creativity is also important as this gives the ability to express ones imagination in many different mediums. This ability to create and work through issues is important to understanding the world around oneself. “Providing a person with the means to foster creative use of the imagination can help them build a unified sense of their inner and outer worlds.” (Plummer 2005:35) Being able to imagine and create are core components to understanding others and oneself.

Play & Creativity

This goes to show that play helps to develop a sense of oneself. Along with this, “When play is denied over the long term, our mood darkens. We lose our sense of optimism and we are incapable of feeling sustained pleasure.” (Brown S. 2009:43) Play can greatly affect ones mood, sense of competence and self-worth. Play can be used as a model to develop a healthy self-esteem.

Play is a vital part of being human as it is one of the purest expression of our humanity and the truest expression of our individuality. (Brown S. 2009) Play serves to make us more adapt and sociable and helps in learning to solve many different problems. Adolescents being a time of great change in life, play becomes a very important factor to understanding those changes. Brown statement, “the self that emerges through play is the core, authentic-self,” is important in showing that play is a way to express oneself and work through issues. (Brown S 2009:107) Also another issue that Brown points out that play aids in is, “the goal of adolescence is not only to acquire the skills to thrive in a world in which we are mutually depended, but also to acquire a sense of individuality and uniqueness. Kids have the task of separating themselves from their parents while maintaining a close and affectionate relationship. “ (Brown S 2008:109) Play provides this outlet and can be used as a tool to help develop a healthy self-esteem. p.34

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3.1.2 Who Plays?

3.1.3 The Process of Play

To know how to develop a healthy self-esteem through play you need to understand the players. Everyone is a player but we play in different ways. This chart of play personalities helps to give an understanding to what different types of players there are. By understanding the wants and needs of the player one is better able to create a play environment that is inviting to them and has a positive effect on them.

Play is a process there are step into which it follows.

Process to Play Anticipation

Personalities of Play The Joker

The Kinesthete

The Explorer

Suprise

The Cometitor

Pleasure

Enjoys some kind of nonsense.

People who like to move.

The Director

The Collector

Searching and trying diﬀrent things. The Artist/Creator

Enjoys competive game with speciﬁc rules. The Storyteller

Strength

Poise

Born organizers.

To have to hold the most, the best ect.

Joy is found in making things.

Can bring play to any activity.

“When we stop playing, we stop developing... we start dying” (Brown 2009:73) based on (Brown 2009)

“Play is a state of mind, rather than an activity” (Brown S. 2009:60) based on (Brown S. 2009)

Through different play steps ones learns that play works as a system of different levels. It goes through these steps creating understanding and a new strength in ones knowledge, as well as, a grace and sense of balance in life. Brown explains, “Like sleep, play seems to dynamically stabilize the body and social developments in kids as well as sustain these qualities in adults.” (2009:42) This notion that play is as important as sleep is understandable in that play in some ways is a rehearsal for the challenges and ambiguities of life where life and death aren’t at stake. (Brown S. 2009:32)

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Play & Creativity

Understanding

3.3 What is active creativity in youth today? Active creativity is a term that developed from research. It takes from Deborah Plummer’s work with images and visualizing, but adds the creative act of doing. Being able to imagine is a core skill one has.

3.2 What is Creativity? Why is its Importance? Creativity is the ability to imagine and the process of having original ideas that have meaning and doing something with them. Ever human-being is creative in some means as there are many different forms to creativity. Creativity provides the means to express, create, think, design and develop oneself. It takes one of the core things that makes us different then animals, the ability to imagine and takes it a step further into acting and creating on the different things we imagine. (Robinson 2009) Beck points out that, “Creating fills us with a sense of accomplishment and pride.”

Plummer states, “The richness and creativity of our unconscious mind and the abundance of images available to us means that we have the opportunity to understand ourselves more fully and make more informed choices in life.”(2005:31)

Process for Active Creativity

“When we don’t stay with hobbies long enough to get good at them, we think we are without talent, and that affects our self-esteem. When we are not good at things, very often it is because we never gave it time or our best shot.” (Beck 2007:71)

Imagine

Do Share It

ack

/C om

Fee b

Teach A

nothe r

Creativity and creating are extremely important to foster a health self-esteem in youth. Plummer points out that, creativity offer the possibility of challenging old belief systems and creating a positive future for oneself.” (2005:32) Thus creativity can be used as a tool to shape self-esteem.

Exp lore

Act It out

Play & Creativity

/ ate Cre

Play & Creativity

The key to creativity is finding the medium that is right for oneself by trying as many different things as possible. Also sticking with hobbies for a time is important because one has to give it a fair chance.

Being able to take this one more step is the ability to make images to actions. By being able to “role-play” one creates a stage in which to understand choices they have to make or methods to cope with issues. Furthermore with being able to role-play ones ideas one is then able to test, make and understand them. (Billing 2009) From the numerous interviews one can conclude that people remember activity in which they are doing something and there is a tangible outcome. The outcome can range from an experience to a physical object. Active creativity exists within a great deal of hobbies because they tend to follow the process below. (Brosnihan 2009b)

cia liz e

(2007:68) It also can provide a way to cope with anxiety and a way to relax.

Being able to create new images and weight decisions is an important coping skill for dealing with change and developing a healthy self-esteem.

ﬀ

Show It o

based on (Brown 2009) & (Plummer 2005)

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3.3 What is active creativity in youth today? Within youth today different hobbies and activity follow some of this process but few provide all of it. Lego is a prime example of one that provides the full circle experience. With Lego one can explore new ideas and imagine a new setting. Then one can create, build and share it in a somewhat limiting on-line forms and get feedback from other users. The important aspect of the socializing is the part that many hobbies struggle with as they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provided a form for youths to relate to one and other and share ideas because of this from interviews it was found that facebook is extremely popular among 9-12 year olds because it provides a social platform with some games. (Brosnihan 2009d) The harmful things in this social system is it can lead to issues such as online bullying and friendship issues with, â&#x20AC;&#x153;he said, she said.â&#x20AC;?

Active Creativity and its Role in Developing a Healthy Self-esteem

Play & Creativity

Another item that related to active creativity is gaming because it follows a great deal of the process circle and in some examples gives feedback exceptionally well. From an interview with a technical game artist he commented that the feedback in games is given like a positive reward system. They never use negative statements because they are trying to encourage ones improvement and enjoyment of the game. This encouragement the game provides and its feedback help promote the player so they will keep playing. Also the ability to compare or brag to other player is also another key element. This ability to show off is a part of the socializing aspect. (Brosnihan 2009b)

(istock 2009)

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4.3 Imagework: The foundation for active creativity 4.1 How does creativity tie into self-esteem? Self-esteem and creativity have an interactive bond in which creativity aids in self-expression, self-confidence, self-knowledge and self and others. It does this by providing the ability to express ideas, develop new skills and learn from and teach others. Creativity as a physical expression of imagination provides a method to cope with different stresses in one’s life. (Brosnihan 2009b) Reciprocating this, creativity suffers when self-esteem is low. It creates doubts in one’s ability and prevents the risk taking related to creativity. (Nemer 2009) Like self-confidence and self-expression, creativity and self-esteem have a dynamic balance; one cannot survive without the other. As Mr. Billing points out: “Having the opportunity to be creative is going to improve your self-esteem because creativity normally leads you to do something surprising or different.” This ability to surprise oneself and try new things leads to finding out who they are. This expansion of self knowledge is a fundamental component of healthy self-esteem. (Billing 2009)

Imagework is a tool used to help develop a strong sense of one self-concept and to help shape ones self-esteem. Plummer describes the concept, saying: “The richness and creativity of our unconscious mind and the abundance of images available to us means that we have the opportunity to understand ourselves more fully and make more informed choices in life.” (2005:31) By being able to visualize different images one is able to run through scenarios and outcomes without the risk of failure. This kind of roll-play lets one explore issues they are having, and lets them test the different outcomes, as well as different roles they could play without a real world risk.

With adolescences, the ability to cope with the stresses in their life in a positive manor is very important. Creativity can help develop a healthy self-esteem by providing a positive outlet in which to roll-play their problems and search for solutions. It also provides a way to look at different points of view and serves as a temporary escape from stresses. (Billing 2009) Creativity can be used to unwind and prevent stress from building up to much. Creativity also aids in creating healthy self-esteem by teaching the concept of “learning by doing” this ability to learn by creating makes a lasting impact and results in strong memory. (Nemer 2009) From the reflective interviews of different people one is able to see that processes involving working with ones hands or body are easily recalled. Such examples as cooking, building or playing and making games, seem to form fond happy memories; the individual was engaged in something, and felt good about themselves and others. . (Brosnihan 2009b) Promoting this type of creativity in youth is essential to the development of a healthy self-esteem.

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Observe ourselves doing something. Make connections between cause and effect.  Do it and learn how to do it at the same time. Experiment with different outcomes.  Work though difficult feelings.  Explore different perspectives. Experiment with setting goals. (Plummer 2005:34)

Active creativity takes imagework a step further by giving a tangible object or movement to an image. By doing this one is able to remember it more clearly and create a stronger bond to it. Active creativity lends its self well to working in group environments because there is a tangible outcome to discuss. This helps to create an open dialog for creative discussion. This social aspect is very important to developing a healthy self-esteem as it provides the necessary feedback. (Brosnihan 2009c) As Plummer points out, “important learning often takes place through doing. Discussion and reading are not enough!” (2005:42)This idea of making and creating as a tool for self development is the core of active creativity.

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Active Creativity

4.2 Adolescent’s need for creativity and a healthy self esteem

Imagework allows us the opportunity to:

4.4 Active Creativity as a tool in Developing a Healthy Self-Esteem The process of active creativity lends its self to being used as a tool to develop a healthy selfesteem because it provides the means to explore, imagine, create, socialize and obtain feedback. Active creativity as mentioned previously shows up in pieces of hobbies but it is rare to find it as the whole cycle in one activity.(Brosnihan 2009b) It provided a form to express, build confidence in

skills and develop self confidence and a sense of self-reliance in being able to create for oneself and others.

4.4 Active Creativity as a tool in Developing a Healthy Self-Esteem

Process for Active Creativity

Healthy self-esteem can be developed through this system by utilizing the various forms of play. Active creativity falls into several different play types such as Object Play; manipulation and play with ones hands. This type of play helps develop problem solving and spatial acuity skills. It relates to Imaginative Play in that it uses one of the most powerful human tools, the ability to imagine and to simulate realities. This helps to develop empathy and understanding of others as well as personal coping skills. Two other forms of play that active creativity relates to are Social Play and Creative Play. Social Play is about creating friendships and belonging, the ability to give and receive encouragement, and share in enthusiasm. This ties into the socialization and feedback components of the active creativity process. Lastly there is Creative Play; the making, doing, and imagining which are all primary elements of active creativity are.

Imagine

Exp

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Act It out

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Teach

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Anoth er

Share It

Creative Play actions allow one try new ideas, behaviors and thoughts that can be used to help to change previous patterns. (Brown S. 2009) By being able to change these patterns, active creativity can help to shape ones self-esteem. It provides a safe medium in which to make changes to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions and evaluations, and provides the support of others to help with those changes. (Nemer 2009) Activity creativity, by its very nature, fosters a healthy self-esteem.

ďŹ&#x20AC;

Show It o

Active Creativity

based on (Brown 2009) & (Plummer 2005)

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4.4 Active Creativity as a tool in Developing a Healthy Self-Esteem

11F Start of Craft

11F Midway through

11F Final Craft

12F Start of Craft

12F Midway through

12F Final Craft

Midway through 13F

Crafting together yet separate

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Technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras, games systems and computers are ubiquitous among today’s youth. Dr Nemer addresses concerns with the over use of technology in youth because it speeds them up and results in more multi-tasking, which causes stress. When children constantly use technology as a means of instantiations communication, they don’t learn how to be alone and how to connect with their inner self. (Nemer 2009) On the other hand technology aids in providing feedback and creating social communities though different types of games. Video games are extremely popular with youths of both genders. From all the youth interviews there was an agreement that they would be more willing to purchase a product that had technological aspects then one without because they see more use in it.(Brosnihan 2009d) It seems there is a delicate balance to technology in knowing how much to incorporate without it being detrimental. On one hand we don’t want to inundate youth with technology as it will affect their stress levels and ability to understand role-play, and on the other, we don’t want to shelter them from it because of its potential for interactions and creativity. (Billing 2009)

Active Creativity

The focus group activity involved in this research into active creativity provided a wealth of insight and feedback. The activity of Mexican tin craft was used as it was an activity that none of the participants had ever done. It was left very open ended with room to explore and imagine. This was done by providing the materials and showing a small example skills demo. By giving them the information on how to shape the tin and the materials they were able to create whatever they desired. The outcomes were all very different and provided insight into the person that created them. When asked to discuss their creations there was a sense of pride in what they had made and the skills they had learned. Even with it being done in a social group of 3 friends, when working on the activity they were focused and quiet. There was little chatter except the asking for tools to be passed. All the participants had a feeling of success. The activity being achievable with a first-rate outcome was very important to them. They claimed they would remember the activity very well because they had a tangible reminder of it. They could see that the activity calmed them down or put them in a good mood because it took their mind off other issues and helped them focus. They related the activity to DT and Art, but claimed that it gave them a lot more choice. With the ability to choose, they feel it gave them an opportunity to express themselves and develop the skills they wanted to develop. From this there was a sense of empowerment; an, “I can do it!” attitude. (Brosnihan 2009c)

4.5 Where does technology fit in with youth?

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4.6 Designing for a healthier self-esteem in youth by means of creativity One can conclude from the research that creativity has an impact on self-esteem; it can help shape and develop it. Creativity can affect self-esteem by providing outlets to express, and develop self-confidence and reliance in ones skills. It also promotes understanding of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self and others, and fosters self-acceptance. To design for a healthy self-esteem one need to take a look at all the factors related to youth as drawn from their issues to their interactions. Along with that one must understand that self-esteem is a dynamic system. The components of a healthy self-esteem, as discussed earlier, must each be addressed in order to to make a lasting impact on self-esteem through creativity. When designing to promote healthy self-esteem there are three primary aspects that must be present. The design must provide for a lasting and achievable outcome for the activity. It must be adaptable to the individual child and promote the idea that change can be good and it must promote the social support of peers. (Brosnihan 2009)

5. The Guideline & System

The chart below provides incite as to what can be done to promote change, by addressing the issues

Active Creativity

that make developing a healthy self-esteem difficult.

