We are all Future Creatives: Awakening the Creative Seed ... · • visual representation provided...

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You can change the colour of this bar International Boys’ Schools Coalition Action Research Program 2013 Boys, Technology and Creativity Key Findings and Discussion STRATEGY 1 LISTENING TO MUSIC TO BEGIN FLOW improved boys’ mood assisted in fostering a climate conducive to creative flow. STRATEGY 2 CREATING INDIVIDUAL DIGITAL NOTEBOOK: BOYS WERE FREE TO OWN THE LEARNING PROCESS facilitated a more creative approach to learning – each boy could create it in his own way and not the teacher’s waywas good because students don’t get the opportunity to be creative ... so when they do, they might become more.STRATEGY 3 USING WIKISPACE TO PROVIDE STRUCTURE FOR AWAKENING THE CREATIVE SEED (Black). wikispace was not conducive to overall feelings of being creative but “…if you are making something by yourself people can’t see it, but if you have an idea you can share it with your friends and the public.wikispace might inspire you to make your own website... in the process you might come up with new options.STRATEGY 4 CAPACITY TO EDIT REALITY (IMOVIE / PHOTOSHOP INTEGRATION) I think I was always this creative. It’s just ... it let me express what I was thinking inside me ...after I let all of my ideas out, it triggered more ideas.digital technologies allow you to “visualize and imagine what you had to do.assisted design of future invention - “really brought out my creativity... helped me understand that imagination is endless.Key Readings Atkin, J. (2012). The elusiveness/illusiveness of creativity – nurturing its nature. Keynote address at International Boys’ School Coalition, 19 th Annual Conference, Unearthing Creativity. Melbourne, Australia July 9-12, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.theibsc.org/ uploaded/IBSC/Conference_and_workshops/2012/Workshop_Materials/ ks_Atkin_The_elusiveness_of_creativity-nurturing_its_nature_Julia_Atkin.pdf Black, R. (2012). Practical disciplines for the 21 st century mind. Keynote address at International Boys’ School Coalition, 19 th Annual Conference, Unearthing Creativity. Melbourne, Australia July 9-12, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.theibsc.org/uploaded/ IBSC/Conference_and_workshops/2012/Workshop_Materials/ ks_Black_Practical_Disciplines_for_the_21st_Century_Mind.pdf. McNiff, J. (2010). Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action researchers. Retrieved from http://www.jeanmcniff.com/ar-booklet.asp McWilliam, E. (2007). Is creativity teachable? Conceptualising the creativity/ pedagogy relationship in higher education. In 30th HERDSA Annual Conference: Enhancing Higher Education, Theory and Scholarship, 8-11 July 2007, Adelaide. Peppler, K. & Solomou, M. (2011). Building creativity: Collaborative learning and creativity in social media environments. On The Horizon, 19(1), 13-23. Further Information The full report of this project and an online copy of this poster are available at http:// www.theibsc.org/. Researcher’s Email: [email protected] Introduction Provincial curriculum (Social Studies) prescribes little in terms of creativity & digital technology. At odds with St. George’s motto of ‘building fine young me, one boy at a time’. McWilliam’s concept of future creatives acknowledged as way forward build a dynamic environment, integrate digital technology into art of learning, awaken creative process in our boys. We must “…design opportunities to foster collaboration and creativity” (Peppler & Solomou, 2011, p. 11). We must permit boys “… to add value or finalise and so value-add to the product whereby the user becomes the producer” (McWilliam, 2008, p. 266). How do we get boys’ futures creatively equipped in a provincial curriculum exclusive of creativity & digital technology outcomes? Conclusion ...the possibilities are limitless, therefore the only limitations is your own ‘creativeness.’Metaphor of creativity - seed to be awakened in our boys. Digital technology - stimulus to germinate seed Concept ‘future creatives’ provided garden in which seeds could grow. Implications of Study Far future of the boys a question but their near future is indeed a garden, open to creative cultivation, with the right mixture of digital technology and human capacity bringing each boy’s own garden into bloom. Implications for the Future Digital technology illustrated flow, ability to edit reality, take risks...therefore a model to foster creativity should be explored – a ‘discipline of the mind’. Build on de Bono’s Six Hats (1993), or Rufus Black’s (2012) research into structuring creativity. How could we create a scope and sequence of developing creativity for the entire school? The Research Question How can a fourfold action that includes music, social media, iMovie and an online conference foster boys’ creativity in Social Studies? Research Action Four-fold intervention 1. Use of music to generate creative mood. 2. Use of student developed digital notebook to promote creative learning. 3. Use of dedicated wikispace as structured creative thinking platform. 4. The holding of simulated online Conference of the Future Creatives [CoFC] boys posted iMovies boys posted future invention on Edmodo relating to civilization. ‘conference participants’ gave feedback Data Collection Minecraft inspiration construct creativity landscape that would present markers to analyze the boys’ thoughts & feelings about each strategy. 1. survey (quantitative) - questions about each part of the four-fold action 2. one on one & group interviews to capture boys’ voices (qualitative) 3. reflection sheet with guiding questions Data Analysis 1. Survey – (quantitative) manually tabulate responses - used Excel for percentages; pie graph display each strategy. colour-coded illusive & elusive data (Atkin) preparation for in-depth exploration divided large table into four strategies; placed colour-coded pie graphs in appropriate quarter – my mine shafts – gave me a visual overview of data markers. 2. Interviews – group and one on one (qualitative) placed small note cards with boys’ quotes relating to each strategy creativity being achieved - green, not being achieved - red, no change - blue. good overview of creativity landscape, emphasised breakdown of colour across various ‘mine shafts’. visual representation provided context for Findings. Research Context & Participants Strategic Plan requires reconstructing entire school in terms of boys’ learning and the creative process. The Year 7 Social Studies unit Ancient Civilizations became context to awaken creativity through the use of digital technologies. Junior School Grade 7 Social Studies students (cohort of 96) actively engaged in the action. We are all Future Creatives: Awakening the Creative Seed in our Social Studies Garden Jonathan Marshall MA BA BEd Social Studies Teacher St George’s Junior School Vancouver BC Canada Instant trees “ Made me happier. ” “…. it could help me focus myself.” “ helped me find flow. ” “creating digital notebook lets you demonstrate what you have learned... add your own creative ideas to it.” “you might come up with new options!Teleporter – fuel economy

