Category Archives: Contemporary issues

Can you teach creativity?

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This is a question I have begun to ask myself after reading Elisabeth Gilbert’s (the author of Eat, Pray, Love) 11 ways to think smartly about creativity (2015). Creativity is an area which I personally want to develop within myself which is why I initially began reading this article. However, it sparked this question about how to enhance creativity in my classroom. I believe that encouraging children’s creativity is an exceptionally important aspect of education as it is all too easy for teachers to destroy this and something which children may never get back.

Gilbert (2015) believes that “if you’re alive, you’re a creative person.” Through coming to university and encouraging myself to try new things (such as blogging) I agree with this statement, you just need to find the medium of creativity for you. Although, as a child I may not have agreed with Gilbert like I didn’t agree with my music teacher who believes everyone can sing (though I certainly can’t). However, as a teacher I have said very similar things to kids in my class about their creative work.

Ted TalkMy thought process through doing this, as every time I say this I think back to my music teacher, is that I am trying to maintain a positive belief in every child about their own work. Although I know that not all creative mediums may be a child’s forte I think it is important to encourage them to look positively on their work and maintain an attitude of trying.

Colin Barras (2014) concludes his article discussing creativity by stating that “everyone accepts you can’t teach genius” so suggesting that you can’t teach creativity either as amazing art skills are innate within certain people and you can’t create this. However, he believes that developing creativity is more about encouraging day-to-day creative thinking in all aspects of life. Thus suggesting that creativity should factor into every lesson in my class and not be confined to a set lesson time such as art class.

Gilbert (2015) continues this argument to suggest that we need to remove the idea that creativity needs to be perfect and that we need to move away from the anxiety created when thinking that something needs to be perfect and that creativity is something that only ‘gifted people’ have. Ken Robinson (2006) believes that f you are not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original.

This encourages me to develop an ethos in my class which encourages mistakes as I believe mistakes are as influential in learning as getting things right. Although, this is possibly an outlook on life I have developed over time as I have made ‘mistakes’ through my own education. However, as a child all I could see were the people in my class always getting it right, and this discouraged me from making mistakes as I felt that mistakes meant that I was wrong and less able than the others in my class.

Gilbert (2015) further suggests that creativity should be encouraged through curiosity as all creativity begins with an interest in something. She develops this argument to say that inspiration isn’t created within you but actually comes to you, and this is possible through being curious and exploring new avenues.

Education Scotland (No date) have launched a ‘Creative Learning Plan’ developing creativity skills in every child, as this is to prepare them for life and work. They encourage 4 main skills which are applied across Curriculum for Excellence to encourage creativity; curiosity, open mindedness, imagination and problem solving. So suggesting the many avenues which a classroom teacher can use to encourage creative thinking and to change the idea that you either are or aren’t creative.

At the same time, there is an argument suggesting that schools are killing creativity within their classrooms. Barras (2014) suggests that this is due to standardised testing as they encourage children to conform rather than to value thinking differently. Back in 2006, Ken Robinson argued that schools do in fact kill creative spirit. He believes that creativity is as important in education as literacy is, as it is becoming an important skill to have in the work place. Further supporting the argument that creativity should be a core aspect of any school day and curriculum, as children should be allowed to explore their imagination and the different mediums to do this.

Robinson (2006) goes on to state how every curriculum has the same hierarchy of subjects, maths and languages at the top and arts at the bottom. This suggests how creativity can be seen as a less important skill to develop within education as there is not the same emphasis of it in any curriculum model. In some ways it can be seen as a less academically challenging choice to choose art or something similar as an exam subject. Further supporting the argument that testing ruins creativity in pupils as there is more focus on the ‘academic’ subjects to pass at an exam level and entry into further education courses. Maybe this idea about creative subjects is initially developed in the primary school though?

In conclusion, I feel that schools need to nurture children’s creativity through giving them ample opportunity and a variety of ways to express themselves in the classroom and core curriculum. I also feel that an ethos of making mistakes needs to be created within the classroom to encourage risk taking and using a variety of methods to achieve a goal. From this research I would also like to encourage an ethos of doing something for enjoyment than necessarily for the future academic benefit in order to help creativity thrive.

References:

Barras, C (2014), Can you learn to be creative?, (Accessed at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140314-learn-to-be-creative) (Accessed on: 2/04/16)

Education Scotland (No date), (Accessed at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/approaches/creativity/about/index.asp) (Accessed on: 2/04/2016)

Gilbert, E, (2015), Fear is boring, and other tips for living a creative life, (Accessed at: http://ideas.ted.com/fear-is-boring-and-other-tips-for-living-a-creative-life/?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co&utm_content=ideas-blog&utm_term=humanities) (Accessed on: 2/04/16)

Robinson, K (2006), Do schools kills creativity?. Available at:  http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en#t-1138279 (Accessed on: 2/04/16)

An update on my educational philosophy…

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We have been encouraged to develop our own education philosophy when beginning this course. At this point in the academic year we are about to go on our Learning from Life placement, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect upon my own educational philosophy and how this has developed over the year.

