Creativity - Through the eyes of a nine-year-old

To begin, I must admit that the idea of being creative can be nerve-racking. As an adult, when asked to create or design something, I panic. I first admit to the team I'm working with that I am not creative and I offer to record our ideas or hold the chart paper when we present to the group. I had to reflect and determine the reason I don't consider myself creative in the situations I just described. 

My conclusion is that I am in fact creative, just not in that way. I don't care to perform a skit, or  sing lyrics to a song that incorporates the topic discussed at the professional development. This is especially true when working with people I've just met. Skits and singing in public invoke a fear of embarrassment and failure. My fight or flight response kicks in and I'd rather flight. Call me when you're done and I'll congratulate you on a job well done, but please oh please, don't make me do it!

In my mind, being creative had to do with the arts, drawing, sculpting, dancing, and singing. I realize it can be defined as much more and when taking technology into consideration, that's where I am creative. Original and completely new ideas are a challenge for me because of the deeply rooted idea about what creativity is, but I can be successful in solving a problem in a new way or challenging myself to take an old idea and make it something new and more effective.

Jason

When asked to talk with a student about the role of creativity in our classroom, I was interested in hearing what he thought.  Jason would be considered one of my higher students with the respect that he learns concepts very easily and quickly. He's one that I must keep in mind when planning lesson extensions because I know he will grasp an idea quickly. Because he can finish sooner than most, he is the one that might be sitting there waiting for the next thing to do. He's quiet and doesn't say too much, so I took this opportunity to learn more about what he thinks.

The best way to began was by asking him what he knew about the word creativity. He said, "What I know about it is that you have to use your imagination and create stuff that nobody ever created." When asked if he thought he had a chance to be creative in our class, he responded, "Um, yes, I think I can be creative in this class because last time we had to build robots and I designed mine with black and blue spots and it was so much fun for me."  Now, those robots were an area and perimeter activity that used grid paper. Given the area or perimeter, students had to design a robot that fit the specifications. The class loved it, and I agree with him, it was a chance to be creative because no two robots were alike and it really told me something about their understanding of the math concept.

I  asked him to think of some things we have done with the iPads and laptops that he liked. "I really like that we get to use the stylus and the iPads and we get to go to Google Classroom. We get to do assignments and answer questions." Styluses. Ok, that's an easy one and Google Classroom has been hit so far. He also mentioned that he enjoyed creating the math tutorial on how to solve a specific word problem. He liked recording his voice and showing others how to solve the problem. One thing I need to keep in mind is that my students are 8 and 9-year-olds and their memory of the projects we have done exist within a 2-3 week time frame. They often need prompting about activities done between August and December.

Now, time to get real...I asked him if there was anything he would change in our classroom, to give him a chance to be more creative. He first responded with, "I don't know what to change. I'm not sure what's out there." And there it was. So honest and true...our kids have no idea what's out there until we show them. His idea of what creativity is, "using your imagination and creating stuff that nobody ever created," is spot on, but the extent to his own creativity is limited to what he has been taught and the opportunities that are brought to him. Especially when I know that my students' families don't always have the means to provide them with experiences outside their community, it's up to the school to do that. Jason then added that he would like to see more activities in Google Classroom and practice with coding.

As Gardner suggests, I can provide and encourage different ways for math problems to be solved, but I must go beyond that and bring in artists, inventors, and other professionals that have gone their own way and have been successful.

**Post originally appeared on Weebly Blog**

Killing Creativity

To be fair, I would say most school are hindering creativity in students. I'm sure there are many that have recognized this problem and have developed a solution. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of these schools around, especially in low-income and high-poverty communities. With the demands of education today, it makes it difficult for teachers to embrace the creativity in their classrooms. Not to blame just the time factor, but many do not have the support from administration and without that, many are unable to teach "creatively" even if they wanted to. Calvin makes a good point, "How can you be creative when someone's breathing down your neck?" He's referencing a teacher who sets guidelines and doesn't allow any veering from the plan. Although it's a bit exaggerated, he ends with the fact that even when choosing to have fun with the process of creating, he ends up in the psych office. I would hope that's not where kids go when showing a little creativity, but on a more realistic level, they are probably asked to redo the assignment to resemble the teacher's model.

Are we killing creativity?

Yes. I have both the time and support at my school to embrace this, and still I struggle letting go and allowing my students to create, design, construct. It is a personal goal to consciously be aware of the feedback I give my kids. I provide the opportunities for them to create, but then find myself regulating some of the ideas because it doesn't look like what I was envisioning when I designed the lesson. I continue to work hard at this and engage my students in conversations about it. They know it's something I am working on and there are times that I have to step back and say, "I'm sorry, do it your way. It's your project and I think you have great ideas!"

Sir Ken Robinson

I have watched this particular TED Talk at least a dozen times over the last couple of years. It's a good reminder for me to strive for that personal goal. He says, "We get educated out of creativity." This of course is the phrase that reminds me that I won't be that educator that takes the creativity away from my students. The second thing he says that resonates with me is, "If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original." I believe this and see it in my students. On one hand, I am working to allow opportunities to be creative. On the other hand, when I do provide these opportunities, I have many students who don't take the risk. I'm sure it's because in previous years, they haven't been allowed or encouraged to be creative.

Bring it to life

Personally I have used digital media more throughout this school year than ever before. I have introduced my students to various Web 2.0 tools. In particular, Voice Thread was used as a way for students to retell a story read. Although it was a familiar story, The Three Little Pigs, and it was designed to be at a level for students who were in the beginning stages of retelling, the technology piece of recording their voice and importing images was a challenge. I didn't expect that one of my quietest students would chose this activity as her final. After listening to her Voice Thread, I was in awe. Before that day, I have never heard her speak with such expression. It was like she was a different kid. She was very proud of her recording and beamed when it was shared with the class. With testing and the criticism education is constantly under, I have to hope that experiences like this support my students when asked to perform in more conventional ways, like high stakes tests. Creativity is one thing testing can not measure.

Tapping into multiple intelligences is important in reaching all students. Through EDIM 503, I had the chance to create activities that supported the different intelligences. It was challenging to do this because you have to critically think about each one and the outcomes desired. But through that course, I realized the importance of this and as Sir Ken Robinson advised, we need to educate their whole being. I was impressed with the excitement this unit caused and the products produced by my class.

Three Little Pigs Think Dots Activities

Billy Miller Tic-Tac-Toe Board

TED. (2007, January 6). Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | Ted Talks [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&scrlybrkr