Developing Creativity in Classroom - Strategies

Developing Creativity in Classroom - Strategies

Date: 24th Jan 2022

This blog post is interesting in the sense that it will give you insight into various creative learning strategies that you can use in your classroom. Strategies that can be easily and readily applied in the classroom. In Bloom's Taxonomy this is the most challenging skill that can be acquired. It is placed at the highest level. Why because it helps you think out of the box and find ways to problems , find solutions that never existed before. Also it enables you to stretch your thinking. People who made movies like Star Wars, Kung Fu Panda, Knight Riders and a number of other movies were inspired from some idea shared by someone. There are artificial intelligence machines around us that help us make our life easier for example   . So how do we inculcate this skill in our students ? how do we empower them to think out of the box? below are a list of some strategies that you can use in your classroom.

Crossover Strategy

While skimming through an excerpt from a report by the The Open University in collaboration with SRI International, I cam across a few innovative learning strategies that can be used in class. One of them was the Crossover strategy, this means that when students have explored a topic in class, or have studied the topic from textbook, they visit places like the museums, after school clubs can extend their links by enabling links with the real life. Learning should also be carried on in informal settings like in after school clubs, visits to research labs, dams, parks or playgrounds, or after school clubs. Teachers can design questionnaires and surveys to be filled during visits to such informal learning settings. The purpose  is to draw learning from different settings.

Learning through Augmentation

This was another interesting strategy where teachers encourage students to augment their learning, they do so by asking questions, reasoning and giving arguments in scientific form. They learn to argue like professional scientists and mathematicians. Students listen to contrasting ideas, then review and refine their ideas and either refute claims or establish claims. Teachers should encourage students to ask open ended questions, re stare remarks, comments in scientific language and use models to give explanations. 

Context based learning

Context based learning is also a way to extend learning beyond the classroom experience. In a classroom or a lecture learning is confined to the four walls of the classroom. Context based learning is more about interacting with the environment and making links to real life practices. It is about learning from experience. It can be done by having discussions with relevant experts in the filed, taking notes, modifying objects, or even visiting places to further enrich the learning experience. Teachers can for examples take students outside the class in the garden to observe the different types of plants or conduct a survey about pollution from the  nearby residents or visit a museum to find historical facts about an event in history. This should be followed up with classroom discussions for in depth learning to occur.

Computational Thinking

Computational thinking is a very unique way to solve problems. It involves breaking large problems into smaller chunks for a deeper analysis (decomposition). The next step is to look for patterns in these smaller chunks (pattern recognition). Followed up be removing irrelevant details (abstraction). The last step is about writing down steps to reach a solution (algorithms). Reviewing and refining steps is done in the end (debugging - removing errors). This strategy can be very powerful in understanding challenging problems. According to  Jeannette Wing "its about thinking like a computer scientist, its an attitude and a skill set that anyone can learn and use. The purpose is solving problems by using the fundamental concepts of Computer Science decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms." 

For example if you plan to meet your friends at a point, you would need to plan the various routes before you leave the house, and you will consider all options, which route is the shortest, which is the longest, which is safe, which is smooth, which has no road blocks and so on. You will short list a few routes. You will chose a best route which might pass through your favorite food outlet and then follow directions to reach that route. The planning part is computational thinking, the following directions is programming. Indi Sphero is a robot which used computational thinking skills, it inspires students to build their own mazes and program robot accordingly. This skill can be used in all subjects.  Students could be asked to gather data about a disease, look for patterns, remove irrelevant information from the data and find solutions to the problem. 

Learning by Doing

This has been proven by research that students learn more by doing then by simply reading the concepts. They learn when they are given the opportunity for hands on experiences. There is a very famous quote by Confucius "I see and I forget, I hear and I remember , I do and I understand". According to Piaget (1958) assimilation and accommodation require an active learner, problem-solving cannot be taught but discovered through experience." Students in schools should be given access to authentic scientific tools and processes to aid in their learning. Access to remote labs will provide a great opportunity to learn from practical exploration and investigation. Remote access to labs includes controlling remote laboratory experiments or using telescopes to build science inquiry skills, improve conceptual understanding and enhance motivation. A remote lab can consist of an apparatus or equipment, robotic arms to operate it and cameras to provide views of the experiments as they are completed in due time. 

