Sir Ken Robinson, in a recent interview with Graham Brown-Martin, defines creativity as “the process of having original ideas that have value”. Robinson speaks to educators about the importance to not only “teach creatively”, but also “teach for creativity” (2014). According to Robinson, to teach creatively is to peak one’s curiosity and lead that person down the road to self-discovery. To teach for creativity, on the other hand, puts the emphasis on encouraging people to develop their creative capacities and skills. The NACCCE report (1999, as cited in Jeffery and Craft 2004) made a distinction between teaching creatively and teaching for creativity. Teaching creatively was defined as ‘using imaginative approaches to make learning more interesting and effective’. Teaching for creativity was defined as forms of teaching that are intended to develop young people’s own creative thinking or behaviour. No matter which definition you choose, one thing for certain is that the two work hand in hand and are equally vital to a learning environment. As I contemplate how I would select emerging technologies to fit my developing philosophy of education, I immediately return to my classroom theme this year, which is “We are all Creative Thinkers”. Choosing emerging technologies must enhance the creative process, increase student engagement and improve conversations and responses to ideas to be valuable teaching tools.
My developing philosophy of education has centered on the importance of relationships and student engagement. I remember reading the phrase, “Education is interest” and immediately recognized the simple truth to that statement. If students show interest, they are motivated to learn. What I strive to achieve in my teaching is to create personal interest (i.e. through Inquiry, project-based learning) that engages students in their learning to the point they never ask about their mark. If I can create a learning atmosphere where students are engaged and taking ownership of their learning without concerning themselves with what grade they might be getting, I feel I am on the right track. If I am searching for ways to inspire and engage my students, I invariably turn toward emerging technology tools that help me to connect and challenge students to be “original thinkers”.
Sir Ken Robinson, in the Art of Teaching, offers ideas on how to teach for creativity by creating challenges, setting tasks and allowing time and freedom to speculate. Jeffery and Craft (2004) cite a framework for teaching creatively and teaching for creativity featuring relevance, ownership, control and innovation. Understanding and revisiting my developing philosophy of education has been valuable in that it has grounded my decision process on selecting emerging technologies in my teaching. Creative processes, student engagement, ownership of learning and an emphasis on sustaining relationships through conversations and responses to ideas will need to be supported when using technology tools. Next is to contemplate which emerging technologies will be the best fit and begin to implement them into my teaching practise.
References
Brown-Martin, Graham (January 2014). Sir Ken Robinson: The Art of Teaching. Retrieved from http://learning-reimagined.com/sir-ken-robinson-art-of-teaching/
Jeffrey, Bob and Craft, Anna (2004). Teaching creatively and teaching for creativity: distinctions and
relationships. Educational Studies, 30(1), pp. 77–87 retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/425/2/CT-TFC-Final-Ed_Studies.pdf