Thai students unleash their creativity

[webfact]

Thai students unleash their creativity
The Nation


Children who join the TK Young Writer 2013 Project went up on stage at the Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) on a recent weekend.

Thailand knowledge park helps pupils grasp vital lessons outside class

BANGKOK: -- An exhibition aimed at building knowledge through creativity was held at Thailand Knowledge Park recently, showcasing the creations of Thailand's teenagers.

"This is an ideal complement to traditional forms of classroom instruction. We offer space and opportunity for young people to gain insight and develop their skills," said Dr Tatsanai Wongpisethkul in her capacity as vice-president of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development and director-general of Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park).

On display at the exhibition were creative works selected from 120 young people who participated in the TK Park's "Switch on Young Creativity 2013" project.

"This project taps into the dreams of our teenage target group and aims to unleash their creativity and hone their thinking skills - enabling them to produce their own work under the close guidance of professionals," Tatsanai said.

She added that TK Park organised the creativity project every year to assist Thai youngsters in preparing more effectively for the workforce.

The fourth edition of the project - with discussions and exhibitions covering marketing, graphic design, writing and music - was held from October 19-20 at TK Park on the 8th floor at Central World Plaza.

TK Park's project-based learning this year covered a number of areas, including fashion marketing under the theme "Dress and Dream a Brand". Like all areas covered by TK Park, it gave young people the chance to develop important life skills in their field of interest. Among the six fashion-marketing teams selected for the project by TK Park this year was the team "Warp". The team was made up of five young people from different universities and fields of study.

One of the teams members, Nantachporn Phuthong, alias "Luk Pad" from the Architecture Faculty, Chulalongkorn University, said team members were studying a range of different skills including marketing, communication arts and architecture.

"We were trained by experienced marketing, design and fashion instructors and given a chance to meet with real suppliers, create our designs and go into production with them. We were rewarded with a copyright for our Warp brand and won three awards, plus a training opportunity with the famous Thai fashion brand "Fly Now", said Nantachporn.

TK Young Writer 2013, another initiative of TK Park, was open to young people aged between 16-23 years old with an interest in writing. Sahakhun Udomsawangchoke, a senior medical student at Chulalongkorn University, was among this project's participants.

"Like a nerd, I was always into textbooks and was a top-class student from a very young age. I never read anything for leisure - no cartoons, novels, or short stories. Things went like that until I was in Mathayom 2. That's when a friend recommended a Thai-science fiction novel series "H.A.C.K. Deadly Secret". It's about the adventures of a genius hacker. I got addicted to the series, which inspired me to write a novel," this bright student said.

However, novel writing turned out to be more difficult than Sahakhun first expected. He began with a short story, but after two years he had still not completed it. Sahakhun later went to medical school, but never gave up his dream of becoming a writer.

"During my medical studies, I watched a clip about HIV-infected people and it inspired me to write a short story about an HIV-infected village. I then submitted the story to 'TK Young Writer 2013', said Sahakhun.

"The project taught me every process of magazine publishing, as well as learning from experienced editors and team members. I was chosen as an editor for a magazine called 'Khon Suan [Gardener]'. During the production process, I also had hospital training, but thanks to the great support and guidance of our senior editors, our editorial team was able to complete the magazine," Sahakhun said.

This year was also the fourth year of TK Park's "TK Band" music creation workshop, which offers valuable experience to all its young participants.

Purich Chantalerdluk, nicknamed "Guitar", from Suan Kularb Wittayalai School in Nonthaburi, was a drummer in TK Band. He started learning the drums at the age of three. Aware of his passion, using chopsticks to beat out a rhythm on objects around the house, his parents sent him for percussion lessons, which he has now been taking for the past 11 years.

"I think learning new things is always fruitful and after seeing a list of experienced music instructors on the TK Band project, I submitted an application right away."

He said the training gave him the chance to meet new friends with like-minded interests. Training sessions were arranged once a week, which Purich said he enjoyed every part of. Training covered musical composition, musical languages and much more.