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The System for Designing a Healthier Self-esteem in Youth through Active Creativity.

The core is the exploring, creating, adapting/changing

This provided the physical “hands on” nature and the ability to test ideas in a safe environment.

te ak e/ Cre a

The Core

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Bu ild

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Active Creativity a Core to Developing a Healthy Self-esteem in Youth

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Feedback Loop Promote Others

Promote Self

Explore/ Game

Evaluation Knowledge

based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Brown S. 2009) ,(Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009)

Expression

Conﬁdence

st e

Acceptance

f- e

Self-Awareness

Self-Esteem

Develo

t n e pm

e fs

This is the individuals physical testing ground. Their creativity core. (Reference to sections 3.3, 4.2, 4.4 & 4.6)

means an area based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Brown S. 2009) ,(Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009)

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The Community

is the social forum; how an individual relates to others and their own centre. It provides the ability to interact with others. It relates to ones core by exploration/games. Exploration and games provided the necessaries platform to connect with others. Community: How Socialize Builds Self-esteem through Creativity

Feedback An Evaluation Tool By giving and receiving feedback from the community one creates an evaluation of themselves. This evaluation results in knowledge and confidence in new skills, the ability to express themselves in new ways, and acceptance of their own abilities and the abilities of others. These factors, as in the healthy self-esteem model, tie into being fully aware of oneself and lead to the development of a balanced and healthy self-esteem.

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Feedback Loop Promote Others

Promote Self

based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Brown S. 2009) ,(Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009)

The community ring provides the tie into social technologies that modern youthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expect. It helps to develop interactions that promote self-concept through positive feedback. The feedback loop describes how the processes can be continued and tested. It does this by promoting adolescences to share their ideas, teach others skills, show off their own creations, and role-play on a virtual stage.

(Reference to sections 1.3, 1.5, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 & 4.6)

(Reference to sections 3.3, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5 & 4.6) p.52

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The System

The System for Designing a Healthier Self-esteem in Youth through Active Creativity.

On the opposite page is the whole system. The system consists of an overview of two distinct areas. Portable for the Youths Vast Environment te

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The Core

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Bu ild

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Tea ch An o

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Development of Self-Esteem

t/ ap Ad

Portable for Youths Vast Environment Within this area are the core and the community elements. These parts are necessary to be portable for the adolescence, in order to handle their ever changing environment.

Explore/ Game

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Development of Self Esteem

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Feedback Loop Promote Others

Promote Self

Evaluation Knowledge

Expression

ConďŹ dence

Acceptance

These two distinct areas are connected by the feedback loop and the promoting of self and others. This loop provided links back into the social ring and the core to keep the system flowing and allowing for more learning, showing, adapting, exploring and role-play.

It o

It the whole system is used, and only allows for constructive and positive feedback, it will help to promote a healthy self-esteem through active creativity.

st e

This area contains the evaluations that one makes about themselves from promoting them self and others and acquiring feedback from the community. This evaluation internalises the creative act developed in the core.

t Ac

f- e

Self-Awareness

Self-Esteem

Develo

t n e pm

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means an area based on (Brosnihan 2009) & (Brown S. 2009) ,(Plummer 2005) & (Nemer 2009)

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6. Outstanding Research

Hilary L Brosnihan

Mdes Consumer Product Design Coventry University

istock 2009)

There are a few outstanding interviews with play experts at Hasbro. Due to time restraints they were not conducted before this body of work was complied. The lack of write-ups on the benchmarking of creative Play Kit / Toys is due to the that being more appropriately addressed during the deign phase. If given the opportunity I would like to run the focus group activity with a group of boys and a mixed group to see if the dynamics change and if the outcome is different.

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Create… Self-Esteem in Youth References

Bibliography

By: Hilary L Brosnihan Branden, N. (2006) ‘Nurturing Self-Esteem in Young People.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 238-243

References

Covington, M. (2006) ‘How Can Optimal Self-Esteem Be Facilitated in Children and Adolescents by Parents and Teachers?’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 244-249

Baldwing S., Hoffmann J. (2004)’The Dynamic of Self-Esteem: A growth-Curve Analysis’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 130-113

Dehart, T., Tennen, H. (2006) ‘Self-Essteem in Therapeutic Setting and Emotional Disorders.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 316-325

Beck, D. (2007) My Feet aren’t ugly: A girl’s guide to loving herself from the inside out. New York: Beaufort Books Bee, H. (1997) The Developing Child eight edition. New York: Longman Billing, C. (2009)’Creative Arts Teacher Interview’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, 4 December 2009 Brosnihan, H. [the author] (2009a)’NEC Four Oaks Interview’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Birmingham, December 2009 Brosnihan, H. [the author] (2009b)’Reflective Interview Study’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, November 2009

Epstein, S. (2006) ‘Conscious and Unconscious Self-Esteem from the Perspective of Cognitive experiential Self-Theory.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 69-76 Grolnick, W., Beiswenger, K. (2006) ‘Facilitating Children’s Self-Esteem: The Role of Parents and Teachers.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 230-237

Brosnihan, H. [the author] (2009c)’Youth Activity Focus Group’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, December 2009

Koplewicz, H. (2004)’More than Moody: recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression.’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 188189

Brosnihan, H. [the author] (2009d)’Youth Interview Study’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, December 2009

Kowalski, K. (2004)’Body Image: How do you see yourself?’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 40-43

Brown J., Marshall, M. (2006) ‘The Three Faces of Self-Esteem?’. in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 4-9

Naik, A. (2007) The Little Book of Self Esteem. Croydon: CPI Bookmarque

Brown S. (2009) Play: How It Shapes the Brain Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul. New York: Penguin Group Crocker, J. (2006) ‘What is Optimal Self-Esteem?’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 119-124 Mruk, C. (2006) ‘Defining Self-Esteem: An Overlooked Issue with Curcial Implications’. in SelfEsteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 10-15 Moody, C. (2009)’Year 5 & 6 Teacher Interview’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, 22 December 2009 Nemer, S. (2009)’Clinical Psychologist Interview’ [interview by H. Brosnihan] Coventry, 16 November 2009 Paley, V. (2004) A Child’s Work: the importance of fantasy play. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press

Nezlek, J. (2006) ‘Divergent and Convergent Validity of Self-esteem: A state perspective. in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 44-50 O’Brien, E., Bartoletti, M., Liltzel, J., O’Brien J. (2006) ‘Global Self-Esteem: Divergent and Convergent Validity Issues’. in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 26-35 Portes, P., Sanduhu, D., Longwell-Grice, R. (2004)’Understanding Adolescent Suicide: A Psychosocial Interpretation of Developmental and Contextual factors.’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 180-182 Rogers, V. (2001) Exploring feelings: a resource handbook for work with young people aged 9-13. Leicester: Youth Work Press

Plummer, D. (2005) Helping Adolescents and Adults to Build Self-Esteem: A Photocopiable Resource Book. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Suls, J. (2006) ‘On the Divergent and Convergent Validity of Self-esteem’. in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 36-43

Robinson K. (2009) The Element: How finding your passion changes everything. [audiobook] New York: Tantor Media Inc.

TedTalk (2009) Brenda Laurel on making video games for girls [online] available from <http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6FT80ZoVJY> [16 November 2009]

Schindehetter S. (2004)’Learning To Chill: Overloaded at school and overscheduled at home. stressed-out kids - with their parents blessing - are saying enough’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 136-138 Trickey, H. (2006) ‘No child left out of the dodgeball game?’ CNN [online] 24 August. available from < http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/20/PE.NCLB/index.html> [23 December 2009] p.58

TedTalk (2007) Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools kill creativity? [online] available from <http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY> [16 November 2009] TedTalk (2009) Stuart Brown: Why play is vital -- no matter your age [online] available from <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHwXlcHcTHc> [16 November 2009] p.59

Bibliography

Designing for a healthy self-esteem in youth by means of active creativity.

Bibliography

TedTalk (2008) Tim Brown: The powerful link between creativity and play [online] available from < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjwUn-aA0VY> [16 November 2009] Tevendale, H., DuBois, D. (2006) ‘Self-Esteem Change: Addressing the Possibility of Enduring Improvements in Feeling of Self-Worth.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 170-177

Key Literature Review

Thomas, B. (2009) Creative Coping Skills for Children: Emotional Support through Arts and Craft Activities. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05

Tubbs, J. (2008) Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, ADD, and Asperger’s: using artistic creativity to reach, teach, and touch our children. New York: SquareOne Publishers

This book provided a review of different topics related to adolescents, their development, and issues in their lives. A few articles provided useful insight into issues that affect self-esteem in youth. Moreover the book provided a good overview of articles to better understand current issues that children and teens are facing in today's society; issues dealing with growing to adulthood and the stresses that school and their busy lifestyle’s create. The insight into topics dealing stress and self-esteem were very useful in my research. It provided detail stats into in adolescence suicide(USA only) and also related it to low self-esteem’s effect on youths.

Vonk, R. (2006) ‘Improving Self-Esteem.’ in Self-Esteem Issues and Answers: a sourcebook of current perspectives. ed. by Kerniss, M. Hove: Psychology Press, 178-186 Walker, E. (2004)’Adolescent Neurodevelopment and Psychopathology.’ in Annual Editions Adolescent Psychology 04/05. ed. by Duffy K. Iowa:McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 40-43

By Vivian Gussin Paley A child’s work was an interesting background into how fantasy play helps children understand the world around them. From this book I was able to understand the value and use of fantasy play in younger children and how it can be used with my research age group as well. The book used classroom example of how children learned though acting out plays and building. These actions help them to grasp concepts that they would otherwise have trouble understanding. Children are some of the best story tellers due to their openness and their desire to discover the world around them. This form of play is a learning tool, and a form of creativity play. The example used with the older children, mentioned near the end of the book, helped to reinforce the positive nature of pretending and creativity. It makes it clear how children interact with each other and how behaviour can be changed through role playing. (pg 94) This forced upon me the question “do 9-12 year old still act out and pretend to understand their environments and how they act?” I believe this pretending is very useful tools in helping children create a positive self image and understanding how others perceive them. If children are given the ability to act through their feelings they can better grasp them. Along with the acceptance of adults understanding the need for role playing is also important. Having a more accepting society will aid in this development as well. If one thinks about adults’ role play in terms of video games and other interactions why shouldn’t we encourage this pretending to help work through issues a child may be having. Helping Adolescents and Adults to Build Self-Esteem A Photocopiable Resource Book By Deborah Plummer This book by Deborah Plummer was a wonderful resource into ways to develop self-esteem. It provided an insight and framework into understanding self-esteem and improving it. The concepts were put across in an understandable way. It laid out the link between self-concept p.60

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Review

A child’s work: the importance of fantasy play

and self-esteem clearly, explained what a low self-esteem can do, and gave guidelines for a healthy self-esteem. As well it also set out issues that affect self-esteem. Another concept that it presented was working with imagery, this concept has greatly influence my research as it is a way to imagine and activity work through issue that one is having. This type of active imagination plays into the idea of roll playing and how it is important to understand one's self and ones surrounding. By imagining, one is able to play the roles of many people and try out ideas and see what the outcomes could be. Another item the book provided was resource exercises. Some of the exercises were an activities but most revolved around a worksheets. I feel that the information and insight into self-esteem in this book was very good, but the worksheets are limiting in what they can address as they aren’t as active as they could be. My feet aren’t ugly: A girl’s guide to loving herself from the inside out

This book provided a wonderful insight into details of self-esteem and issues related to girls. The book did have some overlap and relevance to boys as well. Key elements related to my research in the book were related to trying and exploring different hobbies at the same time giving them a enough time to develop and get good at them. Also developing a ‘Power Circle’. This tool was useful and showed how to develop positivity decision making and how they effected one and other. Over all the book was written to be read by a young adult and let journal areas for them to write reflections. I thought this was very novel of her to put mixed in the text as it provided a nice break to reflect on oneself. Her mentioning of creativity and its impact on selfesteem and how it make ones feel help to support and reinforce my research. In general this book provided a great look into issues that young girls have and how self-esteem and knowing oneself are very important to developing a sense of integrity in one’s life.

