When I reflect on the C-Content speakers, I feel like there are several underlying threads. All of them insist we must have cultural change to enable creativity. Specifically, I think they all come back around to the way we treat failure. Some of them refer to it as playing or experimenting and some refer to it straight up as failing, but they all agree it is a necessary thing. It is okay to not have instant success. It is okay to try things, even when they don’t work out. Trying things out is part of learning. Getting experience makes you better. Failing helps you become flexible and reflective. When these elements are absent from a classroom, creativity is stifled or worse, completely absent. A second theme I notice running through all the speakers is the idea of motivation. They all speak to students having choice, driving curriculum, making things that are meaningful. Nothing stifles creativity like meaningless work. Students need to feel motivated in order to be creative. They have to believe what they are doing matters. The carrot and stick dichotomy no longer work. Educators cannot encourage creativity by threatening students with disciplinary or grade related consequences.
When considering Mobley’s 6 insights, I feel like what Hammond says about the purpose of our education system is relevant. Our education system was designed to churn out laborers and workers. Not inventors or scientists or problem solvers. Mobely’s first point is that traditional teaching goes directly against building creativity. His second point is that creativity becomes an “unlearning process.” In our education system, with number of standards and the need to pass curriculum assessments, we never take the time to unlearn and think. Unlearn and approaching content from new perspectives takes time and we simply do not allow for that time. We are learning forward as fast as we can. The rest of his points about becoming creative, surrounding yourself with creative people, and being reflective are all fully possible in the school system. Nothing says that we cannot reflect or collaborate within the classroom. However, unless the first two points are present, there are no creative people to surround yourself with. Without creative people around, becoming creative is that much more challenging. We can still reflect and many school have some type of reflection, in the form of a portfolio or at least Open House. However, that reflection does not build creativity unless there are creative projects and collaboration to reflect on in the first place. Essentially, I can see creativity becoming a thing in public education. I even see it in some schools and individual classrooms, in some content areas more than other content areas. However, in order to make creativity something that can extend to all students in all contents, which we need to develop mathematical and scientific problem solvers, we need to reimagine the structure of public education. Without room to be wrong or to unlearn or to reflect on new perspectives, students will not have the opportunity to develop those creative muscles.
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October 2017
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