Not on the Test
I hear a sigh of relief. I see the faces of curiosity. I smell the spirit of creativity wherever and whenever I visit schools these days. The tests are over! The tests are over! It’s time to do some creative things. What’s wrong with that picture? How can we separate creativity from the normal learning environment? Somehow, we manage to dedicate a whole quarter (if not more) to the serious business of preparing for the test. I was at the Palm Beach Tech Conference last week and Mark Benno from Apple shared a very cool video that I thought you would enjoy. This “tuesdays” is all about that creative flow that helps our students to be all they can be.
A creative website
This little toe tapping website has a powerful message. Be sure to watch this little 2 min. video, Not On The Test. It’s a powerful message and a great way to help those of us who love creativity in the classroom help get the word out. It’s not so easy to prove that students learn better in a creative classroom, but it’s very easy to observe. Did you know that young people who consistently participate in comprehensive, sequential, and rigorous arts programs are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools, 4 times more likely to participate in math and science fairs, 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance and 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem. I got those facts from Tom Chapin’s website. Is your toe tapping yet?
An image to share
Hedges, Kathryn. dsc07881.jpg. 2005. Pics4Learning. 8 Apr 2008 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>
A proverb
“Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t.” Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
An encouragement
The encouragement I would like to give all teachers is to trust your students. We tend to not offer students the ability to try new technologies or creative projects if we are not comfortable with them. The reasoning goes something like this, “If it took me 2 hours to learn this, it will probably take 4 hours for my students.” Ironically, it is probably the exact opposite. They most likely need half the time to learn new and creative ways to accomplish the task at hand. Our job as educators is to give them time and opportunity. Let us know what creative projects have been successful in your classroom by posting a comment on my blog.
How do you do that?
How do you give the students time and opportunity to be creative? There no ONE way, there’s a multitude of styles and environments, but mostly importantly you must establish trust and accountability. When equipment is limited, use stations, centers, labs and rotations to give the kids a chance to put their hands on the creative tools of today: mp3 players, digital cameras, digital camcorders, SMART Boards, etc. Establish and practice a dignified signal to get their attention and complete silence when needed, but don’t overuse it. Teach them to appreciate the opportunity for you can surely say, “I giveth and I taketh away.” Once the students understand the power of having a time to become producers of their content, they are very careful to guard the opportunity. Let us know what classroom management tips you have for creative projects in our “tuesdays” Professional Learning Community.
What are teachers saying?
Tales from the Teachers in the Trenches
“We have audio enhancement which is a really cool thing to have in the classroom. The kids get a kick out of it because they get a microphone that they can pass back and forth when they are reading or when they have to make a comment. It kind of puts the spot light on them and allows them to express their ideas and there isn’t anyone in the classroom that can’t hear what they say. It really makes an impact on them. ” Tim Hefner, Flora Ridge Elementary, 5th grade
As always, I am
Ubiquitously yours,