Transcript of We are all Future Creatives: Awakening the Creative Seed ... · • visual representation provided...

Page 1: We are all Future Creatives: Awakening the Creative Seed ... · • visual representation provided context for Findings. Research Context & Participants Strategic Plan requires reconstructing

You can change the colour of this bar

International Boys’ Schools Coalition Action Research Program 2013 Boys, Technology and Creativity

Key Findings and Discussion

STRATEGY 1 – LISTENING TO MUSIC TO BEGIN FLOW •  improved boys’ mood •  assisted in fostering a climate conducive to creative flow.

STRATEGY 2 – CREATING INDIVIDUAL DIGITAL NOTEBOOK: BOYS WERE FREE TO OWN THE LEARNING PROCESS •  facilitated a more creative approach to learning – each boy

“could create it in his own way and not the teacher’s way”

“was good because students don’t get the opportunity to be creative ... so when they do, they might become more.”

STRATEGY 3 – USING WIKISPACE TO PROVIDE STRUCTURE FOR AWAKENING THE CREATIVE SEED (Black). •  wikispace was not conducive to overall feelings of being creative but “…if you are making something by yourself people can’t see it, but if you have an idea you can share it with your friends and the public.”

•  wikispace “… might inspire you to make your own website... in the process you might come up with new options.”

STRATEGY 4 – CAPACITY TO EDIT REALITY (IMOVIE / PHOTOSHOP INTEGRATION)

“I think I was always this creative. It’s just ... it let me express what I was thinking inside me ...after I let all of my ideas out, it triggered more ideas.”

•  digital technologies allow you to “…visualize and imagine what you had to do.” •  assisted design of future invention - “really brought out my creativity... helped me understand that

imagination is endless.”

Key Readings

Atkin, J. (2012). The elusiveness/illusiveness of creativity – nurturing its nature. Keynote address at International Boys’ School Coalition, 19th Annual Conference, Unearthing Creativity. Melbourne, Australia July 9-12, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.theibsc.org/uploaded/IBSC/Conference_and_workshops/2012/Workshop_Materials/ks_Atkin_The_elusiveness_of_creativity-nurturing_its_nature_Julia_Atkin.pdf   Black, R. (2012). Practical disciplines for the 21st century mind. Keynote address at International Boys’ School Coalition, 19th Annual Conference, Unearthing Creativity. Melbourne, Australia July 9-12, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.theibsc.org/uploaded/IBSC/Conference_and_workshops/2012/Workshop_Materials/ks_Black_Practical_Disciplines_for_the_21st_Century_Mind.pdf.   McNiff, J. (2010). Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action researchers. Retrieved from http://www.jeanmcniff.com/ar-booklet.asp      McWilliam, E. (2007). Is creativity teachable? Conceptualising the creativity/ pedagogy relationship in higher education. In 30th HERDSA Annual Conference: Enhancing Higher Education, Theory and Scholarship, 8-11 July 2007, Adelaide. Peppler, K. & Solomou, M. (2011). Building creativity: Collaborative learning and creativity in social media environments. On The Horizon, 19(1), 13-23.