"The process of learning and sharing experiences outside the classroom is invaluable. The more we performed, the more we developed," Purich said.

-- The Nation 2013-11-04

[Somtamnication]

Here is my p4 student unleashing his creativity.

[tominbkk]

Yikes!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[canuckamuck]

I applaud the efforts, this is a good direction to go, if they are serious.

But I don't think unleashing their creativity is the right metaphor. After a lifetime of being told that thinking differently is bad, letting their creativity have a peek out the window would be a more fitting analogy.

[Trentham]

I also applaud their efforts. However it is a shame the main talent mentioned in the article is "fashion" design. There is already a surfeit of fashion design in Thailand and in my opinion most of it ugly [but then- I am an old bloke]. Pity they did not mention engineering, architecture, science or perhaps computing amongst the fields. Great to see writing in there though.

[DocN]

...some more Hitler- murals?

[timber]

Einstein said that if you want intelligent children expose them to fairy tales,

if you want them to be more intelligent expose them to more fairy tales.

This seems to apply a bit here. Empower the imagination.

[Africanteacher]

Here is my p4 student unleashing his creativity.

20130731_140857 (Medium).jpg

Centuries down the line, when the whole of our generation will have been wiped out by an 'unspied on' plague, this piece of abstract art will be worth a continent.

[lostmebike]

Encouraging Thai students to think alone is good thing. It just needs to introduced into the schools now!

[noitom]

Here is my p4 student unleashing his creativity. alt=biggrin.png width=20 height=20>

20130731_140857 (Medium).jpg

Notice the weapons.

[Local Drunk]

If you want to teach them to think outside the box, then you have to teach them to stop thinking like Thais, which means you really have to try their intellect. Ask a few questions like "Tell me about a pencil?, "If your standing on the North Pole, which way is South?" or "What does chicken taste like?" They won't be able to answer any of them, but that's where you as a teacher should be able to give them an example of thinking outside the box and if you can't then you need to get your own brain out of the box.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Local Drunk

[pisico]

Einstein said that if you want intelligent children expose them to fairy tales,

if you want them to be more intelligent expose them to more fairy tales.

This seems to apply a bit here. Empower the imagination.

Thailand: the hub of fairy tales. No Einsteins though....

[Local Drunk]

...some more Hitler- murals?

How do you know what the students are thinking? Perhaps student's choose a symbol that represents one of the most horrid regimes in history to express their dissatisfaction with society. It's called "anger". It does get attention, ask Sid Vicious when you meet him. Moreover, don't they have the right to be a Nazi if they want to? Are you going to deny them this right because of what you perceive to be politically or morally incorrect?

There are plenty of Christians out there ready to "dam_n you to Hell" for shagging a bar girl or drinking too much. There are fanatical Muslims that are willing to die with a suicide bomb to take you out and believe that will be blessed by God for doing such.

How can you be right is my question?

Edited November 4, 2013 by Local Drunk

[A1Str8]

Unleash how? They get married to their smartphones?

[Local Drunk]

Einstein said that if you want intelligent children expose them to fairy tales,

if you want them to be more intelligent expose them to more fairy tales.

This seems to apply a bit here. Empower the imagination.

Thailand: the hub of fairy tales. No Einsteins though....

"No Einstiens though" What a ridiculous statement to make against children.

[pisico]

Einstein said that if you want intelligent children expose them to fairy tales,

if you want them to be more intelligent expose them to more fairy tales.

This seems to apply a bit here. Empower the imagination.

Thailand: the hub of fairy tales. No Einsteins though....

"No Einstiens though" What a ridiculous statement to make against children.