Edited by Michael H.Kernis This compressive sourcebook of current perspectives on Self-Esteem was a key book in my research. It provided different views and idea on what is self-esteem and many different thoughts on what and how it develops. It also provided insight into how to measure it. The in-depth knowledge the different specialist of different sectioned gave provided a strong basic for my understand and construct of what self-esteem is and what it effects. Also it helped to develop a firm understanding of what influences, changes or develops ones self-esteem. Also its perspective into the issue of quantifying self-esteem proved to be very interesting as it still a very current topic that is in discussion. Another fact that was very important from the book was the idea that having a high self-esteem can be just as detrimental as having low self-esteem. The Little Book of Self-Esteem

Review

By Debra Beck

Self – Esteems Issues and Answers A sourcebook of current perspectives

by Anita Naik The Little Book of Self-Esteem was a book written for children with the aim to point out key things to make them feel better. It is very well written and has some short key statement into how to change ones thinking from negative to positive. This able to think this way with a positive mindset help aid in having a healthy self esteem. It provided realistic examples and insight into changing and making an impact with oneself. It plays in the key 7 elements to having a healthy self-esteem and provide good examples in how to think positive.

Play How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul By Stuart Brown, M.D., with Christopher Vaughan Stuart Brown provided amazing insight into the effects of play on all aspects of life. The important of play was evident in his book. It is interesting how much play shapes who we are and how we act and feel. His book provides an understanding of how play and creativity affect us emotional as well as physically. The positivity nature that play creates is an importance factor in creating a healthy self-esteem. This seeming pointless action has a huge impact on now we relate socially to one and other. Play is an act of its own and need no reason, but from play we learn a great number of skills. Once again imagework has showed up in this book as well as the storytelling and pretend actions. These actions seem quite key to understand one-self and accepting who we are and developing who we will become. Also the notion that play and creativity are linked together. That play is a form of creativity and creativity is a form of play. My ideas on activity creativity shows up in the ideas of object play and how one can project ideas and actions on to an object to help understand the world around them and develop a stronger sense of the person they are and because play is a positive action these ideas that one holds and understands from play shape one in a positive manner and make one feel better. Thus improving ones self-esteem by encouraging positive though and a better understand of what is going on around them. p.62

p.63

Hilary L Brosnihan

Mdes Consumer Product Design Coventry University

Appendix

Appendix Clinical Psychologist Interview Dr. Selma Nemer

(getty 2009)

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Psychologist Interview

Dr. Selma Nemer

Current Issues in Education (USA)

~ The means of where respect is placed, children need more respect and to be listened too.

Background:

~ Education needs to shift so student can ask more questions so there is more of a dialog for learning.

She has 2-2.5 year working at 4 Winds (a mental health hospital in Saratoga NY) dealing with the adolescent unit and addiction groups and also time in private practice with adolescents. Currently she is working with more adults dealing with trauma and teaching people to “treat themselves in kinder gentler ways.” This is also to help in motivation, creativity and stress reduction.

~ More active teaching involving students (Brainstorming, acting, making etc.).

~ Students needed to feel apart of the process not just being told.

Activity Creativity as a means to promote health self-esteem and reduce stress

Key Finding from Interview: The link between creativity and self-esteem:

~ Meditation for stress reduction

~ With trauma patient says, “I am not creative because I seek perfection.”

~ It is essential because it helps promote ones self, by mind, body and soul. It is a key item as it is a way to express oneself.

~ It needs to not be graded or rated

~ Grading creativity is one of the most destructive things we can do to any being.

~ Ability to express themselves without being compared or grades helps to develop them.

~ Artist example: There is a focus in an artist be it shape or color and so on but when self doubt chatter makes it way in the ability to be creativity suffers.

Craft and Reducing Stress

~ Agrees that Craft can reduce stress.

~ Most pivotal point of learning is “learning by doing.”

Stress and self-esteem:

~ Leaves a strong memory

~ When their isn’t an positive outlet to release stress people find other ways through additions and by whatever means they can

~ It is essential for feeling good about ones self also in developing teamwork and social skills

~ She uses an engine over heating as metaphor as the way the body if stress isn’t dealt with can act. Stress can cause physical sickness.

Issues of Group and Self related to Self-Esteem and Creating

~ If the stress is dealt with through an addition it forms a loop that then causes a dislike of themselves because of that it then causes low self-esteem.

~ This can also effect how they treat others

~ The ability to distress is extremely important to opening the stream of creativity

~ The group and self aspects come together in community setting.

~ It has a deeper imprint being a deeper learning with the self and the community which doesn’t come from a lecture type set up

My Recap

Issue that have an effect on Self-Esteem in Youth

~ Critical Parents and Critical Teachers effect the child and because of that will have trouble motivations and creating a self talk to encourage themselves and or they rebel.

Method to Combat Criticalness

The education system (USA) has a huge impact on youth. It can be detrimental to self-esteem because of the lack of respect to the pupils and the limited interactions with other pupils. It doesn’t foster an environment that empowers youth and teaches them skills for life. The assessments are becoming too important and over shadowing the learning aspect. Its critical nature is causing stress in youth and effecting self-esteem.

~ Deep listening

~ There is a movement away from this type of schooling do to those issues, reference to Tools of the Mind.

~ Teenagers need to be respected, be heard and listened to

~ Learning to learn, how do we learn?

~ A venue of open dialog

~ Deep learning doesn’t happen in lectures

~ When children feel un-listened to and not respected they shut down.

~ If they feel disrespected they give up this has a strong effect in education

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Psychologist Interview

Review of Clinical Psychologist Phone Interview 16/11/09

Psychologist Interview

Peers and Self-Esteem in a creativity activity

~ What skills each child has, what can they bring to that group, what skills can they learn from others

~ By letting them do the skills they are strong at they build them but learning from their peers

~ Create a job around the workers best traits and creative skills you end up with a better happier worker

~ Team learning is a very powerful tool

~ Saratoga Independent school system with mixed ages and teamwork doesn’t have the cliques bonding because the ages are different pupils are at there own level and mentoring is involved

Turn a Negative into a Positive

~ RESPECT!! Not just older figures but themselves and peers

~ An open dialog, even the playing field. LISTEN!

~ TRUST: being able to trust other and your own abilities

Appendix Teacher Interivews Chirstopher Billing & Cheryl Moody

The Digital World in Youth effect on Self-Esteem and Stress

~ Very soon to tell the effects

~ Youth don’t know how to be alone. They are always connected

~ Don’t know how the quite themselves to listen to their inner self

~ Constance connection no time to reflect or know one’s self

~ Speed up and multi-tasking all the time creates more stress and more cortisone

~ addicted to cortisone so they aren’t about the let down and self sooth at all

Final Note

~ Learning to learn: it should be a creative process

~ Teach in the three dimensional open way with open dialog is respectful, creative and helps build self-esteem.

~ Group Project Creative

(istock 2009)

Method to promote a healthier sense of self

~ 5 min of silence it’s healthy and helps to focus and calm (start of school day example)

~ The idea of Gratitude. What are you grateful for?

End of Interview

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Teacher Interview

Background

Gaming Issue “2 years ago Doctor Who seem to grab their imaginations. They when back to more what I grew up with, pretend play. They could be seen running around pretending with their ‘sonic screw driver’ acting out different activities.”

He has been a teacher for 9 years. Before teaching he was an actor.

This was somewhat of a generation blip that understood role-play better and wanted to play those games.

Drama

In his previous school he was in charge of emotional awareness.

From 11-14 years of age children have an hour of drama, art and music a week.

“The ability to empathise is having to be taught more then it use to.”

Drama club is open to anyone. They don’t need to be in GCSE drama or A level drama.

There isn’t as much of an understanding and consideration and caring of other pupils as there was before.

What Activities Happen in Drama Class It is skills based and has objectives. An example is year seven does stagecraft and that is all about awareness of audience and working on stage. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills go along side the stagecraft. They are used to help develop self-esteem, self-evaluation, and problem solving, thinking creatively and also being able to combine skills together. Along with being able to set goals, tasking and meeting them. This personal learning and thinking skill set is a lot about what drama is about. We don’t expect all kids to go off and become actors. It is more to give a cultural understanding of performance and to help with those evaluation and other skills they might not get as much in other classrooms. Drama as a means of Roll Play and expressing themselves

Personal opinion (Chris’s) is a lot of it comes from no consequences in a video game to back up actions. It seems hard for pupils to understand what they can get away with in a video game and what they can in real life. The balance in different areas of their school and home life help make them able to make the understanding of what is in the game and what they can do in real life.

Key issues effecting Self-Esteem in Youth

Appearance :

You as a teacher have to create a safe environment that in a sense the children can play into, so that it can combat peer pressure.

Is big for girls but starting to see can increase in boys.

It seems currently the boundaries and social environment of the year Sevens coming in aren’t as open as previous years. In some ways they are coming in pre-programmed and it now our jobs as teachers to open them up again.

On non-uniform day they come in with more of a uniform on then on a normal

day. They all end up looking the same.

It seems the older the children get the more open they are. It seems to have flipped from previously, where they would narrow down more with age. The social awareness of the year sevens seems to be limited. It seems their idea of role-play is closely connected to computer games more so for guys but girls are starting to show this as well. The boys seem to be seeing things more in platforms now. More who is killed and where and how they died etc.

You see the usual things you would see with teenagers it just seems to be happening a lot younger.

Emotionally the year sevens are young but it seems we are expecting more grown up things out of them. Relationships:

More pressure on boys to be in a relationship then on girls.

It seems to be limiting their ideas of options. Girls are starting to become like this as well.

The girlfriend/ boyfriend issue

It’s as if they are playing the video game in their head.

There is more girl boy interaction but they don’t know what to do with it.

Verbal communication seems to be difficult because they are so use to texting and msn.

Want to be seen as having a girlfriend but won’t sit next to them in a lesson because she is a girl, but will talk to her on msn. A grown up expectation but in a child like setting.

Thinks pupils enjoy

“Computer are and unending force”

Technology seems to be key and it seems to be ever changing.

Currently it would be the portable game units like PSP and DS, as well as bigger at home systems like the Wii and the computer.

Online and online games

Have a girls group and boys group In school they sit boy girl boy girl and have to work in mixed groups. This can be a battle to start to get them to mix and work together.

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Teacher Interview

Teacher Interview with Chris Billing Head of Creative Arts Cardinal Newman School 04/12/09 (Audio Included on attached CD)

Teacher Interview

Do hobbies promote a stronger sense of self?

You get a more balanced student

Yes they do, to a certain extent the things in which you are involved in define you.

That are more reasonable and more pleasant come the older years.

In secondary school you may struggle to get students to admit what those hobbies are.

The students benefit from each other’s traits.

They may struggle to admit they might play with toys like lego and so on. “I have to act like an adult.”

What do pupils find stressful? Exams

Group project work how does it effect self-esteem?

Trying to fit into a large school and being the younger group in a new school.

It can go both ways depending on groups.

School can be a safe haven for a lot of them as it is one of the few stable environments they have.

He will pick groups because sometimes friendship groups don’t work and the outcome isn’t as strong

Outside of school stresses:

You have to balance the sets of personalities within the group. So everyone is able to give to the group in some way. This balance is very important to self-esteem.

Parental break up is a large one

If done wrong it can have the opposite effect and create problems.

Death and Illness

It is like casting the groups to create balance so everyone has a say and a role within the group.

Sibling Anything that can be a change Seems children are encouraged to be more adult but in the inside they are still very vulnerable. Self-esteem is a huge issue. New teachers seem to get a baptism of fire from students but once they see that you have returned they switch. It is as if once they see you have returned they are more open to creating a relationship with you as they don’t feel you are going to leave. The idea of consistence is greatly important to the issue of self-esteem.

How are Creativity and Self-esteem linked together? Having an opportunity to be creative is going to improve your self-esteem because creativity normally leads you to do something surprising or different. When you surprise yourself by doing something positive you can’t help but feel better. The more opportunity to surprise yourself and try thing that are new the better you are able to find out who you are as a person. Explore as much as you can your find something you like.

Hard to admit they crave that safety.

The arts lend themselves to this.

School provides some pupils with that stability.

How does the act of creating add to a child understand themselves and the environment around them

Teaching Methods to Promote Healthy Self-Esteem Providing pupils with feedback and letting them self-assess and peer-assess The teacher acts as a guide to helping them find positives. What works and what didn’t. Teachers have to walk a find line there because you don’t want to patronize pupils either. The sleuth system that is a behaviour monitoring system anything that is exceptionally good or bad and is logged and students can see it. Pupils can see the positive and where they are doing well. There are areas for Citizenship, contribution, work and effort.

The building and understand and problem solving come through and can add layers. The more they do the more they can contribute to the community. They feel they can contribute and maybe that’s it can be ok to make mistakes. It’s progressive and has to be something done over time it is not an overnight change.

How do you promote that it is ok to fail at something Developing coping skills and its how they deal with the problem Show that I as a teacher and a person make mistakes too.