Phet is a very useful site for performing simulations in Science and Math's. Students can actually perform experiments and making changes to the variables. They learn through a process of discovery and exploration. Harvard's Labxchange has a library of virtual experiments , video lessons, narratives and lots more, any educator can join the site for free and utilize the amazing resources for creating personalized learning experiences for their students.

Adaptive Teaching

This is another interesting strategy to empower all learners in your class but adapting your teaching strategies. All learners might not learn the content in the same way, they might not have the same skills. Usually all learners listen to the same lecture and get the access to same resources, some students might enjoy working with the resources while others might be bored. How do you overcome this challenge. You can provide them personalized learning paths content based on data gathered from their past learning and current assessments records. In adaptive teaching learners control their learning pace. These can be applied to online learning or in class activities. 

In other words adaptive learning uses computer algorithms and artificial intelligence to deliver personalized content to the learner based on data gathered from past learning. Vocabulary.com is used adaptive learning strategy, it teaches students new words through interactive games. Students get to compete in activities with students from around the globe. Zapzapmath is another interesting resource which utilizes the adaptive learning mechanism. It consists of math games from kindergarten to grade 6, the games adapt to the learners level of mastery. Reading eggs also assess the child's prior learning before assigning an activity and keeps progress of the child learning. Redbird language learning and arts also provides students the opportunity to improve their reading, grammar & writing skills by offering personalized content. 

All these strategies will surely result in enhancing creativity in learners. The jug and mug approach is no more valid in schools where a teacher is considered the sole knower of knowledge. A teacher no longer has been given the task of pouring in knowledge in the brain of the students, and the student will sit and observe as a passive recipient. Students learn through active learning experiences where they have a voice and choice, where they are involved in the learning process, where learning is adaptive and personalized. Technology has made the work of a teacher much easier, much efficient than before. The only challenge is how to use technology effectively to create personalized and adaptive learning experiences for students that enable them to become critical thinkers, find innovative solutions and think out of the box.

Enjoy exploring all the resources shared above, I am sure these will prove very valuable for your classroom.

Regards and prayers

Sheeba Ajmal

References

References

Barba, L. (2016, March 8). Computational Thinking: I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means. Computational Thinking: I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://bids.berkeley.edu/news/computational-thinking-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

Darthmouth. (n.d.). Remote Lab Activities and Experiences. Remote Lab Activities and Experiences. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://sites.dartmouth.edu/teachremote/remote-lab-activities-and-experiences/

Jhonson, B. (2019, Jan 16). 4 ways to develop creativity in classrooms. 4 ways to develop creativity in classrooms. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-develop-creativity-students 

McGraw Hill. (n.d.). Demo Redbird Language Arts & Writing. Demo Redbird Language Arts & Writing. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://www.mheducation.com/prek-12/explore/redbird/demo-redbird-language-arts-writing.html

McLeod, D. S. (2020, December 20). Piagets stages of cognitive development. Piagets stages of cognitive development. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Piaget%20(1958)%2C,accomplished%20through%20active%20discovery%20learning.

Murphy, A. M. (2019, September 4). Four examples of computational thinking in the classroom. Four examples of computational thinking in the classroom. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://equip.learning.com/examples-of-computational-thinking

Sphero Team. (2021, June 14). What is Computational Thinking? A guide to computational thinking, pattern thinking and algorithms. What is Computational Thinking? a guide to computational thinking, pattern recognition and algorithms. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://sphero.com/blogs/news/what-is-computational-thinking

Teach Thought Staff. (n.d.). 10 learning strategies for innovative classrooms. 10 learning strategies for innovative classrooms. https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/innovative-strategies/

3P Learning. (n.d.). Learning to read. Learning to read. Retrieved Jan 24, 2022, from https://readingeggs.com.au/