1:1– Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Design
One of the primary components of our 1:1 Tablet PC implementation is the set of four “themes” that will guide our thinking with respect to curriculum and instruction:
- Information Management and Research
- Digital Citizenship
- Communication and Collaboration in a Global World
- Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Design
Information Management and Research provides learners with a unified research strategy. Digital Citizenship encourages appropriate technology behavior at home and at school. Communication and Collaboration leverages the power of living in a connected world. The final theme, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Design, explores the challenges of preparing students for an unknown future.
Are We Fostering or Killing Creativity?
Creativity in education is something of a paradox; children are innately creative, but frequently denied opportunities to express their inner talents. In his well known 2006 TEDTalks presentation, creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson examines the question, “Do schools today kill creativity?”
As Robinson states, “Truthfully what happens is, as children grow up we start to educate them progressively from the waist up. And then we focus on their heads. And slightly to one side.” That approach to education stands in sharp contrast to how the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students describe creativity and innovation in the 21st century:
“Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.”
While technology cannot do much to address educating students “below their heads”, it certainly provides opportunities to engage both sides of the mind…and not just in “Creative Writing” or “Fine Arts” courses. Curriculum in all disciplines can benefit from students utilizing technology to express their knowledge, understanding, and ideas. Whether creating simple Photostory presentations or developing complex Stella models, the Tablet provides nearly countless options for creativity in the classroom.
The “Right” Design
As we provide students opportunities to be creative, we also need to guide them in the design process. Much of communication is non-verbal, and the basics elements of good design should be reflected in our students’ work. We have all endured PowerPoints that missed the point, and browsed web pages that were probably best left off the web. Design is more than simple aesthetics, however; it is the art of creation.
Last year our faculty read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. For those who may need a quick refresher, here’s a short clip of Pink discussing his work:
Whether or not you agree with Pink’s assessment that “right brainers” will rule the future, today’s students will create the world of tomorrow and I, for one, hope they design it well. For this to happen, they are going to need practice. Whether it is a simple brochure, a short documentary, or an authentic research problem that requires community action, students must learn how to think critically and create (i.e. design) effective solutions.
What is Critical Thinking?
Ask any group of teachers about the value of critical thinking and they will invariably state that it is an important part of the teaching-learning process. If you ask them to explain or define critical thinking, however, you will invariable get a wide variety of responses, and this stands to reason; the concept is too broad to be narrowly defined.
In her research summary Teaching Thinking Skills, Kathleen Cotton offers several viewpoints on what it means to think critically:
- Reflective and reasonable thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do (Robert Ennis, quoted in Presseisen, p. 24)
- The disposition to provide evidence in support of one’s conclusions and to request evidence from others before accepting their conclusions (Hudgins and Edelman 1986, p. 333)
- The process of determining the authenticity, accuracy and worth of information or knowledge claims (Beyer 1985, p. 276).
While there is certainly no “one” way to articulate the critical thinking process, a common thread of these (and other) definitions is the ability to discern and utilize quality information. Given that a 1:1 computing environment provides ubiquitous information access, we have an unparalleled opportunity (and obligation) to teach students to be critical in their consumption of information.
Prior to the World Wide Web, “published” information generally went through a vetting process that offered a sense of security to the reader. This, however, is no longer the case; anyone can publish anything (myself included). To illustrate my point, perform a Google search for “Martin Luther King” and this site will be among the top results: http://www.martinlutherking.org. Would an elementary or middle school student readily recognize that the site is published by a White Nationalist Community?
While perhaps an extreme example, it does speak to the fact that our students will have access to ideas and opinions (which will frequently be presented as fact) that will require them to think critically. And while technology can certainly foster critical thinking (I’ve devoted many posts to this topic), I think the real issue is that technology requires critical thinking, regardless of how it’s defined.
And So The Real Work Begins
A colleague recently and quite rightly pointed out that there is nothing really “new” about the four themes we’ve been exploring. In the 3rd Century BCE it was the Library of Alexandria; in the 20th Century, the Library of Congress. In the 21st century, however, learners can access the libraries of the world, and that requires a completely new level of critical thinking.
Socrates spoke of citizenship; social studies textbooks devote entire chapters to the concept as it relates to cities, states, and countries. Our students, though, live in a digital world that, while largely hidden from and foreign to adults, is one that we must come to understand.
Communication today is like nothing Samuel Morse or Alexander Graham Bell could have ever imagined; collaboration can take place with anyone from anywhere. Speaking and writing, while still invaluable, are no longer an inclusive skill-set.
The creativity that all children possess can no longer be confined to specific learning environments using limited tools and techniques; they need opportunities to express themselves in every discipline, using a variety of mediums. They will be the architects of their future; we must teach them to design solutions for problems that do not yet exist.
It is time, then, for the real work to begin. We need to begin the process of examining our curriculum and instruction in light of these themes within a 1:1 learning environment. It’s an inescapable obligation, an awesome responsibility, and a truly exciting opportunity to positively reshape teaching and learning. I’m ready for the challenge; let’s get started.
