Its spring!!!!

Yes believe it or not 1^st February is spring. So here’s a challenge for all 5 to 12 year olds.

Take a great photograph that you think best represents spring in your local area or on your holiday travels and we will put the best up on our website gallery www.imaginationgym.com and on our Facebook.

You can submit more than one photograph, but hurry up, it will be summer soon and then we will want your best summer pictures!

This is not a competition, that will come later, but you can submit the same picture for both if you wish. Please send your photographs with your name, age, school and location of shot to photos@imaginationgym.com.

We look forward to seeing your fantastic creations.

Tá clár nualach ceardlanna á reáchtáil ag ImaginationGYM® i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge 2012. Tá an cheardlann bunaithe ar chláir fuaime agus gníomhaíochtaí atá sé bunaithe, a dearadh go speisialta, chun an tsamhlaíocht, foghlaim inchinne agus iléirim páistí 5 bliana agus os a chionn a fhorbairt.

Is slí spraíúil agus idirghníomhach é ceardlann ImaginationGYM® chun cabhrú le páistí teacht ar a gcuid cruthaitheacht nádúrtha agus bua ealaíne. Is ar an gcéad chlár fuaime sa tsraith, dar teideal An Choill Draíochta, atá an téama bunaithe. Spreagann an clár fuaime le páistí a gcuid scéalta féin a chumadh trí iad a mhealladh chuig domhan na samhlaíochta, a bhfuil an béaloideas, an dúlra, ainmhithe, ceol, brionglóidí agus mianta mar chuid de. Foghlaimeoidh na páistí faoin tslí ar féidir leo cur lena gcuid samhlaíochta, agus faoin tslí ar féidir leo spraoi dearfach a bheith acu go cruthaitheach trí leathanaigh ghníomhaíochta bunaithe ar an ealaín.

Is do ghrúpa páistí, idir 7 agus 12 bhliain d’aois, a dearadh an cheardlann seo, a mhaireann uair a chloig amháin. Is ann do dhá fhormáid ceardlainne (ceann amháin do ghrúpa ina bhfuil suas le 15 pháiste agus ceann eile do ghrúpaí níos mó, ina bhfuil suas le 30 páiste). Is féidir formáid na ceardlainne a chur in eagar do pháistí amháin nó do pháistí atá i dteannta a gcuid tuismitheoirí/caomhnóirí. Is féidir le ceardlanna a athrú de réir riachtanais na bpáistí o thaobh teanga.Is féidir ceardlanna a reáchtáil i leabharlanna, i scoileanna, in ionaid ealaine nó in aon ionad eile.

Má tá tuilleadh eolais uait faoin tslí ar féidir ceardlanna ImaginationGYM® a réachtáil do Sheachtain na Gaeilge, glaoch ar Róisin Ní Dhurcáin ar 087-6168460 nó seol ríomhphost chuig rdurkin@imaginationgym.com.

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Seachtain na Gaeilge: Workshops for Children
ImaginationGYM®

ImaginationGYM® are available to run workshops for children during Seachtain na Gaeilge 2012. The workshop is based around specially designed audio imagination exercises and activities which develop imagination, whole brain learning and multiple intelligences in children and adults.

The ImaginationGYM® workshop is a fun and interactive way to help children access their natural creativity, and artistic talent. It is themed around the first audio program in the series titled An Choill Draíochta (The Enchanted Forest). This audio imagination exercise encourages children to create their own stories by bringing them on a journey into an imaginative world of folklore, nature, animals, music, dreams and wishes. Children will learn to stretch their imagination muscles and have fun taking positive action on creativity with art activity sheets.

The one-hour workshop is designed for groups of children aged 7-12 years with two workshop formats (one up to 15 children in a group and larger groups of up to 30 children). The workshop format can be arranged for children only or for children with their parents/ guardians. Workshops can be run in libraries, in a school environment, arts centres or other venues. Last year successful workshops were run in many libraries such as in Dundalk, Drogheda and South Dublin. We will be happy to provide contact deatils for references.

Should you require further information on scheduling an ImaginationGYM® workshop for Seachtain na Gaeilge, contact Rosaleen Durkin on 087-6168460 or email rdurkin@imaginationgym.com.

ImaginationGYM in Finland

One of the features of our recent successful seminar on Holistic Education was the overwhelming response from our Finnish contributors. As you are probably aware Finland is a consistent world leader in education as ranked by the OECD (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development). So any praise from them is praise indeed!

Children in the Finland do not begin formal education until at least 7 years. Prior to that there is an extensive child care system that encourages free play, socialisation and organic learning.  This is heaven for children and hell for traditional educators who prefer controls, stats and league tables.

As the Finns are so successful at children’s education it is an honour that ImaginationGYM have been invited to present a daylong seminar to child carers, counsellors and educators in Helsinki, Monday, April 2^nd 2012. Rosaleen Durkin, co-author of the ImaginationGYM methodology will host a workshop applying the methodology to the Finnish early learning system. Mary Mountstephen, ImaginationGYM consultant UK and special needs author will present a workshop on ‘movement to learn’ showing how natural exercises can enhance a child’s learning and development process. The seminar will be presided over by Jari Tiensuu, respected Finnish author and national education trainer.

Over the last 6 months we have been researching  and    modifying the ImaginationGYM methodology at a very progressive care home in Wexford, Ireland. The modifications were designed so that the methodology can be used in the wider context of ‘Activity Therapy’ for older people as practised in most care facilities around the world.

Apart from modifying some of the material used in the methodology, research was carried out to see if the methodology will work with residents who have Alzheimer’s. This part of the trial had a simple goal, to see if the methodology stimulated any reaction in these residents and if this would be sustainable and grow over regular exposure to the ImaginationGYM methods. An independent report is due to be released by the institution shortly and we will be happy to provide a copy to you if you contact us through the website, Facebook or twitter. But in general the project was very successful because it helped us modify the methodology as desired but more important it achieved the goals of engaging the residents, increasing interactions and sustaining positive changes over time. This occurred even with residents who had been non responsive to other therapies in the past.

The facility has now decided to extend the project to cover a wider spectrum of remedies to include those who would benefit from art stimulation, relaxation techniques and to help those with sleeping problems. They have also decided to officially implement the ImaginationGYM methodology as part of their ‘Activity Therapy for Older People’.  Staff training in the methodology has already begun (in Ireland the training has been approved and is now part funded by an Irish government training body, FAS).

Provide training support in Elder Care Homes in ImaginationGYM methodology

Practical Benefits of ImaginationGYM Methodology for Care Homes