Importance+of+Creativity+in+the+Classroom

=__**The Importance of Creativity in the Classroom**__ = Lauren Rigsby

Watching
I first became interested in the problem of keeping creativity when I started watching some videos of Sir Ken Robinson. He is a leader in the worldwide development of creativity and education. The video here is from his 2006 TED Talk.

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Since first watching this video, and others featuring Robinson, I've spent a good deal of time thinking about this. I have discussed it in classes, and even wrote a paper on the topic. Most of that time, though, focused on writing better lesson that include more inquiry type projects. I am very comfortable using the internet, so I was interested in finding out more about what is available online to aid in my search for creativity.

Wondering
Some questions that I would be interested in knowing the answers to: 1. Why is creativity so important in our classroom? 2. What, exactly, is creativity? 3. What resources are available for free that I can use in my classroom? 4. Are there some creative resources that are worth paying for?

__Links to creative online activities:__


Family Education Activities Center- Instructions for tons of different activities to promote creatvity in the home. Many activities could easily be adapted for the classroom.



PBS Parents Site - Several activities that let children explore new concepts without having to find a set answer.



Creating Music- Lets children explore music. They can play with sheet music using their computer keyboard, and even compose their own music.



Nick Jr. Free Draw- Not your average drawing tool. Many different kinds of brushes allow for new types of images.



Interactive Poetry- This website has links to several sites that allow for interactive poetry writing.

I also came across this website that has some neat creative links to use in the classroom, such as creating cartoons, imaginary worlds, games, and more. [] You might also think about creative websites that can be used with special education students.

__Articles about creativity:__
Ten Classroom Creativity Killers- This article describes several different ways that creativity is often discouraged in our classrooms and provides ways for us to fix them. A lot of emphasis is put on letting students explore their original ideas rather than copying someone else's. I also really like the points about allowing exploration instead of just showing examples.

Creativity- Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology- A wikipedia style page describing creativity in the classroom. It has an especially good discussion on what creativity is. It argues that problem finding, formulation and redefinition, divergent thinking, synthesis and combination of information, and idea combinations through random or chance-based processes are crucial to the creative process.

What is creativity?
According to the wikipedia page on creativity, "** Creativity ** refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new (a product, a solution, a work of art, a novel, a joke, etc.) that has some kind of value. What counts as 'new' may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs. What counts as "valuable" is similarly defined in a variety of ways." I think that this is a great definition. The person has to come up with something new that is in some way beneficial. It doesn't, therefore, mean doing something artistic. I think that a lot of teachers will include some art project and feel that they have let their class be creative. While art certainly lends itself to creative thought, there are so many more ways to exercise our creative muscles.

Why is creativity so important in our classroom?
Creativity is what allows for independent thought. It is what lets each one of us be different. It also the driving force behind the advancement of the human race. It allows us to make new medicine and technology, think of new philosophies to understand our lives, and make art. It is crucial that we as teachers spend some time figuring out ways to incorporate creativity into our classrooms, because we are responsible for out students, who will, in turn, be responsible for the future of our world. The standardized tests that are so pervasive today, and the ease of worksheets and drill, have made it much harder to keep creativity in the classroom. However, there are many ways to correct this.

What resources are available for free that I can use in my classroom?
There are so many resources on the internet that require no money at all. They range from interactive website that I could send my students to, to great lesson plans to use in my class, to helpful articles to help me know how to incorporate creativity in every part of the day. See this page for a larger list of resources.

Are there some creative resources that are worth paying for?
I have found a couple of simulation games that I think are worth paying for if you are a parent. Some of these games teach not only creativity, but other content, like history and government. There are some classroom resources that your school can purchase access to, but with the abundance of free resources, I don't really think that it's necessary, unless there is just something that you personally have a preference for. Ultimately, it is up to the teacher to be creative to teach their students to be creative. See this page for a larger list of resources.

Wrapping and Waving
These tools are a resource that we as teachers should not ignore. Our students have a great potential for creativity if we only allow them to use it. These tools and games are an excellent way for us to let our students do the creating they need. Some teachers may need convincing that they are not allowing creativity. I think that because that term is so commonly misunderstood as anything artistic, our students' needs are sometimes overlooked. When we allow them to come up with brand new ways of doing things, and accept the fact that, to some questions, there is more than one answer, we will find that they have a potential we didn't even dream of. There are so many ways of allowing creativity. While you can certainly do that without computer access, I think that these online resources are to good to ignore when available. Though some of them are just games, play is a powerful learning tool.