Creativity in the classroom!
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| Source: http://www.movemequotes.com/tag/creativity/ |
Creativity within the classroom is something that some feel is needed for students to grow. I think that this is something that does need to be incorporated into the classroom even just a little bit. With some content area it is easier for a student to be creative then others. If I taught a history or literature course creativity would be flowing! In the mathematics classroom is isn't as easy to include some creativity for the students.
Within in my classroom, I try to be creative when I possible. I don't think that creativity is only based around some art based project, but I think it can be seen within the way that I teach a lesson. When I taught geometry a few years ago I needed to get creative in the way I taught my students about proofs. When I first introduced the concept to my students, I told them that they needed to give me instructions on how to get from the door to the classroom back to my desk chair. My students started to have me move and I followed the directions exactly how they were said. If they told me to walk forward and a desk was in my way, I push though it with the steps I was taking. If they told em to turn, then I just stood there and kept turning in circles. As they started to catch on to how they needed to give me directions, a student got creative and told me to stop drop and roll. Without breaking the lesson, I indeed stopped, dropped, and rolled. It still makes me laugh when I think back to that class period.
Being creative in how I presented the lesson is what allowed some of my students still remember the lesson years later. I may not be creative all the time, but I like to bring it to my classroom as much as I can. I don't know if creativity can be taught to students. I think they will rise to the occasion when it presents itself to them. I feel that if we provide students with options, that this is where they will let their own creativity shine. I think that my school is some what creative. As teachers begin to feel comfortable with project-based learning, I think they begin to see how creativity can be included more.
I enjoyed watching this TEDx talk.
https://youtu.be/nASvIgSOCxw
I think that there are definitely ways to incorporate creativity into any topic or subject that is being taught, you just have to find ways in which to do so. I agree that the teacher plays a large role in implementing creativity within the classroom, but creativity should be expressed in various ways from students as well. As you mention, creativity does not just relate to artistic projects/pieces within learning. Creativity can be expressed through various means in various subjects. I liked your example about how creativity can be used in math via teacher lesson planning. Would you agree that creativity can also be used in math when students collaborate together to come up with possible solutions for a challenging problem? A key concept in math is to be able to describe various methods to find a solution, so students need creativity in order to think of several methods and explanations for how a problem can be solved. Understanding that there is not one single path to an answer or success in a lesson is a key factor in creativity.
ReplyDeleteI totally remember you doing that in class! Didn't you also have them give you directions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (and then allowed them to get some!)? I agree that make memorable, creative lessons are important because those are the one you remember and hopefully the content/objective is remembered with it due to the fun! I know that math can be challenging in terms of making creative lessons/activities but if there is a will, then there is a way and even if there is only a few every once and a while I think that is important to incorporate as much as possible. We should definitely come up with some good lessons/activities for next year in Algebra 1!
ReplyDeleteI love that you followed the directions exactly! Not only did this show your students how important it is for them to be complete in their work with proofs, it also showed them you are open to having fun and being creative in class - which goes a long way. You are correct in that sometimes the content does limit how creative we can be, but it is important to try and make it fun and interesting - something you are definitely doing. I am willing to bet that like Briana, many others remember that day in class too!
ReplyDeleteMany teachers need to be solid in their pedagogy and content knowledge before they can feel comfortable with bringing in creative elements. This is definitely something to strive for! I agree that mathematics can be tough to embed creativity into but there are technology tools that can be used to present understanding that can be utilized (i.e. think infographics like we just made!).
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