Imagining the future
From taking on pushy parents to unlocking the psychology of the arts, four educators give their take on nurturing, measuring and respecting student creativity – and the opportunity the IB programmes offers learners
Skills that last a lifetime
Chris Beddows, Teacher, the International School of Como (ISC), Italy
“What if I get it wrong?” This is a common question when students are given a creative task. They fear the unknown, are unwilling to create something different from the other children, and all the end products end up the same. Since entering teaching, I have challenged myself to continue to be creative, believing that creativity breeds risk-taking. A child who will take risks is a more motivated, positive and enthusiastic child – one who is willing to experiment with their thinking and challenge ideas, and who is not afraid to make mistakes.
I’ve found that a great way to begin incorporating creativity is through collaborative planning. At ISC, small groups of staff meet frequently and discuss upcoming units and activities that will be delivered in our classrooms. This gives us a chance to think of creative ways to stimulate and lead the inquiry.
On the first day of school last September, we were embarking on a unit of inquiry entitled ‘Decisions, decisions’ (who we are). The students’ first task was to decide how they wanted to be seated and how the classroom furniture was to be arranged. This creative activity gave me a great chance to see how they managed tasks and communicated with each other.
The use of technology is a key component for creativity in classrooms. Using an interactive whiteboard is one way of doing this, through inspiring lessons and stimulating starting points.
One of the aims of the IB is to create lifelong learners. I believe the more creative tasks we plan in our classrooms – and the more creative we allow our students to be – then whatever their learning experiences in the future, these skills will remain with them and allow them to succeed, be creative and make
a difference in the world.
The subtle design of PYP
Abhimanyu Das Gupta, PYP coordinator, Pathways World School, Aravali, Gurgaon, India
Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget famously wrote: “The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done – men who are creative, inventive and discoverers.”
One of the most attractive aspects of the PYP is its scope for creativity. Creativity is a given in the programme, both for the student and the teacher. The different elements of the PYP together lend themselves to making learners more creative.
Its transdisciplinary nature means students can use the arts and technology in their inquiries, learning more holistically, and present their findings in a creative and appealing way. Teachers too can empower students to try out new ways of expression.
In a Year 5 unit on how humans can use technology to express themselves, my students created presentations using Windows Movie Maker, Photoshop and PowerPoint, to name but a few, and some even had a go at using Glogster to create their own eye-catching blogs. In another unit in Year 4, students created a 3D model to represent an ecosystem of their choice, each model reflecting not only the child’s understanding but also their artistic skills.
PYP content and methods of communication are uniquely tailored to the students’ own cognitive and creative abilities. This helps students to think outside the box, developing their abilities to problem solve and come up with new ideas.
The IB learner profile also makes learners creative. Through its different attributes, it endeavours to address the qualities that contribute to making a ‘whole child’: a child who doesn’t fear taking risks, is open to new ideas, is constantly thinking and inquiring, who makes the right choices and cares about the world and its people. By imbibing these qualities, our learners will be capable of creating new rules, new policies, new social structures, new designs and, eventually, a new way of viewing the world – with an intelligence that is wider in its perspective, kinder in its human approach and more real in the face of an ever-changing world.
A culture of learning
Angela Riggs, Assistant Lower School Principal and PYP Coordinator, ACS Egham International School, UK
Most young children are highly creative and adept at using their imagination. Why is it, then, that by the time we reach adulthood, so many of us feel we are not creative? What happens to us as we grow up to make us feel we have lost that creative spark?
In his book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, Sir Ken Robinson says that many adults mistakenly believe they are not creative. Robinson believes the problem often originates in our schools and universities, with many people leaving education “with no idea what their real creative abilities are.”
There is a growing acceptance that creativity is not simply about coming up with ideas, but also finding practical solutions to everyday problems. Creativity a way of thinking in which we look at things with fresh eyes and explore new possibilities rather than reverting to well-worn approaches.
Today, creativity is widely regarded as a vital component of economic growth as employers strive to achieve continuous improvement. The challenge for educators is to nourish and develop natural creativity, and make sure it is not stifled. Too often, school can place children on a conveyer belt, while ‘the system’ ensures they are pushed along prescribed tracks.
I believe the key to supporting creativity is to provide time for students to think, be it on their own or with others. Teachers at ACS Egham strive to create a culture of learning that reminds students there is no one right answer to any debate. We try to provide an environment in which students feel they can take risks and learn from their mistakes. We value all kinds of thinking, so that nobody’s ideas are rejected. Above all, we must recognize that creativity is a skill which, while innate in children, can be enhanced by good teaching.
Taming the tiger
Timothy Walters, Assistant Professor of Management, The University of Cambodia, and Director of TrainCambodia.org
In January 2011, Amy Chua, a Professor of Law at Yale University, published Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, a book which has ignited energetic debate within and beyond educational circles. However, few commentators have focused on the implications of Chua’s approach for student creativity.
Chua advocates a rigorous ‘Chinese’ parenting model to mould children into tenacious achievers. This approach is contrasted to an inferior ‘Western’ model of demotivated students, unwilling and unable to realize their full potential. Chinese ‘Tiger Mothers’ focus on academic results, while ‘Western’ parents allegedly undermine their offspring through well-meaning praise and vague, open-ended activities.
Unambiguous boundaries and clearly communicated expectations are important and there is much in Chua’s example of engaged and passionate parenting which is commendable.
Yet the fatal inadequacy at the heart of her argument is the narrowness of her understanding of educational success and the consequent marginalization of creativity.
Tiger Mother Chua enthusiastically compares her daughters’ academic performance with that of their peers. Any teacher who has experienced a group of competitive parents of this sort will recall the unrelenting focus on grades and the collective neurosis. In their pursuit of dominance, ‘Tiger Parents’ of all nationalities often succeed in narrowing their children’s focus to a limited set of objectives. In the process, they pare the classroom experience down to a zero-sum game of winners and losers.
The central problem with gauging student success in the most obvious and quantifiable terms is that so many learning possibilities are precluded at the outset. The kind of unforeseen outcomes that frequently de?ne our enduring learning experiences are ignored or lost altogether.
‘Tiger Teachers’ refuse to compromise on the idea that the attainment of all students matters equally. They know that an approach that brands the majority of children as failures cannot be reconciled to an holistic and creative approach to child development. To assert these values is not to deny that all social systems are competitive, but Tiger Teachers recognize that critical thought is both essential and intrinsically creative. If we allow them to do so, our students will develop and express their creativity in ways we have not yet dreamt of.