It finds ways to reward positive behaviours.

By providing a safe environment to make mistakes without much risk.

It has a good impact on self-esteem. There is a point system that works like cash related to it.

How do deal with high self-esteem as a teacher There are not that may students with a high self-esteem. As a teacher you can afforded to treat them a bit more realistically. Group work can be grounding.

Hard to quantify

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Such as a prep exam that doesn’t have any result risk so they can learn from it before the real exam.

What has more of an impact the act of doing or the finally outcome? Both, it’s a combination of them. The moment of self-esteem comes with the completion of the object with a, “I made that or worked on that.”

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Teacher Interview

How do the dynamics change with mixed groups?

Teacher Interview

Knowing that it was a journey that it might have being hard but I did it and here is the proof of it. You must never ever set up students to fail. It must be achievable!

Phone Interview with Mrs. Cheryl Moody: Year 5 and 6 Teacher (no audio) 22/12/09

Challenge them, put don’t push them over the edge.

How is the Digital environment effecting pupils creativity and how they play? Play in the way we would recognize it seems to be crushed by peer pressure. Digital media is changing creativity, we have to try and keep up. Some skills are vanishing, the reason they have to do stagecraft is a lot of skill from roll-play in the playground they don’t have.

I was fortunate enough that Mrs. Moody did a phone interview with me. She has worked with children for around 20 years as a teacher. Below are the findings and insights from the phone interview with her.

Key Information All subject areas can affect self-esteem in what the child likes and is good at.

He has to encourage this sense of play to get any result from stagecraft.

Maths and literacy are taught more in smaller groups and rows.

Being able to create a computer game or digital art can be hugely creative.

A maths lesson will start with a mental teaser question that is achievable by all.

As a school we need to catch up.

Then it will move to textbook or worksheets.

Does the digital realm coming to the foreground do tactical skill start to get weaker?

Finally it ends in a game. The game seem to be enjoyable but it would be hard to justify the game because not all the children would participate (some-just-watching) and it’s hard to gauge what the individual pupil has learned without individual work.

There is trouble in art at year 7. With teachers having to teach kids to hold pencils.

Start easy move to harder; if it’s too hard drop it.

Mark making skills are weaker.

Achievability is vital to success, feeling proud and good is key.

Roll-play with action figure wouldn’t be socially accepted but might be done at home. Importance of ROLL PLAY.

Reference to student Whiteboards

End of Interview

The work isn’t permanent and can be wiped clean. Sometimes some of the best work is done on them because the fear of messing up is lost. It’s the, “I can start over”.

When she demonstrates and makes a mistake, she points out her own mistake so that the children learn from it, but also understand it is ok to make mistakes and that everyone makes them.

Being a village school, there seems to be a sense of community. Boys tend to bring in electronic games for free play. Girls tend to be social and sit and chat. One rare case of “playing ponies” normally this type of play would be in a younger year Sometimes the girls will make up dances. PHSE lessons on self-esteem and acceptance are taught in an open format of discussion. Sometimes referred to as the “circle time”, this “circle time” is easier when the group is smaller and all the children are able to speak. Along with that you are able to pass your speaking time if you don’t feel like speaking. Posters will be made in some instances and some games as well. There is group involvement. It is used to think about their own feelings and the feelings of others. Children seem to rise to being able to achieve when they feel and know they are good at a certain thing. Encouragement verbal and rewards system based are important and encourage good work and behaviour.

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Teacher Interview

Skills like verbal communication, taking on a roll, seeing a different perspective are missing or lacking.

Most children like the arts and DT more so then maths and literacy mostly due to its open nature and different expectations.

In this rewards system there is a feeling of achievement and acknowledgment for being good at a skill or behaviour. Over all, pupils have fun with activity based projects. Out of school activities have influences, developing pupils as people and as a group.

Appendix

Changing from streaming hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed much as in some cases there ends up groups that are streamed for class lessons.

Teacher Interview

Some issues with over confidant kids being very pushy and bullying. Reading is very important as it affects every other aspect of schooling and life.

NEC Visit Review

Some children of lower reading level will pick a harder book to blend in with other kids. During breaks kids will sometimes pair off to a single computer and play a game. Art/activity day was a mixed age range day with different crafts and sports was a big success. Older children tended to help the younger ones in the group. The achievability was for all members of the group sometimes easier for the older kids but was still enjoyed. Mixed groups worked well for arts but for other teaching situations it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work as well because the skill level and achievability are very different and would compromise the older child.

End of Interview

(Brosnihan 2009n)

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NEC Vist

NEC Visit Review Finding and Images I went to the DT show that the NEC. This show was very useful and eye opening as it helped show that schools are starting to move to a more active curriculum. I am still currently going through paper work from the show. I found the Four Oak Primary school example to be enlighten and insightful. As the activities they do in school range all subject and help to connect them. Along with this there are group and individual projects helping to develop different skill within the children. Within their lesson plans a form of active creativity, a craft knowing as felting, is used to bond all the subjects and year groups together. They use felting to explain math problems in younger grades and in science classes to explain cell division. This felting activity is woven into lessons for all subjects. It is used in a big group project each year; contributed pieces are combined into a large hanging for the school. Based on the explanation the children gave about their subjects it was easy to see that not only did they understand the lesson subjects but they were also able to teach this felting skill to others and enjoyed doing it. They enjoy showing off the different projects, and there was a strong sense of pride and accomplishment in their work. One girl remarked that she got a lot better at math through the felting activities, she understood the lessons better and it kept her hands as active as her mind.

Pupil Demo of Wet-felting (Brosnihan 2009n)

Appendix Youth Interivews & Reviews

Example Pin of cell division lesson (Brosnihan 2009n)

(Brosnihan 2009y)

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Youth Interview

What do you enjoy the most about your hobbies? He really enjoys the social aspect of his hobbies he enjoys playing sports with his friends just as much as winning. He doesn’t do sports just to win he enjoys being able to play a game with his friends.

Background

He enjoyed the kayaking in scouts a lot because they got to mess around a bit and play games like water polo with the kayaks. Also different from before they were solo kayak so it gave him more freedom in where he wanted to go.

He likes playing the drums and saxophone and also, playing cricket and rugby. He likes being a team player and enjoys team sports. He is in jazz band and rock band.

How do your hobbies make you feel when you are doing them? They make him feel happy because they fun and he gets to spend time with his friends.

Key Information Does it last? What are some of your favourite activities and why?

It does for example when he wins a ruby match he feels happy and proud about it.

He likes to do different sports like rugby and cricket. He enjoys them because he gets to see his friends. Also he does music because of the people involved.

With scout sometimes the feeling doesn’t last all the time.

What are some of your favourite toys and why?

Do you do any solo hobbies?

He commented that he likes to play his DS with his friends and his sister (older).

His biking is sometime solo, but most the time he does it with his dad.

(Mentioned after the recording he plays a lot with Lego. He doesn’t really considers it a toy)

He doesn’t do a lot a solo things he like the social element. He likes people to chat to and getting to meet people.

Some time they will do rope tying. It is ok but it is more fun because he is sitting with friends.

What are some of your favourite games? He likes to play some of the vintage games like monopoly with friends.

What do you find stressful?

On the DS he plays a lot of racing games and some of the other Mario games. He tends to like to play games with others like his sister or friends.

He finds school a bit stressful, more annoying because sometime he feels they over tested. He feels the pressure from teachers and a constant nagging in lessons to perform well on tests. He doesn’t mind a bit of encouragement and pressure, but sometimes it is too much.

What would you say your favourite website is? He said mostly he spends a lot of time on youtube because he likes to watch different funny videos and music.

He de-stresses by running around with friends and such.

What do you do during breaks?

How do stay in touch with friends?

He says most he spends the break chatting with the guys. He has friend that are girls but they seem to chat about different things at break with different friends. They are somewhat separate groups at times.

His friends from school mostly do sports with him and they stay in touch by msn and talking face to face a lot. He has a cell phone but doesn’t use it a lot for texting friends mostly for family. He got his first cell phone when he went into secondary school.

What do you think of creative activities such as Art and DT?

Do you have hobbies what are they?

He likes them a lot because they are practical and you learn from making and doing. He likes that the activity is hands on, that it isn’t a lot of paper work, it is learn by doing. He feels he learns more doing it this way.

He like outside stuff like kayaking, cannoning and rock climbing. He does a lot of these activities through scouts. In scouts he also earns different badges for different activities. Within scouts the age range is from 10-14 and is a mixed group of 20 or so other kids. He does biking with his dad as well and his dad is active in scouts as well.

Do you feel you can be unique in these activities? He feels he is able to be unique because the briefs are open enough to create some of your own solution. They are given a choice. This choice is very important to being able to make it their own.

He also plays sports as well alternation between rugby and cricket as they run opposite times of the year.

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Reflective Youth

Youth Interview 12 Male Review (audio included on audio CD) 04/01/09

How do these creativity activities make you feel?

Youth Interview

They make him feel good and it can cheer him up in a bad mood because he is able to be social with friends. They do some group activity in other classes but it isn’t the same as a class like DT where there are more choices.

Youth Interview 13 year old Male & 11 year old Male (siblings) Review (audio included on audio CD) 11/12/09 Key Information

What would you say your strongest memory right now is?

How would you describe yourself and activities you like?

He said he would be rugby right now and the practice for a big game they were having and even with them being serious they still had a lot of fun and a good laugh.

(13 M) He liked swimming and doesn’t really like football. Doesn’t know how he would describe him self personal. (11 M) He would describe himself is pretty happy and he really likes football.

He meets lots of new people through music. It is divided by standard not age. He has a mix of friends in different age group.

What are your favourite activities and games? (13 M) He likes swimming and playing the x-box.

Sometime he does make up games with friends.

Both the football playing and swimming are team sports leagues that they participate in.

(end of audio recording)

Sometime the x-box is played together. They also play on the internet with it as well.

Information from casual conversation (lego) After the interview in casual conversation with his father and him Lego and Knex were mentioned. He played with both of them, preferring Lego to Knex in that they are easier to assemble. He tends to get lost in his building and is quite proud to show his creation to his dad after he is done with it. When he was younger his dad and him would work on Lego together. Sometime he will build with friends and create different scenarios and build around them. He tends never to follow the instructions or will do it once and then make it into his own creation. He likes the fact that Lego has lots of different pieces and accessories that Knex doesn’t. When he builds he tend to just dump all the pieces out and spend time hunting for them in the pile. His father feels with his son’s Lego building now it almost a statement of his independent and stated that he will sometime disappear for hours working on things to only appear at meal times. “It is as if he doesn’t know how much time he is spending doing it.”

What type of games do you play on the x-box? Call of Duty and Halo are the games they play the most and like.

What about portable devices or toys? They both have Mobile phones and 11M has an Ipod touch. On the Ipod he listens to music a lot and downloads different apps. No really favourite apps. He does not really use his phone to play games. (13 M) They play some computer games and board games tend to be only played with parents. Seem to claim that is a parent forced event. (father input into conversation) It’s ok but it’s something they get roped into a bit.

End of Interview

What are favourite websites? They mostly just spend a lot of time on Facebook.

Researcher comments and notes

Why do you like your activities (swimming, football)? This interview provided me with my first opportunity to work with one child at a time with a parent. This dynamic provide an interesting contract and I found that most question tend to be answer more directly. At the same time because they were answered in that manner it made it hard to feed or jump topics as easily. Over all the interview went very well and provided more insight to me on the importance of the social interaction of that age group and how important their friendship networks are. Also a lot of these friendships seem to relate heavily around the child’s hobbies. I believe it would have being useful to have some of the casual conversation after the interview on recording because key things such as the Lego came up then.

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He is “ok” at swimming and he just somewhat likes it. He likes that he gets exercise from it does not have many close friends on the team but has one. (13 M and input from father) He likes football because he is good at it. (11 M)

Do you think your activities influence other areas of your life? Yes because all his different friends play football and such and he wouldn’t know them otherwise. (11 M) He thinks the same for swimming but no one from his club goes to his school unlike his brother and his football friends. (13 M)

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Youth Interview

(11 M) He likes football and lots of different sports and playing on the x-box.

How do you stay in touch with different peers?

Do you think technology is really important to your age group?

He stays in touch with some swimming peers by calling / texting maybe some internet (13 M).

Yes, most likely would not have any interest if it was just a building or making activity would be boring.

Do not really feel their hobbies influence school much.

How do you feel while doing your Hobbies?

Depends on what your doing is swimming. A race on your own or a relay.

There is a sense of enjoyment while swimming. (13 M)

There is more team mate interaction when he is doing a relay.

He enjoys football and looks forward to going to it. (11 M)

Football is mostly team and you have to communicate well with your team mates.

Is there a key experience that you remember?

There is passing the ball so you have to communicate with each other. He feels happy and accepted because he has to rely on other team mates.

He can remember a trip with his football team where they went and got some trophies. (11 M) Not so much with swimming in experience he can remember (13 M)

How do you stay in touch with school mates? Mostly use Facebook to stay in touch.