Further Information The full report of this project and an online copy of this poster are available at http://www.theibsc.org/. Researcher’s Email: [email protected]

Introduction

Provincial curriculum (Social Studies) prescribes little in terms of creativity & digital technology. At odds with St. George’s motto of ‘building fine young me, one boy at a time’.

McWilliam’s concept of future creatives acknowledged as way forward

• build a dynamic environment, • integrate digital technology into art of learning, • awaken creative process in our boys.

We must “…design opportunities to foster collaboration and creativity” (Peppler & Solomou, 2011, p. 11). We must permit boys “… to add value or finalise and so value-add to the product whereby the user becomes the producer” (McWilliam, 2008, p. 266). How do we get boys’ futures creatively equipped in a provincial curriculum exclusive of creativity & digital technology outcomes?

Conclusion “...the possibilities are limitless, therefore the only limitations is your own ‘creativeness.’”

Metaphor of creativity - seed to be awakened in our boys. •  Digital technology - stimulus to germinate seed

•  Concept ‘future creatives’ provided garden in which seeds could grow.

Implications of Study

Far future of the boys a question but their near future is indeed a garden, open to creative cultivation, with the right mixture of digital technology and human capacity bringing each boy’s own garden into bloom.

Implications for the Future

Digital technology illustrated flow, ability to edit reality, take risks...therefore a model to foster creativity should be explored – a ‘discipline of the mind’. Build on de Bono’s Six Hats (1993), or Rufus Black’s (2012) research into structuring creativity. How could we create a scope and sequence of developing creativity for the entire school?

The Research Question

How can a fourfold action that includes music, social media, iMovie and an online conference foster boys’ creativity in Social Studies?

Research Action

Four-fold intervention

1.  Use of music to generate creative mood.

2.  Use of student developed digital notebook to promote creative learning.

3.  Use of dedicated wikispace as structured creative thinking platform.

4.  The holding of simulated online Conference of the Future Creatives [CoFC]

•  boys posted iMovies •  boys posted future invention on Edmodo relating to civilization. •  ‘conference participants’ gave feedback

Data Collection

Minecraft inspiration – construct creativity landscape that would present markers to analyze the boys’ thoughts & feelings about each strategy.

1.  survey (quantitative) - questions about each part of the four-fold action 2.  one on one & group interviews to capture boys’ voices (qualitative) 3.  reflection sheet with guiding questions

Data Analysis

1.  Survey – (quantitative)

• manually tabulate responses - used Excel for percentages; pie graph display each strategy. • colour-coded illusive & elusive data (Atkin) preparation for in-depth exploration • divided large table into four strategies; placed colour-coded pie graphs in appropriate quarter – my mine

shafts – gave me a visual overview of data markers.

2.   Interviews – group and one on one (qualitative)

•  placed small note cards with boys’ quotes relating to each strategy • creativity being achieved - green, not being achieved - red, no change - blue. • good overview of creativity landscape, emphasised breakdown of colour across various ‘mine shafts’. • visual representation provided context for Findings.

Research Context & Participants

Strategic Plan requires reconstructing entire school in terms of boys’ learning and the creative process. The Year 7 Social Studies unit Ancient Civilizations became context to awaken creativity through the use of digital technologies. Junior School Grade 7 Social Studies students (cohort of 96) actively engaged in the action.

We are all Future Creatives: Awakening the Creative Seed in our Social Studies Garden Jonathan Marshall MA BA BEd Social Studies Teacher St George’s Junior School Vancouver BC Canada

Instant trees

“ Made me happier. ”

“…. it could help me focus myself.”

“ helped me find flow. ”

“creating digital notebook lets you

demonstrate what you have learned... add your own creative

ideas to it.” “you might come up with new options!”

Teleporter – fuel economy