For my latest assignments, I was asked to discuss the role of creativity in the classroom with a student or group of students. Since my school is currently on summer break, I had to get a little creative in finding participants to speak with! Luckily, I was able to tag along with a friend (who is also a teacher) to his school's summer literacy camp and speak with a few students there.
When it comes to what students value, I had assumed "fun" would be at the top of the list. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the thoughtful answers I received in addition to having fun. One student admitted to me, "Sometimes we learn stuff that we don't really need to know. Especially in math. When will I use that stuff? I don't think my mom and dad do." I could see exactly where he was coming from, as these are thoughts I can clearly remember having many, many times throughout my time as a student. From his comments, I gathered that making learning meaningful and useful are more important to students than teachers may sometimes realize. I think tying in technology and digital media whenever we can will help to make learning not only more enjoyable but also beneficial in that students are learning technology skills they will continue to use for a long time to come. We may not be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt why students need to learn how to convert fractions to decimals when they can just Google it, but we can help them develop those skills anyway and also guide them in finding quality technology resources to help them.
Another student told me she wanted to do "more fun projects" and "more time on the computer." I think students benefit greatly from project-based learning, which allows for another great opportunity to incorporate technology and digital media. Students can create Wikis, digital storybooks, and Glog posters, and they can participate in webquests and other activities. All of these tasks help to develop research skills, creativity, and synthesizing, while also utilizing technology and helping students to have fun while learning.
One final student I observed and talked to was very oppositional and reluctant to cooperate during a one-on-one reading session with my teacher friend. The student finally agreed to read through his story and practice his sight words when given the incentive of using the iPads after he finished. This is just one example of how students are motivated to use technology. As digital natives, they truly seem to have a natural draw toward technology. Nearly all of the students I observed were excited and eager for their chance to use the iPads. Even though they were still doing "school work," being able to use the touchpad capabilities and use a piece of technology that they likely don't have access to at home, was hugely engaging and exciting to them.
While the school I teach at does not provide iPads for students, we do provide a wealth of technology resources since my students attend a cyber school. I routinely have students create their own content using digital media. In previous years, I have had students create digital storybooks, Prezi presentations, PowerPoints, videos, and other digital presentations. I hope to continue to incorporate new digital media tools this coming school year to increase student motivation and interest!
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