What do you do in a class break time? They play football, eat lunch and talk. Go on the field. At the moment it is mostly boys but some time there are a few girls (13 M)

Parent Input Do not really like board games but its event that everyone can do. It levels the playing field because they do not really play video games together. Its difficult to play a game with someone involved in a screen based game because it is so adsorbing. When kids are involved in a game they some times do not hear the meal time call and complete other duties. There is a family computer with internet ability, and 11 M has an x-box in room and 13M has play station. A limited internet access deliberately

What do you do outside of school (with peers)?

They got cell phones around the age of 11 so when they when to secondary school.

He plays with friends in the village mostly they play x-box because a lot of them have it. (11 M)

They (parents) try and make a time in the weekend where they do their homework. Parents have to sign off that the homework has being done.

They normally go and hang around down at the park. It is mostly social getting together and chatting. Talk about loads of different things. (13 M)

What do you find really stress in your life right now? They find homework and school stressful. Feels like homework should not be something for home it should be done in school. The fact that you have to do is the annoying, stressful thing about it. Try to put it off until they have to do it. Parents have to sign for homework being done. Stressful to the parent as well.

Do you like some of the creativity activities in school? He likes DT and Painting (11 M). He does not really feel like he can express himself in art because he gets told what to paint (13 M).

They get an allowance.

End of Interview Researcher comments and notes Being my first pilot of my questions with children this was a very challenging interview. I learned a great deal about how I had to reword questions for the future interviews I did and what questions were understandable and useful. I feel with this interview it might have being beneficial if it was with one child or the other because some time the answers would be shorted and copied by the other. Also having the father present in the room might have limited answer dealing with what children talked about with their friends and getting a fuller answer. It provided a good insight into the daily life of the two boys and children of their age range.

They do not get much choice on what to do the whole class has to do the same thing. Do not really do much crafts outside of school. Do cook with their mother.

How would you define self-esteem? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feeling good about yourself and stuffâ&#x20AC;? (13 M)

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Youth Interview

How do you feel with the people in your group activities?

Youth Interview 13 Female & 11 Female (siblings)

Note passing can be fun but get you in a lot of trouble in school.(13F)

& 12 Female Review

(Start of Audio part one)

(audio included on audio CD) 21/12/09

What are your Favourite toys and games?

Notes before the interview from conversation when craft activity was coming to a close (no audio) “Teachers don’t think we have social life’s” (11F) Making the Avatar for the school homework online turn in was a lot of fun unlike the homework. (13F and 11F)

She doesn’t really have a toy but has a cuddle toy ‘fudge’ that is a build a bear. She dresses and changes the bear’s outfits. Some time refection new locations or her personal style on the bear. She changes the outfit with different seasons. Her bear goes to sleepover and on holiday with her. “She has ugg boots (the bear) cause I love uggs and I am guessing she likes them too.”

We sometime compare ourselves with others we know.

Likes play on the DS and Wii and her favourite games are Mario games. She likes Mario because you have to get somewhere and complete it. You can’t save anyway so it pushes to at least to the next save point. She says, “You have to stick with it” because you cant say anywhere. (12F)

Like sponge bob square pants because of the falseness of it that it cant be really.(11F)

They are lots of different types of people is school but it is not like the extreme version of like St. Trinity. (13F) The lack of choice is sport in gym is in part why I really dislike it. (13F and 12F)

She really likes Animal Crossing on the Wii. It’s a game where you create your character and have a life and can choose different professions. She says it’s a relaxing game and like that she can do whatever she likes in it and earn money for things in the game. Her character in the game is currently getting a hair cut or sleeping. She has a bear called molly and has had her since she was very little. The bear is missing a bit of stuffing now and her head is a bit floppy. (11F)

Facebook is used for socializing but also being really nosy. (12F)

What board games do you like and why? Do you make up games is so why and what are they? Some time you can say stuff over MSN or Facebook that you can say face to face this can be a bad thing or a good thing. (12F)

Yep we will Clueo a lot, Pay day and there are some others. They go through cycles of playing a game a lot. Play with their friend and their families. “We create games so that it suits us instead of universal games that are made for all children.” (13F)

Online fight with girls get dragged out guys tend to fight and make up. (13F & 12F)

“It fun to make the game as well.” (12F) “You get to be creative with it too.” (11F)

They made a time machine to pretend to go back in time just for the fun of it and they want to make something. They went to Victorian time and then the play seeming faded into another game. (all)

They use the computer to make the board games such as Clueo. So they have a more custom version. They used their house as the game board locations. People they know as the character cards. They use a digital tool to make a physical game.

Pretend to be different Superhero and different pretend games at sleepovers.

What are Favourite websites and why? Facebook (all 3 answered at the same time)

Played with Barbie a bit most cutting and styling of hair, they don’t really like brats as much cause there unreal scale and clothing.

What do you do on Facebook? She likes to talk to her friends and socialize on it. (11F)

Not a big fan of the teenage years because you could get away with things in primary and there a much bigger expectation. (13F)

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She likes the games on it. She says its just fun to play lots of different games. (13F) Also she said, she like ‘You tube’ a lot because she can watch all different types of stuff. (12F)

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Youth Interview

She doesn’t really have a favourite toy she plays with but she does have a toy bear that she has since she was little. She plays with what going on around. Her favourite video game is Left for Dead. She likes zombie shot out games. (13F)

Seeing what other people options of it is neat as well. (13F) Sometime they will use you tube on in the background for music and such. (13F)

Do you think your hobbies influence you?

There are videos of teachers and friends as well as music and other things. Like to see make fun of themselves (11F). ‘Crazy Monkey games’ has lots of different games to play as well. (13F)

What type of hobbies would you say you have? She does music, Listening and playing guitar. She collects poster and tee shirts with bands on them. Her lesson is one a week. She like her lesson cause her guitar teacher find things she wants to learn not just boring scales. The instruction method made a big different in enjoy of playing. (13F)

Some times because their music taste might be very different and sometime it influences them as well. Some times the way people dress and talked are influenced the different type of music they like. (13F) Not really for TV watching and game. She does talk about the shows with different friends and compare. Can be a conversation starter and can introduce you to new people or new shows. Games they do similar things.

How long do feelings last when you do your hobbies? It depends if she is listening or playing. The good feeling last longer when she is listening. (13F)

She does netball on a team and enjoys different sports. She doesn’t like athletics cause do it on your own and it is boring. In netball you have your team so its social and you have friends from it and it keeps you fit and is fun. (12F). She likes watching TV, Games and playing with her friends. (11F) She did the violin as well but didn’t do it this term it was that fun. Didn’t like doing all the scales and such. (11F)

It depends on the mood she is in. Some times here music is to relive stress, or cure boredom or just for fun. It has 3 roles in her life. (13F) For netball sometime getting up for 10 on a Sunday is really hard but if she gets up its normal worth it. Wednesday after school and 2 more times during luck periods at school. It makes her feel happy cause it’s something she enjoys doing and I am able to be with my friends when I am doing it. A large section of her friendship group does it. She talks about her netball with friends outside of playing it. (12F) It depends on the type of TV watching it I have nothing to do its out of boredom. It’s sometime a boredom cure. Also she likes playing with her friends cause its fun and makes her happy. It depends on what she is watching if she is still bored or if it will change her mood. Sometime they will watch a show together at a set time with friends or family. (11F)

End of Part One of Recording (12F has to leave to go home for a bit) How are your hobbies different in different environments or social group? It’s defiantly different on what shows we watch with friends and family. Its more social and fun watching TV with people. (13F) She said it was more fun with people because they are able to argue about things and comment. (11F)

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How do you activities make you feel about yourself? It depends on how she is feeling before sometimes. If she feels annoyed before and decided to play sometime it build up and she gets more annoyed that she can’t play something and will cause her to give up. If she is playing just to play she tends to feel good and doesn’t get annoyed as easily. Most the time playing calms her down. She uses as a self moderation tool to help her chill out sometimes. (13F) It she feeling down and she watches something funny it tends to cheer her up. With games if its fun to play and she enjoys it she feels better after playing. If she was feeling sad and played a game like animal crossing it would relax her and she would feel better for “ages” afterward.

How do group activities make you feel? She had a group project is school where they were playing as a band a song the band came up with. She really liked playing in a group she wasn’t able to pin down exactly what she liked about it. The feedback and encouragement from band mates was really nice too. (13F) Some time play games together. If she is in a bad mood to start if it’s a game they can all laugh about she feels better. Sense of humour is very important to her.(11F) “If someone doesn’t have a sense of humour then their away sad.”(11F)

How are you staying in touch with school mates? Facebook and lots of texting. Sometime when there is school they will arrange to meet up in down or have a sleepover. They got cell phone when they went to secondary or in 11F case in year 5 when she started to walk to school. They will use the cell phone for games for car or bus trip some time play the same game at the same time and compare who is further in the game.

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Youth Interview

How do your hobbies make you feel?

She isn’t very sure with games and TV. It depends on what she is watching. If she watched before it some what fades faster. If she watch a series and its something maybe she only sees once it lasts longer. (11F)

How do the creativity activities (music DT, art) in school make you feel? She likes art because she is good at it. She said she was bad at it before cause she couldn’t draw very well. She likes to draw cartoons more then really people. Her art teacher said if you like something then you normally better at it because you enjoy it. She likes tech but doesn’t like the teacher so the environment isn’t as much fun. There are limited choices with projects and some of it is group work. (11F) She loves art as well as music. She thinks it helps that she likes the teacher and is in a group with her friends. She feels she is able to make it there own cause they are drawing their favourite celebrity. The choice was very important to her cause it would have being boring and annoying to get a prescribed image to draw.

How do these creativity activities in school make you feel? Can they change your mood? She feels that her mood would get better in an art class because its fun and she gets to sit with friend and enjoy working on things. It would be different it was a math or English class because they don’t get to pick where they sit and it very individual. The making process would relax her. (11F) She is the same as well, but she is able to choice where she sits and such in the class but the topics in math and English don’t lend themselves to feeling better. (related to the style of teaching) She feels if she came in a bad mood her mood would change in art cause it would cheer her up where as in a math setting it would stay the same because it wouldn’t engage her the same. The making process would relax her as well. (13F)

The arts make be feel proud and happy. If she got an ‘A’ on a test vs and ‘A’ on tech project she would feel more success from the ‘A’ in tech because she made it. (11F) (13F agreed with this statement as well)

What about related to making music? Her last project was making her own song. It was a group that got to play the piece together that they came up with. She really enjoyed it. She enjoyed playing something that she had made. The group of 6 played the pieces in front of the class the entire group stood up and played their pieces. She wasn’t nervous at all to play in front of class-mates. She really enjoyed playing her piece in front of class-mate it made her happy. They compared the different groups that played as well. They got the best grade in the class and she was really proud about that.

Some people can. “I bet Obama didn’t think he could. Look at him now he is president of the United States.”(13F) “Everybody has the potential to change to world it’s if you realize it or not.” (13F)

End of Interview (audio end of part 2)

Researcher comments and notes This interview was run more like a focus group with the 3 girls. The craft activity was done before hand. I feel that the conversation were very open with the girls as their parents were in the other room and they fed off each other. Along with this the activity opened a lot of my starting question to get to know them. In retrospect I wish I can had keep the voice recording on during the activity as I was able to note take but some of the stories would have being useful to reference in more detail. The conversation in some instance playing off each others answer were developed them further added to by other members. At times the conversation did stray and took a bit to get back on topic. Their insights into what they think are hobbies and how they make them feel was very useful. The mixed age range was also interesting in they all had very different hobbies but were close friend and in the 13F and 11F were siblings. Also with the setting being in there own home I feel like it was less stressful for them and easier to answer. They provided wonderful insight into how an art or tech class could change their mood during a day and that they feel more success from making something and feel they remember and hold on to it more if they make it. If I had further time I would try and run the same set up with a group of boys and see if there is more variance in the answers. Also I wonder if a mixed group would influence answers as well. As with the other youth interviews this provided a good insight into activities they do and objects they like.

What would you define as Self-Esteem? What you think about yourself, if you like being yourself or want to be someone different. (13F and 11F) What would be your Guideline for having a healthy self-esteem? “When you know things are wrong with you but you can let them go. Not thinking you’re perfect or that everything is wrong.” (13F) “Being happy with who you are and what you do as a person” (11F)

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Youth Interview

How do arts and tech make you feel about yourself?

Do you think you can change the world?

Appendix Youth Focus Group Activity

(Brosnihan 2009f)

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Youth Activity

Photos of Youth Activity Youth Activity Discussion (Tin Craft) 13 Female & 11 Female (siblings) & 12 Female Activity Overview, Discussion Review

(audio included on audio CD 2 parts, Video on audio CD) 21/12/09 Activity Overview The activity done was Tin Craft. A Mexican folk craft that none of the children had done anything with or heard of before doing. The craft involved cutting a soft tin and embossing it with different tools. After which it can be coloured with markers.

11F Start of Craft

11F Midway through

11F Final Craft

12F Start of Craft

12F Midway through

12F Final Craft

At the start of the activity I explain a bit of the background of tin ornaments in different celebrations in Mexico and that I brought a range of different material for them to work with to make their own. I showed two examples of my own and total them they could make whatever they wanted. I did a small demo on embossing the metal and using different tools and then set them lose to use the materials on the table.

The activity lasted about 30min to an hour as the children got engrossed in it.

