Creativity in the Classroom

Have a discussion with one or more of your students about the role of creativity in the classroom. What do they really value currently and/or what would they change about their learning environment when it comes to digital media and technology supporting creativity?

I had a very interesting conversation with a student about creativity in the classroom.  It was really hard to get him to speak his mind.  He was scared of offending any of his teachers! I told him this would be completely anonymous and he doesn't have to mention teacher's names. One of the biggest things he mentioned is how much focus there is on grades and testing and how little there is on creativity. He said that as long as you get good grades, teachers don't really care about creativity. He even had trouble defining creativity.  He believed that as a whole, there wasn't much creativity, but it depended on the teachers. Some teachers were better than infusing creativity than others. He told me that some students really aren't willing to take a risk and try to be creative in some classes.  It is hard in an environment they aren't comfortable taking risks in.  I asked him what would make him comfortable taking those creative risks.  He told me having access to ipads, and laptops would help.  He told me he is just more comfortable creating new things on technology. That technology, like iPads, are his comfort zone.  He talked about various apps on the iPad that you can create and edit videos, pictures and even one where you can create your own video games. We spent a great deal of time talking about minecraft and how much freedom you have on that video game to create your own world... and then destroy it! Every day after school, my school runs a math lab.  It is a time students can get help with their math homework and develop stronger math skills.  The math lab teacher wrote a grant last year and was able to get 5 iPads.  This student mentioned how much help those iPads helped him develop stronger math skills.  He told me he wishes every class had a set to use!

Another point that stuck out to me is that the student also mentioned that he wishes his teachers also would take the creative leap.  He believes some were so stuck in their ways that they would refuse to embrace technology.  He also mentioned that teachers could also help by being more supportive when students make mistakes.  He said that sometimes students are afraid to take risks and be viewed as having the wrong answer. He said a way to be supportive is to instead of always looking for just the right answer, the teachers should have more discussions and collaboration to get the right answer. He believes that all schools (and teachers) care about is the correct answer, not the process that they reached the answer. Students today are social, and thrive when they are allowed to collaborate.  The student told me if more teachers were willing to allow discussion and collaboration, students would feel more comfortable taking the creative leap. He also mentioned how important to him it was for the teachers to encourage taking these leaps, and it would help him if teachers expressed that it was ok to take risks even if the end product missed the mark.  He said we as teachers, should encourage students to take that leap of faith and attempt a new idea.

My interview with this student really confirmed things I had already knew.  Creativity, to this generation, can be supported through collaborative technology.  Technology and digital media have always been a part of their lives.  They feel more comfortable with an iPad, then they do with a marker and crayons. It is time teachers changed with the times, and it is also time districts invested more money to increase student access to technology.  I wish I had access to iPads every day!