Last year my educational philosophy agreed strongly with John Dewey’s suggestion that education is a social process. I feel schools provide should provide a broad holistic education to children, going well beyond what can be found in a textbook. I feel that this development in education is as important as the facts and figures which they might learn in a classroom as it provides them with social skills which they can use for years after they leave school. Additionally, I believe that education should be child centred, this is an aspect included in Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), as through the Experience and Outcomes document lessons can be developed to the classes individual needs and so enabling personalisation and choice (Scottish Government, 2008, P26). This option can ultimately develop children’s love for education as they are learning something which is relevant to them and that they are passionate about.

Throughout this year we have looked at a variety of aspects within the curriculum and education system. Through looking into Languages, Maths and Science curricular areas to the history of education and differing curriculums across the world, I feel that teaching is less about dictating facts to a room full of silent children, as it was in the past, and instead it should be more about giving children the opportunity to explore and develop their own learning in a safe and supportive environment. I feel that this allows for more meaningful learning as the children can feel proud of discovering something for themselves and through communication with their peers about it, consolidation of this learning is achieved. This is an idea which is being further explored within Upstart, a campaign to change the starting age of children in formal education from 5 to 7 and instead allow children a greater opportunity to explore the world through play. You can see further reasons for this change on their website at: http://www.upstart.scot/reasons/.

At the same time, we have just completed an interagency module about the importance of working with other professionals and methods which can enhance this but also hinder it. This has developed my educational philosophy as I have seen how important it is to a childs education and welfare when all professionals are working together to achieve the same goal. This has encouraged me to strive for this within my own practice as through this collaborative practice every child can receive the support necessary for them to achieve their full potential. This is an important aspect to think about when looking at inclusion within the classroom, as multi-agency support can help children in a variety of manners. I am interested in furthering my understanding of how to develop this inclusive practice.

For my learning for life placement, I am going to Abu Dhabi and working with a learning support team in a school which follows the American Curriculum. It will be interesting to see how these ideas are reflected through the American Curriculum and especially how they create inclusion of all students.

Copyright: http://www.gulenmovement.us/fethullah-gulens-educational-philosophy-in-action.html

Copyright: http://www.gulenmovement.us/fethullah-gulens-educational-philosophy-in-action.html

 

Too much pressure on children?

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With the introduction of standardised testing in Scotland are we further removing children from their childhood and just instilling the pressure of education earlier. The belief is that these tests will increase attainment in schools. The results of these test will also be published to create league tables for primary schools. However, I feel this will just increase the pressure of achieving and progress for both schools and more importantly children and remove the enjoyment of education for all.

In a recent lecture at university, my lecturer mentioned UpStart, “A campaign to introduce a kindergarten stage for children 3 to 7”. This prompted me to look further into this as our module this year has covered comparative education and in particular we discussed Sweden who have a similar model to that proposed by UpStart. (Upstart Website: http://www.upstart.scot)

Sweden has a different approach to early education than the UK. Primarily their primary education doesn’t start until the age of 7 and instead they have a pre-school stage for 6 year olds. The children also address the staff by their first name, and the staff sit down with the pupils to eat lunch together in a homely environment. I think this promotes inclusion in the classroom as the teacher has the chance to get to know all their pupils, build a class community and a trusting bond together. These are all important aspects of education today and I hope to be able to build into my practice.

Additionally, their classrooms accommodate for children’s play by incorporating a large area in the classroom just for the children to explore through play. I feel that UK nurseries should incorporate this more as it is important to allow children to discover their own learning and interests and be free to be creative and learn through their mistakes in a supportive environment.

sunbelt-cultural

Copyright: https://sites.google.com/site/aninclusiveclassroom/

 

This is what UpStart proposes, to build children’s social skills, language and a solid foundation to then build on in school. At the same time, they suggest that a later start to education can close the achievement gap that standardised testing may increase. In fact Maggie Dent, in her article shows that Australia, who in their previous government introduced formal testing and school rankings, are 5th in the recent OECD rankings for basic literacy and 13th for numeracy. Whereas Finland, who leads this kindergarten approach of starting formal education at the age of 7 and no standardised testing, are at the top of this league table.

These statistics show the potential educational benefits of this system, as children build a strong foundation in which to develop and confident in their abilities before being introduced into formal education. It can also create a lasting enjoyment for education as their is no pressure to develop at a prescribed speed but at one which suits each individual learner.

Furthermore, I agree with her point that as teachers we need to see children as learners and explorers than a statistic and percentage for a particular ranking. Unfortunately this is not particularly possible in our education system today due to the hierarchy of schools to ensure standards of education, from the government to headteachers. This is an important factor to ensure standards of education and to make sure every child is being supported through their development. However, I feel that we may lose sight of what is important due to the accountability aspect of teachers.

Additionally, Dent suggests that giving formal work to young children just increases their stress and so builds early anxiety in the children. Thus potentially further hindering their education as they are given work which they may be unable to achieve and so pressurising the children to achieve rather than allowing them to enjoy their learning. This can also make them very result orientated as we are with exams in higher education thus creating doubt and failure in pupils at an early age and so demotivate them from challenging themselves later on.

I am looking forward to looking further into this idea and finding out more about UpStart’s campaign in Scotland and especially in Dundee.

References:

Heard Article about Standardised Testing: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/13610810.Nicola_Sturgeon_announces_standardised_testing_for_primary_pupils/

Upstart Website: http://www.upstart.scot

UpStart Article by Maggie Dent: http://www.maggiedent.com/sites/default/files/articles/TeachersMatter_StopStealingChildhood.pdf