A bit after the activity I did a discussion on what the children made and how they felt about making it what they liked about it and so forth (outlined in Research Plan activity discussion). That would conclude the activity.

Activity Observations After the initial brief and the material being laid out and showed they dug right in. There was a strong sense of enthusiasm to try something new and very different. As they started in on the craft and they all got very quite and were incredible focused. I believe because of the focus the voice level lower to a whisper when things were being asked for and passed along the table to the different girls. Over all they were very polite with each other and commented on each others work during the process. They seemed smiley and happy to be involved and asked for little help or guidance from me. I feel in some cases I faded into the background to them and was no longer there only to intrude to ask for a progress photo once or twice.

Crafting together yet separate 13F & 12F

The video clips help to show the how quite and involved in the craft the girls got. (Video clip: Start of Craft after Brief and The making process)

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Midway through 13F A.61

(Audio Part 1, 13F and 11F)

Is this an experience you would remember, why and for how long? She said defiantly and for a while because it was fun and she made things to go on her door. The objects will be their as a reminder of the activity. (13F) She said yes and that she feel she would remember it all because the final outcome serves as a reminder to the activity. (11F)

What was your impression of tin craft? She didn’t know what they were going to do a first but enjoyed making it. (13F)

They liked making it and don’t think they will come back and alter it.

Can you explain your creations to me? A door sign for her room with music notes on it because she likes music, Henry the cookie stealing penguin and a little frog cause I like frogs and Christmas tree decoration cause it Christmas time. (13F)

They believe it I had giving me structure to it and prescribed them making a star for the tree it would have being less fun and creative cause they wouldn’t have had much choice.

Do you feel like the outcome is an importance aspect? She made a door sign with her name and its colourful can she like lots of colour.(11F)

If you don’t like the result then you don’t feel as successful. So it is important. (13F) Being able to achieving a result in crafting that you like is very important. (13F)

What was your favourite part of the craft what did you enjoy the most? She liked seeing the finished bits. (13F)

What did you dislike about it or the process? She went wrong and was able to change it because it was a cutting error. She liked the process a lot it was really fun.(13F) She disliked the hand print she did on it but cause the colouring when wrong on it.

Do you feel you have learned any new skills? She learned how to make door signs and penguin in tin and how to emboss. Thinks her marker skills could have being better cause she has used markers before. (13F)

If you don’t like the end result it’s a bit point less if might have being somewhat fun to do but will feel some what wasteful. (13F)

Do you feel your creations reflect you? In her door sign she has music notes because she likes music. (13F) She thinks the colourful and she like bright and colourful things and she is bright and cheerful. (13F) She would do this type of craft for stress relief as well because it is fun and calming. (11F)

(end of audio discussion for 13F and 11F) Start of (audio for 12F craft discussion) How would describe your outcome?

She had never done any metal work. (11F)

If you wanted to change one thing in your project what would it be?

She made tree decorations, she did a buddle and a star and a tree. One of them has a candy cane on it and one has her sister’s name and the other hers. The one with her sister’s name on it is a gift for her. She likes the idea of giving her sister a present (sister is 18). (12F)

She would correct the penguins face. (13F)

How did you feel while doing the craft?

She would fix some of the colouring.

She found it a lot of fun and would do it again. (12F)

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Youth Activity

Activity Discussion (audio included on audio CD 2 parts)

What was your favourite part of making in the craft?

Is there something you dislike about the process or the outcome if so why? She said her colouring was a bit messy. (12F) Think it was just fun for fun. (12F)

What would you have wanted to change? Would make the colouring neater she said she slipped up a lot on it. (12F)

Researcher’s Reflection I believed the insight this activity provide was immense. It gave me a wonderful understanding of a group and individual dynamics of craft and the visual ability to see the children enjoying the activity. The fact that the activity was something they had never done added to it I feel the new opening exploring with little guidance was a much a part of the craft as the materials. Along with that because of the openness of the craft it seems that the girls were willing to do it again.

The things she made will hang around because they are things she made and they go with the holidays. She would keep them cause she liked them and its sometime to remember this current day by. (12F)

The importance of the final outcome being so important was a bit of a shock to me but was very interesting in how they think they will remember that activity for longer because they have an outcome that they will keep.

Which would you remember more the making it or the object?

The dynamic of the group was very interesting in that were doing a solo activity in a group setting. It seems they did enjoy having the group setting. All of them seem to think this would be something to do to calm down and would put them in a good mood. They feel the craft wouldn’t be a fun or put them in such a good mood if it was more prescribed to them what they had to make. This opened end nature and the ability to make their own choices was very important to them. Along with that being show the basic skill at the start helped. I had little to no questions and wasn’t ask for any help on any of there projects.

She said mostly it she would remember the making it and the objects would serve as a reminder of the experience. (12F)

How your feel if you had a bad day and you did this type of activity? She feels it would cheer up quick cause its something to do and is fun to do. (12F) She would defiantly do the activity again. (12F)

(audio 12F discussion end) End of Discussion Interviews

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If I was able to run an activity like this again I would like to try a mixed male and female group either in a home setting or school to see if the dynamics of the activity change. Along with that I think I would befit from using extreme users that might have clinical depression or diagnosed stress or self-esteem issues as this would provide stronger feedback. From this activity I believe I am able to say the activity creativity does make and impact in to mood. It can be calming and a lot of fun. So it would prove to have an effect on self-esteem stress and over all feeling about ones self. I believe the positive nature of craft and building can be used as a tool in helping to promote a health self-esteem because it promote a positive view and being positive and feeling success with oneself are important factors to self-esteem.

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Youth Activity

The designing part she liked and the embossing and seeing the result from it. (12F)

Appendix Reflective Interivews

(stockvalut 2009)

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(audio included on audio CD) 29/11/09 Key Information

How did your hobbies make you feel? The swimming made him feel good and he enjoyed the hour training times. Around 12 he was very good at it. He would set personal target to hit if he hit them or beat them he was very happy about this. It instilled a drive to success and meet goals. He would go in with the mentality and drive to succeed during training. He would say I have to hit these goals today.

As I don’t know you very well can you describe yourself?

He would feel good for a couple of days after a success of hitting a goal. It was a feeling of achievement.

He said he feels he was a balanced person. He describes himself as being upbeat and likes to motivate people, likes to be positive.

Do you feel your hobbies created a stronger sense of yourself? He feels that swimming taught him to have aspirations and to aim for something.

What type of things did you like to do around 9-12 years old and why? He liked to go out and play with friends when the weather was good. He would hang around a mate’s house when the weather wasn’t good they would the Play Station and other game systems.

What would you play outside?

He feels that he learned how to create better short term goals to achieve a longer term one. The scouts (cubs) taught him how to pace himself through doing badge work. Learned a, “take things as they come approach.” He feels these skills he learned from his hobbies carries over into his life now in his university work and how he manages himself.

Do you still do your hobbies?

Football or some sort of tag.

He does swimming but not as much as he likes to and is not on a team.

No really set rules was more just kicking the ball around and running for the sake of running.

About 14 or 15 he stopped the club level because he knew he wasn’t good enough to keep competing. He would still turn up for practices for exercise and such.

What were your favourite toys when you were around 9-12?

He mostly swims with friends and such now.

Mostly K’nex, He spent a lot of time building stuff.

He left scout when he was about 15. He got to old for it.

He liked that you could build what they give guidelines to build or build whatever your imagination could come up with.

How did you stay in touch with your school peers from 9-12? Most memorable moment with K’nexs Spend all day building a fair in it. It took about 10 hour or so to build. It was a mix between guidelines that came with it and making stuff up along the way.

They would talk to each other in class. If they were arranging to go out or do something it would be arranged over lunch. They never really called each other on the phone. He didn’t have his first mobile phone till he was 13.

What were your favourite computer games or board games at 9-12?

What stressed you out from 9-12?

He mostly enjoyed driving games and still plays a lot of the same types of games now.

The move from primary to secondary school was very stressful. A lot do to the stories that he heard in primary about the older kids. After about the first 3 weeks he got over it and said he got along fine. He needed a bit of time to adjust to the new environment.

He didn’t get into board games much.

SAT exam in year 6 was very stressful.

Did you have hobbies if so what were they? He was part of a swimming club and team.

How did you de-stress?

He was also in the cubs and did a lot of camping, mentioned it was, “good fun”.

It seemed some of it just went away with times, other time he would listen to music or go out with mates. He never got so stressed that he would need to change his daily routine to calm himself down. What he did normally would help him to relax.

What did you enjoy the most from your hobbies? Cubs provided him with any activity to meet people. Provide him with some of his close friends that he is still in touch with today. The building and camping was a big draw for him. He remembers doing knot tying as well.

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Reflective Interview

Reflective Interview 19 Male Review

Reflective Interview

He liked it and enjoyed the creative element. He remembered one of the first things he built in school was a CD rack. He enjoyed the activity and feels its stems off into his life now and what he enjoys doing. He loved the thrill of building things, it was the first time he had gotten to use a drill or saw and he really enjoyed it. He still gets that exciting feeling now when building stuff or trying new machines. He remember more of what he did practically (hands on) at school. These memories for him are a lot clearer and he can recall a lot more detail.

(audio included on audio CD) 09/12/09

Key Information Who you are as a person now (career and personally) Currently doing a degree course in criminology her aim is to go into the police force.

Do you feel your could be unique in these activities? With DT it was the first thing he felt good at. He didn’t feel he could express himself in art or English because he didn’t have good enough skills in it. DT he was able to express himself in him project. With the CD they had a lose guideline such as some dimensions but a lot was left open to develop your own. A lot of choices for it because of this all of them ended up very different in shapes and colours. He still enjoy building stuff doesn’t know if the initial excitement is the same. There is still a sense of accomplishment. The completion of a project is a confidence boost for him. It makes him feel good and can help brighten a bad day.

End of Interview

Hopefully something dealing with traffic police or maybe going down the psychology route and work dealing with offenders. Personally she would describe herself as bossy or sometimes dominating over people sometimes. She can see other views but thinks that she can be more strong minded and stubborn than other people.

When you were around 9-12 what were your favourite things to do and why She tended to stay in with her mum a lot. At that time her mum was single and they spent a lot of time together. She didn’t really hang out with friends because of location. She did Stagecoach, a mixed drama club.

What things did you and your mum do together? Shopping, make things, cook Did a lot of cooking with mum when she was younger

What were your favourite toys at 9-12? Was very big into Barbie but not so much as she went into year 7. She was drawn to Barbie because she was girly and could cut her hair and style her. She would dress and style them and cut their hair but a lot of the Barbies end up bald from getting their hair cut too much. Not really into playing computer games or board games at that age. She can remember playing some games like snake or Mario on game device her mum had.

What type of hobbies did you have? Cooking was more of a bonding experience with her mum. She was into dance lessons and stagecoach up until she was around 16. They were in a group setting and did theatre productions. Divided into levels and age range.

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How did creativity activity such as art / DT make you feel when you were young and now?

Reflective Interview 19 Female Review

Reflective Interview

What did you find stressful at the 9-12 age range?

She liked it but something she didn’t like. Such as the reports that came with it.

Fitting into year 7, going from top of primary to bottom of the school. Also more pressure added to coursework.

She got feedback related to not pushing herself. She felt sometime very nervous in the group due to some of the peers. She feels that it was related to her self-confidence that she wasn’t about to express her self more, not that she was shy or under peer pressure. The group would mix in acting dancing and singing. Mostly would be group work but there would be solos.

A fond memory from that age range that stands out Come Christmas they would sing songs in her friendship group in school and for charity. All had parts to sing and remember the songs as well.

How did your activity creativity (drama) make you feel?

What did you enjoy most about the hobby? She liked the practical side of it, the practice and rehearsal.

She didn’t do drama in school just as an extra. She didn’t find it as enjoyable in school because she didn’t get on with the other students in her form.

She did like the shows as well. She liked dance the most out of the stagecoach activities. Do you feel that hobby has followed through in your life? She still likes to dance and does do it. She is currently looking for a group to dance but doesn’t feel totally confident picking up again in that structure. The group of people does influence if she want to dance with them. She tried one group and she didn’t feel she really clicked with that group of people. The social connection with the hobby is a big thing.

She liked it in stagecoach that she was choosing what she was doing where as in a school setting it was prescribed. The structure and the setting defiantly changed how the activity was and how it felt. She felt more success from the outcome of stagecoach then from drama in school because there was a production.

Do you feel you could be unique in your activities (cooking, dance)? She enjoyed stagecoach but would never take the leading role. She sometime felt she wasn’t good enough to.

How did you feel after a production? She would say pleased with self but finds it hard to remember.

She was holding herself back because she didn’t feel skilled enough in singing and in acting so she held back at dances as well. She felt she was creative at that age range.

Do you feel your hobby helped you create a stronger sense of yourself? She feels that stagecoach did help with her self-confidence. Cooking with her mum she would say help her learn to interact and because of that she feels she has a really strong bond with her mum.

Still likes doing arts and dance but doesn’t have the feeling to do it as much. It is a somewhat a lost feeling, she does have the time for it but doesn’t know about finding the right people to do it with.

