Creativity and Future Success
Do we know what the career opportunities for students will
look like 10, 20 or 30 years from today?
Virtual life problem
solving?
Robot programming?
Teaching elementary school?
Leaders in education can’t predict the future
but they are incorporating skills students will need to be most successful in
any career or life experience. In his
extremely popular TED talk, Sir Kenneth Robinson (2006) asserts, “It’s
education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp.” Explicit teaching of 21st Century
Skills attempts to prepare students for a future we have yet to imagine.
(National Education Association) One of
these key skills, creativity, will allow students to be flexible and adaptive
in any setting with any challenge.
Creativity will help students confidently solve new problems, invent new
solutions and thrive in all of their future careers and life adventures.
Application In 4th Grade Math
Our class loves to dive into creative projects and creative
problem solving. At a district
professional development training this fall, I was inspired by other teachers
to bring more creativity into our morning math lessons. Over the last few months, my students have
been enjoying thinking creativity to solve “Would you rather…?” problems, 3 Act
Tasks and “Which one doesn’t belong?” in a set. (See links below.) The beauty of these
problems is that there are many paths toward a solution. It is up to the student’s creative thinking
to choose where to start and how to best show their thinking. Innovative solutions, mistakes and failures
are both appreciated and celebrated.
Students beg to show their thinking in front of the class and see how
many different ways they can creatively defend their work.
Now What?
To start incorporating more creative thinking and problem
solving, check out:
- Graham Fletcher’s 3 Act Tasks at https://gfletchy.com/3-act-lessons/
- Would you rather…? Start at http://www.wouldyourathermath.com/ and insert your own creative ideas.
- Which one doesn’t belong? At http://wodb.ca/
- Explore different ways for students to show their creative solving problem. They can create a skit, a dance, a song or rap, a drawing, a model, an equation, or design their own new way.
Can students creatively solve a problem in two ways?
Three ways?
A way that no one else has thought of?
Can we (teachers, administrators, students, parents) celebrate creativity every day in every lesson?
Three ways?
A way that no one else has thought of?
Can we (teachers, administrators, students, parents) celebrate creativity every day in every lesson?
I am going to try.
References
Bourassa, M. (2013). Which One Doesn't Belong? Retrieved
February 22, 2017, from http://wodb.ca/
Fletcher, G. (2017, February 14). 3-Acts Lessons. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from https://gfletchy.com/3-act-lessons/
National Education Association. (n.d.). Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf
Robinson, K. (2006, February). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
Stevens, J. (n.d.). Would You Rather...? Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.wouldyourathermath.com/
Fletcher, G. (2017, February 14). 3-Acts Lessons. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from https://gfletchy.com/3-act-lessons/
National Education Association. (n.d.). Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf
Robinson, K. (2006, February). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
Stevens, J. (n.d.). Would You Rather...? Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.wouldyourathermath.com/
