Creativity--A Student's View

I found this comment posted by one of our students on a class wiki. It is in response to the video I included in my post titled "Entertaining, Inspiring, Revolutionary." (If you haven't watched that video, you really should. It's great.) This student doesn't use perfect mechanics, but that's part of the appeal of the social web--you don't have to. If I, as a former English teacher with the nickname "Grammar Queen" can accept that, I really think we can look beyond that and concentrate on the student's message and take it to heart.

The student's response: Unfortunately, school does not suit to creativity very well. There is often only one way to do something, one right, many wrongs, and many, many rules. Too many rules. Common sense has been replaced with rules. Rules to make everyone the same. Students are being forced into clones of each other, and their individual person is being repressed. I don't think the problem is with what's being taught, but with how things are being taught. Sitting down and watching someone complete math problems or point at powerpoint slides is just maddening. If you want to take artistic, musical, and whatnot classes then those are available. Not everyone wants to do those. I just think classes should be taught more creatively.

Powerpoint, Windows Media Player, pretty much anything that's installed on a computer is "old school"--20th Century. What engages kids today--and many, many of us adults (even us old adults)--is the social web.

So instead of assigning a PowerPoint presentation (and if you do--please don't have the students print them. PowerPoint is not print media.), try Animoto or VoiceThread or any other available technology on the web. One of the best parts is that students have access everywhere, and they don't have to worry about carrying the project around on a jump drive that might decide to die at any moment.

These sites are not just for English, either. ANY discipline can use them--any.

If you need ideas, PLEASE COME SEE ME. That's my job--to help you engage your students with technology, not just figure out why your printer is working (which is part of my job, but not the most enjoyable and challenging part).