End of Interview

How did you stay in touch with school peers at 9-12? She didn’t have a mobile phone that that age. Lived close enough to walk to some so would go ‘knock on for them’ Used the house phone a lot to call them. Social group of friends that age was mostly female as well.

What activity in school did you and your friends do when you had a break at school? They would play tag and some other games, a lot of socialising.

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How did the activity/hobby make you feel?

(audio included on audio CD) 28/12/09 Key Information

What aspects of your hobbies did you enjoy the most about them? He enjoyed the building and working with his hands, this was important to his hobbies. He liked to be able to set up the trains and the different tracks.

How did your hobbies make you feel?

Background He works in the IT field as a Card System administrator at Skidmore College. He maintains the card access database for swipe cards (university cards) for door system and the card systems for the point of sale locations (registers so on). Other then that he spends time drifting his car and building stuff in Lego. He would describe himself as a bit ‘off the handle’.

What were your favourite this to do and why when you were 9-12 years old? He doesn’t look fondly on that time period of his life. This was mostly related to issues in school. Also he remembers doing a lot of homework. He remembers spending a lot of time with his dad working on restoring a classic car with him. He messed with computers when ever he could.

They tended the take his mind off of other things that made him frustrated. They provided him a mental break from other things a form of down time that didn’t aggravate him or stress him out. They seemed to have a calming effect to him. The calm feeling was mostly while he was doing the hobby. It would mostly keep him mind off things that would upset him. He feels at that point in time that he really didn’t get a feeling that stayed with him because he was just getting into the hobby.

Did the feeling from the hobbies last? When working on the car with his dad when they got done with a part there was a feeling of success and those successes continued along on the building.

Mostly stuff to forget about school.

With the building it was more reaching a certain point knowing you had accomplished something. It didn’t have to be done but having a part of it done was a success. (smaller goals)

What were your favourite toys?

How did you stay in touch with school peers at 9-12?

Mostly he played with Lego he enjoyed because he could build whatever he wanted out of it so other toys weren’t as interesting. He did play with electric trains as well at that time.

He only had really one or two close friends at the time. Some time they would come over and play and it would be arranged by calling over the phone.

What about favourite board game for computer games?

What did you find stressful at 9-12?

He didn’t play a lot of computer games at that time. Spend some time with Atari System.

“Homework, Schoolwork the pressure from my parents to do it. Mostly the pressure from my parents to do it, then the work it self”

He didn’t play many board games. Played trouble a few times

Did you have favourite websites at that time? No real access to the internet at that time.

(Part 1 end)

Did you have hobbies at 9-12, what were they? He collected and played with electric trains. Didn’t really have the time or space to really get into it more. He worked a lot with his dad on the classic car he got at that point in time. It was a 54 Ford station wagon. Spend about 2-3 years working on that with is dad rebuilding and restore.

If he forgot to do homework or put it off he would get nagged about it over and over to get it done. The forces of having to do it at other people time table gave him a strong dislike to it.

What did you do to deal with the stress? He really didn’t know how to cope with that well at that point in time. It would wind him up and keep winding. He recalls have a few breakdowns on people at that time. Breakdown being defended an emotional outburst such as anger or being really upset. He got into a few fights over little things. Found the school environment more the issue of stress not that activities. If it was more ‘hands on’ he would get more out of such as science.

Maybe Lego could fit into a hobby but was more of toy or activity at that point and time.

How did creativity activity in school make you feel? Did you do any of your hobbies with others? He mostly did his hobbies with his dad. A lot of his hobbies he did by himself on the occasion he would have a friend over and they might mess with the trains a bit.

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He tended if he had an activity type class he would leave the class in a better mind set because it was hands on and engaging. He found it row teaching classes that they tend to make him frustrated. He found that he worked better in smaller groups and learned better when he had to figure it for himself or was roughly guided through it and or had to figure it out with classmates.

(End of part 2)

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Reflective Interview

Reflective Interview 25 Male Review

Reflective Interview

How did creativity activity in class make you feel? They gave him more of a sense of accomplishment.

Did you feel you could be unique in these activity? Are you still active in your hobbies and has it changed?

He feel most so then other things in school because they provide a bit more freedom.

He still works on car stuff but it is with his own car now. He also races and drifts some of his cars. He also tends to help friends work on their cars and enjoys teaching them how to fix things. He really enjoys teaching his friends skills it provided a sense of accomplishment and provide his friends with a useful skill.

Also he feel he could in some of his hobbies like Lego. Not so much in things like car stuff.

His dad still sometimes works on his car with him. His dad seems to more involved now. It depends on who takes the lead on how the dynamic of the group relate.

The importance of Community?

With the trains it has changed and not have the space limited it. The Lego seem to taking this space and he seems to likes to building trains in Lego.

With cars its usefully to have feedback from other people driving the same car. There was a community when he was younger when they got done with the car cause they when to different shows but the community was more aim at his dad. whereas now it is more of his peers and friends.

He stopped playing with Lego around 14-15 because he got guilt from peers thinking he was still a little kid for playing with them. He got back into building with Lego in a more hobby form around 22-23 and has stay with it. It a hobby of building and collection. He still enjoys building and constructed and creating with Lego the same as when he was younger but it seems he is more willing to push the design more and has more means too. Sometime he will work on Lego with a group of friends. Its works well just to have a bucket of parts to build with friends. Sometime they will work on a piece together or they work on separate pieces. It was a mixed age range of friends mostly they were in there 20’s.

He feel that the community involvement in some hobbies is very important.

He said with Lego there is a big community for it. Its more so now because of online and conventions. You have people showing off what they made and how to make different pieces as well as people selling parts or exchanging. At conventions sometimes you will see whole families there and there is something for everyone to do and enjoy. “Internet was important tool to creating a form to exchange information and ideas. It’s a large group but it a small group because of topic.” He got internet around the age of 14 or 15 and got his first mobile at 15-16.

Is the feeling you have doing in your hobbies different now from when you were younger?

Found that internet is more useful because it was a massive form vs. the phone was really only used to contact close friends and family.

He would say the feeling has evolved more than being different. He still has the same feeling of accomplishment from doing them. It gets his mind off things and such. He gives him down time.

What is strongest Memory from the 9-12 age range?

He tends to Legos more as a de -stress cause some time car stuff can be stressful do to location and time of year. Finds car work more fun when there is another person to work on things with.

Do you feel your hobbies have made an impact on your life? They seem to help him find an aim and structure in his life and point him more into what he enjoys doing with his time.

(Part 3 end)

He said it would be working on the car with his dad. He remember the day they got it run and he dad driving sitting on a milk carrot cause the seat driving. Also the first day they got it he was the first person to so called drive it. It was more steering it as he said his dad and one his dads friends pushed it. He enjoys being part of it and he felt important that he was able to do something.

Do you feel the community contribution end is really important to your hobbies? “He feels there are 2 key factors that are really important to his hobbies. They are, have the freedom to create something and have it contribute to something. “

End of Interview

Do you feel your hobbies create a strong sense of you as a person? Where he was young he feel he didn’t have a sense of self from his hobbies because he was searching to find himself. He tried a lot of different hobbies. He feels like the ones that stayed with him shaped him.

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He also found with group work that he was able to get other points of view on the project from other team mates. He believes this exchange was important. He also felt that he was able to learn from other teammates. Some people have stronger skills in certain areas and being able to feed off each other skills was very useful and would provide good balance.

(audio included on audio CD) 15/12/09 Key Information

Background He is a 3D game artist that working game design studio currently work on an MMO for 8-12 year olds. He has one year so far of working in the games field and previously gained an undergraduate degree in Computer Art and masters in Interactive entertainment. He would describe himself as an upbeat normal person.

Do you feel this feeling lasts after you have completed the project? He said, “sometimes it depends on the outcome.” If it doesn’t turn out the way he intended it to he starts to think of ways to remake it. he tends to leave his Lego creations as they are. Only when the creations have been around a really long time along with not being a favourite, it will be recycled for bricks. He believes it is more the enjoyment of the process in some ways.

Do you feel your hobbies have created a stronger sense of yourself? Have they shaped you as an Individual? He believes it has as he is more willing to take things apart and test them. From his hobbies his problem solving skills have moved over to his work environment along with aspects of his life.

How did you stay in touch with you classmates in school (9-12)?

When you were 9-12 years old what were your favourite things to do and why?

He mostly just hung out and contacted them at school. He did not hang out with many of them outside of school because of the area he lived in. It was not till high school that he was really comfortable going out to hang with people outside of school. He would defiantly head home before it was too dark, worrying about being mugged. He would maybe walk by at that older age and see if they were friends to hang out with.

At the time he lived in NYC and did not live in a very safe neighbourhood so he played a lot inside. A lot of games even if he went over to visit friends they would play the same things he would play at home. He doesn’t remember playing much with toys at that age. He remembers having the original Nintendo and the Genesis game systems. He played a lot of platform games such as Mario and Sonic. If he did play with toys it was most likely Lego.

When you were 9-12 years old what did you find stressful about your life? The area he lived in he did not feel comfortable going places. He avoided the stress by staying home although after a while he did get bored and started exploring more of the city (13+) However he did find it lonely. He played a lot with his sister but she is 9 years older than him. When his sister moved away it was somewhat shocking and lonely. He believes that this might have helped get him into video games because he really didn’t have any one to play with at that time. Moving to different schools added to that as well. He considers his video games as a de-stresser.

He still plays with Lego now.

Did you play any board games? He tried to get the crazy board games like Mouse Trap because the board was really cool. Sort like the crazy contraption type pieces. He attributes to his fascination to Rube Goldberg machines. He mostly played them with his family. His sister was one of the main people he would play them with as well as on occasion his with friends.

Would you say you had any hobbies at that age range and would you say you have any now? He would say drawing and making Rube Goldberg like contractions with rubber bands and Legos and whatever he could find to make a chain reaction. Even now he make contractions, sometimes they are more of a digital contraction then making. Also he often makes animations out of it sometimes. He still draws a decent amount but a lot of the drawing is related to work. He also still plays with Lego now and sometime uses the Lego prototyping ideas.

How did you find art-tech classes in school? How did that make you feel? Ended up in art classes because of the school changing his graduation requirements. He had to pick up 3 art in 2 years of high school. He became very addicted to art. He remembers an art teacher very well from school. The teacher was convinced he was going to go into something with art and he argued he wasn’t. She would push him to try harder. He respects her for this now and wishes to thank her.

Why didn’t you think you could be an artist? “It didn’t seem like an actual thing you could do in life. Most people wanted to be something like a doctor or fireman or astronaut.” (27M)

He used to scatter the parts and then create stuff (most the time not following a set of instructions.) On his desk at work currently he is trying to make a Lego puppet.

Did you feel you could be unique in activity in school?

What are your feelings when you are doing your hobbies? How do they make you feel?

His high school art teacher seems to instil drive into him to want to do more and he still has this drive today.

For him it is an excitement and to be able to think as crazy as he can.

He felt that he had some freedom in what he could do with the assignments; also there were enough aspects on the assignments to develop on.

When his hobbies seem more of a chore he puts them down an comes back to it

(Reflective End)

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Reflective Interview 27 Male Review

How can video games promote self-esteem are they in anyway doing that now?

How do peer influence the purchasing of a game?

He said, “They do promote self-esteem else everyone would stop playing them. Even when losing in a game it looks for a positive.” So video games give feed back to encourage you continuing in the game even when you lose. He states an example with Team Fortress a shooting game that when you die it shows you what you accomplished in your game life. It rewards you in some way for playing and for playing in different ways. He also stated, it also gives encouragement to push oneself further in the game by using things such as statistics.

He thinks there is a decent influence because if all the child’s friends are playing the game then they will want to as well. He seems to think it is even more so with MMO (Massively Multiply player Online) games because the social networking and team playing is a key element to a lot of the game. If you are able to play with your group of friends it makes it even more fun.

Also providing smaller goals to accomplish the game it is not about beating the game; it might be able being the best shooter with a certain type of gun.

With system such as the Wii do you feel it gives tangibility because of the controller?

How are games promoting other senses then just the visual sense? Is there a loss of tactility? Even with video games being mostly visual, sound plays a key role in a lot of games and helps to develop the atmosphere (He feels he is limited on knowledge to answer that)

Currently with you involvement in the development of a game for 8-12 age range what do you feel are some of the key components that are must haves in that age range? “It seem like kids love to show off what they do. So the game has built in achievements, such as you got to level two in this form or skill.” He also made a point about the collection and secret concepts so that you have something or all of something that others do not have yet. “It helps to almost give a bragging right. In the look what I have in the game and compare to friends.” “In some way like board games like Monopoly where you collect property and then if you have them all you are able to build housing and such of what you have collected adding to the worth of them”

How do you feel video games could influence self-esteem? He feels the self-esteem within the game and out of it. All games encourage their users but as for self-esteem outside of the game he currently cannot think of a game that does that. Sometimes the achievements in the game are compared outside of the game and can create a sense of accomplishment. In games like World of Warcraft accomplishment in game can lead to being a team leader for a quest and having a bit of control over others in the game. This interaction with others can help people feel better about the game and in some ways themselves.

Do you see games using social networking more? Is the community aspect important?

Peer provided encouragement to buy the game it is not peer pressure.

