Most students enter school full of life and creativity. Their imaginations are both magical and delightful. Somehow, as they go through the grade levels, most seem to lose this special spirit. Perhaps, it is because they are afraid of embarrassing themselves in front of peers and teachers, it is simply part of a maturing process, or because some creative traits are discouraged as nonconformist and not accepting of authority.
Some research suggests that “teachers don’t like creative students” because these students don’t want to take “no” for an answer and are so anxious to accomplish their goals that they appear discourteous and obnoxious. It is difficult for teachers to work with a class of students and still give attention to those who are like Gertrude Stein, Socrates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, Einstein, and Picasso.
As we restructure classrooms for 21st Century Learning, with the use of 1-1 computing and mobile devices, we can work to give all of our students freedom of expression. Those students with minds bubbling over will have an outlet for their ideas and energies, and there will be a “teacher” to encourage and guide every student. Then, schools will not have a negative effect on creativity.
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