Against children? Not against children. Those who have lived here for a few years know that this country is not notorious for innovations or creativity. Thais are encouraged by the powers that-be to be copiers, repetitious and to be "in the box". Furthermore, the "children" you are defending are already teenagers who will become adults in a few years and join the rest of the flock. I am sorry if I hurt your sensibilities but you answered to my comment (and another one here) with righteous indignation posting labels. To use "maybe" (as Thais do trying to deflect responsibility of wrongdoing) when trying to justify the obvious shortcomings of this country is to dive into the same pitfall as the bulk of the country is. Just take a look at the list of Thai inventors, Scientists or recipients of a Nobel Prize in any discipline. That will tell volumes of the way students are reared into being boxed into a specific norm of behavior. Independent thinking is not favored. Please, prove me wrong with facts.

[DocN]

...some more Hitler- murals?

How do you know what the students are thinking? Perhaps student's choose a symbol that represents one of the most horrid regimes in history to express their dissatisfaction with society. It's called "anger". It does get attention, ask Sid Vicious when you meet him. Moreover, don't they have the right to be a Nazi if they want to? Are you going to deny them this right because of what you perceive to be politically or morally incorrect?

There are plenty of Christians out there ready to "dam_n you to Hell" for shagging a bar girl or drinking too much. There are fanatical Muslims that are willing to die with a suicide bomb to take you out and believe that will be blessed by God for doing such.

How can you be right is my question?

Do you know, what I was talking about?

Even better: do you know, what YOU are talking about?

[Emdog]

I was hoping it might be the most creative dating site scam. Bring in income and unleash that creativity! Anyone who has been scammed by a Thai lady can attest to no lack of imagination, planning and follow thru demonstrated by those artists!

[sms747]

If you want to teach them to think outside the box, then you have to teach them to stop thinking like Thais, which means you really have to try their intellect. Ask a few questions like "Tell me about a pencil?, "If your standing on the North Pole, which way is South?" or "What does chicken taste like?" They won't be able to answer any of them, but that's where you as a teacher should be able to give them an example of thinking outside the box and if you can't then you need to get your own brain out of the box.

Also it's their lack of knowledge about the outside world that marks them out as special needs. Showed the mrs a pic of JFK the other day and asked her who it was- George Washington was her serious reply, and yes she does have a degree. Asian questions outside of Thailand are not much better.

[Trentham]

If you want to teach them to think outside the box, then you have to teach them to stop thinking like Thais, which means you really have to try their intellect. Ask a few questions like "Tell me about a pencil?, "If your standing on the North Pole, which way is South?" or "What does chicken taste like?" They won't be able to answer any of them, but that's where you as a teacher should be able to give them an example of thinking outside the box and if you can't then you need to get your own brain out of the box.

Also it's their lack of knowledge about the outside world that marks them out as special needs. Showed the mrs a pic of JFK the other day and asked her who it was- George Washington was her serious reply, and yes she does have a degree. Asian questions outside of Thailand are not much better.

Well I guess if you asked most Westerners who Zhou Enlai is you would get the same kind of response.

[pisico]

Unequal comparison. No Egalitarianism, please! The Prime Minister Zhou Enlai had limited and regional relevance and to date remains largely ignored in his own country. His contributions were never global. Although JFK carried out the ill-advised Vietnam war, that does not detract of his formidable worldwide presence to date.

If you want to teach them to think outside the box, then you have to teach them to stop thinking like Thais, which means you really have to try their intellect. Ask a few questions like "Tell me about a pencil?, "If your standing on the North Pole, which way is South?" or "What does chicken taste like?" They won't be able to answer any of them, but that's where you as a teacher should be able to give them an example of thinking outside the box and if you can't then you need to get your own brain out of the box.

Also it's their lack of knowledge about the outside world that marks them out as special needs. Showed the mrs a pic of JFK the other day and asked her who it was- George Washington was her serious reply, and yes she does have a degree. Asian questions outside of Thailand are not much better.

Well I guess if you asked most Westerners who Zhou Enlai is you would get the same kind of response.

[Somtamnication]

Here is my p4 student unleashing his creativity.

20130731_140857 (Medium).jpg

Centuries down the line, when the whole of our generation will have been wiped out by an 'unspied on' plague, this piece of abstract art will be worth a continent.

Chai chai chai!!! A Van Somchai will be worth millions!!!