The Wii is like the video game board game in that the family pulls it out and plays it together. It is something that everyone will pick up and put down making it good for mixed age groups situations and get together. He finds the Will is more tangible in some ways because it utilises body play more so that button play. It encourages the use of the space around the user. It makes people more active as well. He feels they still need to take the idea 3 steps further. He feels it will help with the negative stigma of laziness because if there is more body movement that its an increase in activity.

How can you combat the negative option that video games are affecting schooling? “You can make just about anything into a game as long as its fun” Look at games such as brain-age and some of the other DS games. An example of the flash game called Build a Bridge where you build a bridge and you have to walk your man over it. If the man weights to much the bridge will collapse. The child learns something from it and has fun causing them to want to play it again. Everything can be tied back into a game The game console affects the type of controller and thus the games that are played Cooking game enhance multi-tasking skills

How do video games effect roll-play? He referenced a cooking game in that you take the role of the cook and the actions you have to take. Games in general allow you to talk on different roles and characters and act in ways they usually would.

End of Interview

“Social networking is very important it going back to being able to compare and brag to friends and show what you have done. If you are playing with all your friends you would be comfortable.” Social networking is important even single player games in some cases posting photos of bosses you killed to facebook. This creates and open exchange of conversation relating to the game and such talk as, “ how did you get that item in the game or beat that boss”

How does the security aspect of social networking effect the game you are currently working on? It is a very big issue that we have to worry about with the game being online and making sure the child is safe. Making the parent feel secure that the game is safe is a big point else the game will not be bought. Also giving them some control of the game as well as parental settings. Keeping the parent in the loop at all times even if the parent doesn’t play the game they can still check who their child is friends with and make sure their safe.

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Game Designer Related Questions

(audio included on audio CD) 08/12/09

Do you play board games now with your family? She does play board games with her kids and as a family, most so when the girls were a little younger but they still do now. They have different games such as PayDay and Don’t Wake Dad that they now play. The game play is something the whole family does through different generations. Even when she was just married and didn’t have kids yet she would play board games with her husband a lot and other friends.

Key Information

The family game play seems to come out around different social events. Game play and board games seem to be hobbies.

Background She currently is an Assistant Researcher at Coventry University in the Art and Design Department, she also teachers part time in the Geography department. Before she worked as a primary school teacher as well as trained nurse. Also she is a wife and mother of two children (both girls 11 and 13).

How does this game play make you feel? She referred to it as good fun and it can even be pointless funny games such as chubby bunny. Its fun and laughing a lot leaves the impressible moment.

How would you describe yourself right now?

She believes games are really importance to kids because they learn to be good winners and losers and how to take turns.

Professionally she describes herself as in transition. What route to take as she is finishing her PhD. Personally she describes herself as having a happy home life, a bubbly friendly person that is quite confident.

When you were 9-12 what were your favourite things to do and why? She remembers lots of playground games. Going out and playing with friends in the village it was a very safe environment. All the houses looked in on a little green in the middle. She would play Cowboy and Indian type games. Also she played a lot of games based on TV programs of the time, such as Charlie’s Angels or Doctor Who. They would make up stories related to the characters. Also she did ballet and tap when she was very little.

Why did you dip in and out of tap and dance? There was too much structure for her. She couldn’t deal with the set schedule and it’s seemed more about passing exam then enjoying it. It was too much like school. The less structured the hobby the more she seems to enjoy and be involved in it. It has seemed to carry over into her kids as well. She doesn’t send her kids to adult run hobbies (club sports) because she believes that because of the structure run by adult that the kids don’t develop their own social network or independence. The difference of play football in the park with friends and playing it in a league is the league one adds on what the adult want to get out of their kid as well and added pressure to win where as the football in the parks is for the kids to manage and is for a play context.

What type of hobbies do you have at 9-12? She would really consider ballet or tap as a hobby as she dipped in and out of it.

Is there a certain point in time when you stopped imaginative play?

Wouldn’t say she really had any hobbies, but she was always a reader. She could always be found with a noise in a book. She could be found in a wet lunch with chaos all around her with her noise in a book. What she has read changed through the years, she doesn’t read as much fiction. Feel she might have read herself out of fiction on her first degree in literature.

She wouldn’t do with home friends as much as they were older around the time she was in middle school. But she would do it on the playground till she was around 12 or so.

What did you play at school? What were your favourite toys at 9-12?

There were separate playgrounds for boys and girls at the time.

She remembers lots of board games and playing them with her dad. She always enjoy that even after her dad had a long day as a brick layer he would still come home and be willing to play games like operation. Also love the play The Game of Life.

The girls would play jaxs and there were different crazes that came and went. Imaginative play based on TV shows. Somewhat like a role play.

She wasn’t very big into but she had a girls world (girls world was head and shoulder bust that you could style the hair and do the makeup) it wasn’t a huge favourite.

She had a lot of friends that were boys. So they though as kids it was ridiculous they had separate playgrounds because of that they would sometime meet up on the edge of the playgrounds and chat to each other. Not sure what the boys did because they weren’t allowed a football in the playground. They might have done imaginative based on shows they liked.

She was never one for dolls for some reason. Mostly she really liked imaginative games. Her siblings are about 10-12 years older they her. It was a lot of her and her dad and maybe the girl across the road playing board games.

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Reflective Interview

Reflective Interview 41 Female Review

Enjoy the open ended-ness of the activity and that there was a level of competition in it.

How was the social play different from at home where you got to pick your friends (male and female) and at school where you had to play only with girls?

The competition as fun and not stressful.

It would have being imaginative play but it would have being more based around Doc Who or James Bond because there were characters of different gender and roles in them. Might have being more male driven.

It had to be in the school context to having done that activity.

They would also play pick up game where they would make the rules, using trees as goal posts and so on. Rough and tumble game the only rule was to get it between the other team’s two trees.

Her kids currently do more of that type of activity at home. They made a banner to get the ice-cream man to make stop on their street.

How did you stay in touch with your school peers?

Activity creativity and being unique

Birthday events peers would get together; also as she got older they would meet down at the park. She would wander down to the park and see if anyone was there. The meet up was more of a chatting social event. Sometime on the way down the park she would knock on friends door that she passed to see if they wanted to come out.

She feels that her bridge was one of its own. Also because it took ages to make the success of it doing well made it even more rewarding. It wasn’t perfect but when she built it became ok.

It wasn’t really organized by phone call or in school it just sort of where you met up. “The fact that I am 41 and I can remember it from 30 years ago says a lot for it”

What did you find Stressful at 9-12? She was being bullied by a group of girls when she first started middle school this was stressful. They were older then her. She didn’t want to really say anything. It stopped because she had a older cousin that was a boy and the girls found out she was related to him. The stress affected her sleep in that she couldn’t sleep cause of the bullying and worrying. She can remember the feeling of being bullied very well it like turning to jelly when those girls were near. Made her dislike bullies. It was short lived. But was nice to see they turned out not very well.

It left a lasting impression because it was both hands on and the outcome was positive. Also because we were treated in an adult way in here is a problem, solve it and these are your limited resources. Almost like a brief. She still likes to make stuff.

Homework was also a stress that she had. It was more stress putting if off then just getting on with it. Maths was stressful because she was in the top maths group but she was near the bottom of it. So she was struggling to stay in the group but at the same time didn’t want to end up in a lower group. She was in the top set so she knew she had to keep up with work or she would be moved down. It was almost snobbery of staying in the top group she didn’t want to be moved down. The stress was more of a motivation to keep her working hard.

If giving a problem in an adult setting it would depend on the adults. She watched a lot of TV as a child a lot on her own. The visual TV influenced into the play. The play seemed more role play. And role play is used as an adult in team building.

Her Dad or Mum was helpful in distressing. Just going home and forgetting the day. “Children need time to chill out and do nothing they don’t have to be doing something all the time. It doesn’t always have to be constructive.”

Different circle of friends

Doing nothing is just as valid as a de-stressors.

By 13 or 14 was more a cemented group of friends.

Is there a memory in activity creativity (DT or Art etc) that really stands out to you and why? A lot came down to teachers as well. She had some really good technology teachers.

End of Interivew

Remember making a game board and a plastic paper weight. Also she was given a problem to span a gap between two tables in a tech class. Were told they could do it anyway they wanted with a certain set of materials. Then they would put weights on it. The one that could support the most weight won. People made fun of her bridge because she made it with arch because she heard that they were stronger. So she had to soak the wood in water and bend it around some nails. It ended up a bit wonky but it was very strong. When it came to testing the bridges hers was the strongest one.

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Reflective Interview

She had a feeling of success in proving classmate wrong and ‘don’t you laugh at me.’

Reflective Interview 72 Female & 84 Male Review (audio included on audio CD) 21/12/09 Key Information

“Yes I feel they are Key” She feels that they helped make her a determined person. Those skills and the support of her husband at the age of 30 she when back to education did some O levels and an A level and because a trained nurse. She loved the learning but finds now what she learns from are her grandchildren.

What do you learn from your grandchildren? They are teaching her how to use the computer. They introduced her to different music and games. The Wii driving game they both enjoy doing. “Its like a new learning curve” (72F)

Background She is a retired nurse. She was married at 18. She had her first child when she was 20. She had 3 children by the time she was 21 she had twins. Then she had her 4th child 10 years after them. She is a very proud parent and grandparent. She has had a very lucky happy life. (72 F) When you were 9-12 what were your favourite things to do and why? It was post war and there was very little in shops. She would make stuff out of scrap cardboard such as games. Their dads would make them wooden toys to play with like swords and other toys. Play most with her friends Cowboys and Indians because they saw a lot of the American films. There would be a wooden gun and belt and such. This she would make bracelets out of the electrical wire surplus because there were a lot of bits left over. Knitting and square stitching for blankets.

Would have say you had hobbies in your youth? Did they carry through your life? She liked drama and dramatic reading. She is a very critical reader. She did Knitting and dressmaking as well. She still does some of it but it has to be a bit easier because it is harder with her hands now. Her hobbies have continued on and were useful where her kids were small because she would make them stuff. He didn’t really have a set hobby more pick up craft and building items. Later in life he picked up making dolls houses and he also always had a knack for music. He loves to listen to music. (84M)

She would play ring games such as the ‘farms in his dell’ which also involved singing and rhymes.

Do you feel your hobbies create a strong sense of yourself as a person?

If you were lucky and part of a youth or church group every scrap of paper was used. They would do a lot of quizzes just for fun.

Yes defiantly. Some of the hobbies are skills that we use in different areas.

She was near an air force base so sometimes the solider from the state would bring over things like ice-cream and other things that were unheard of at that time. (72 F) He would play football if they were lucky enough to have a ball. Cricket as well. Also they played pick up games where they made their own rules and tag games. They would play ‘fox and hounds’. He wasn’t lucky enough to have any board games. He came from a very poor background in that he father was injured in WWI and it made it hard for the family to support themselves. He had 4 siblings and they sort of made their own games up. He invented a cricket game on a spinner that could be played during the winter because he loved cricket and was fascinated by it. (84M) The making of the item was a key part to it as well as the item. They both feel this making aspect of their childhood has continued on. Both of them have different crafts they do now that are related to the ones they did as children.

They would do a lot of group collaboration in projects. The doll house, she did the sew bits and he did the wood bits. Finding the cheapest way of doing things with the best result. They have been married 53 years. Consider their kids and grandchildren hobbies now in some ways.

What did you find stressful at 9-12? She found maths stressful even to this day. (72F) His lessons in school were stressful because he didn’t feel as well dressed as some of the other kids. He felt outcast a bit because he couldn’t afford a blazer like some of the other kids. (84M) He feel it did affect his self-esteem but his good football skill counter acted that a bit. He was captain of his football team. Still love sport today. (very smiley when talking about football) Being captain of the team made him feel special.

He left school at 14 there was little training for them at the time. They both when into some type of factory work to start. He got a brick laying position when he was 15 that was very lucky for him (84M). At 18 he was drafted into the navy.

What was your way for dealing with stress (de-stressing)?

She feels that most the creativity areas that are part of childhood were a bit lost to them and now because of that they seem to want to do them more now. (72F)

He was always quiet so people were a bit weary of him because of that.

She would fight back a bit.

She feels like she started to regain the creativity art in her late 50’s.

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Reflective Interview

Do feel the building factor is a key aspect to you as person?

Reflective Interview

Her stress with math would follow her home and still does today. She can deal with money but algebra and geometry use to give her nightmares. She dealt with it by shying away from it. Feeling that creativity is developed through the family generations their parents crafted and their children as well. It seems to follow through the family. Feel that freedom in childhood is very important. Feels that sometimes other parents can scary their kids by giving so much pressure on different aspects of their life and sheltering them “you have to give them credit for what they know. (72F)

Do you feel in the activity you did you could be yourself and be unique? “We live in a one village world.” (72F) Having a good mix is important. Would alter patterns and I feel successful with them and still feels that as well.

Most memorable moment when you were young Her mother buying bananas from a cart and saying to her and her brother, “Here have a banana cause you wont see them for a long time.” (72F) That is her first childhood memory. His father when he went to get his pension money he bought him first pair of football boots and a small football. This was a big deal because he was one of the only boys that had a football in the village so they would all come and play with it. (was around 9, early 30’s) (84M)

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