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| Making Glass |
What if our students had no idea what they would discover each day in school? Engaging and meaningful experience ensues when one follows interest and creates something unique. How could we cultivate this creative desire to learn in each child in school? After recent creative experiences it is clear that schools over processes knowledge and understanding.
Choices
Educators are well aware of the power letting students choose activities that interest them. In a creative environment connections naturally develop and are linked together in a much more solid manner built upon synthesis. Allowing young people to explore activities that interest them fosters a love of learning and has the potential to morph into life long passions. Isn't that really what we are, as educators, attempting to accomplish?
Creating
Getting a chance to actually create something with their own minds and hands, students experience something unusual. Typically knowledge is spelled out for the learner and all they are asked to do is remember and regurgitate. Higher order thinking is required to form an object or representation from nothing. In my own experience, when I do something on my own and create an artifact, I have truly learned. Additionally, when students can explain an idea or topic to others using their model or outcome, they become experts which encourages sharing that knowledge with others.
Engaging
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"Didn't know I could
draw flames". |
Its amazing to see the power of letting students use their creative talents in the classroom and beyond. Blending the arts with content areas is a fabulous way to incorporate imagination into learning. When I learned how to make a glass paperweight (see photo above), the instructor had tons on knowledge about the materials, tools, and techniques. Science, history, art, and language were part of my lesson. With the focus on testing in schools today we would be wise to incorporate as many topics and disciplines together- not only to make lessons interesting and meaningful, but so that students can see how content fits into the larger picture.
