Creativity in education? So much of the time, it doesn't seem possible. So much of our energy is spent on teaching our students content knowledge and skill development, but isn't there room for creativity as well? I am truly inspired by the videos assigned this week... and as usual, I'm craving more. Our education system is outdated, no longer reflecting the needs of our children as they prepare for a future of exponential learning, that of a lifetime - personally and professionally. The big ideas I got from the videos? In education, we need to...
My teaching practice has evolved over time, with the biggest leap in developing students' creativity when I began to teach Art Integration in my Social Studies classes. Many stories here for other days, including a blue head and the Immigration Diaries pictured below. Yet, as I have learned from the men above, I see rays of hope within my classroom practices and in how much I insist that my students show their own understanding in creative, individualized ways. Of course I wish that I would have been more strategic over the years in teaching my students how to use their disciplined, synthesizing, and creative minds, but I'm thrilled that the works of these men resonate with what I've experienced with my students. As I move forward in my teaching, I will incorporate these insights from Louis R. Mobley in helping my students think creatively:
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My Driving Question:
How can I create and modify structures in which my middle school students can independently conduct their own research? In researching my Driving Question, I've found some surprises. I expected to see seminal authors such as Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (Understanding by Design, 1998) about how students learn through clear learning goals. However, I did not anticipate being led to Inquiry Literature by school library experts. I'm learning about other seminal authors such as Barbara Stripling and Jean Donham. This quote by John Dewey is still relevant today, as Americans decide how to handle the current state of education. Of course we all want an amazing education for our own children, one that is rigorous, thoughtful, compassionate, and that truly prepares them for an unknown future. However, the most vulnerable children in American communities are the ones who are the first to be denied an ideal education. Linda Darling-Hammond outlines her recommendations for national and state education policies, in which there need to be "twin commitments":
Her recommendations fall under five key elements and my take-aways are as follows: Meaningful learning goals
If policies such as those mentioned above were to be implemented, students' lives would change. There would be more of a focus on what matters most, offering high-quality education to prepare ALL students for their unknown futures within and outside of the work force. As our government and educational leaders continue to struggle to make things better for all of our students, each of us teachers can focus within our classrooms to make sure that we're preparing our own students in the best ways possible. Driving Question: How can I guide my middle school students in completing their own research by finding and utilizing reliable, credible and relevant sources?
To point out the obvious... students in the 21st century, throughout America and much of the world, need to conduct research and need to sort through inordinate amounts of information. It doesn't matter which content area, career path, or interest a student has, research is part of the acquisition of knowledge and supports one's understanding of the world. In California, The History-Social Science Standards (2000) and the History-Social Science Framework (2016) emphasize the need for students to conduct research by using relevant, verifiable information from credible sources. Napa Valley Unified School District's Strategic Goal #1 further outlines the need for students to experience inquiry-based learning. River School also emphasizes the need for students to be self-actualized, independent learners who - in addition to being respectful, responsible, and responsive - are resourceful. Alas, my entire approach to teaching is intentionally focused on inquiry-based learning with the goal of students showing their own understanding. As I develop my action research for Innovative Learning, my end goal will continually be that students are able to conduct their own research in ways that empower their individual growth. |
Megan BurtonInnovative Learning Archives
June 2020
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