Originally posted at https://techplaygroundblog.wordpress.com/ Several things have been happening in the Emerging Technologies Creativity Research Lab this week! One, our 3D printer is having some filament issues, and as a result not all the prints are completing as expected. Two, our EDTC 3123 students (preservice teachers exploring processes through which they can incorporate digital technology into their classroom practices) are coming through to explore the resources in the Lab. The 3D printer is a big draw, and the challenges the filament issues present have given us some nifty opportunities.
Brad Hokansen (2018) suggests creativity can be developed as we make connections and new ideas from their experiences and knowledge. Additionally, studies indicate that intentional incorporation of student misconceptions (celebrate and use your mistakes!) helps students learn. Our fidgety 3D printer allowed us to help our preservice teachers experiment with combining these ideas. The print pictured above was originally intended to be two yellow flower stems. The filament slipped, the print stopped, and we ended up with an interesting yellow outline. Rather than being bummed about not getting flower stems, the future master educator wondered aloud what story the shape could tell, embracing the print failure and stretching her creativity. What story do you hear? I hear the story of yet another amazing, talented educator on the way to our kids’ classrooms. ~Kathy Essmiller
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I was fortunate to present at the Association for Education and Communication Technologies (AECT) 2017 International Conference, "Leading Learning for Change". As anticipated, the sessions were fantastic, and the people were amazing. I was surprised, however, by the number of sessions whose topic titles included specific references to creativity. As a musician and fine arts educator, I have attended annual music conferences since I was in high school, and did not remember seeing sessions specifically referencing creativity in near the number represented at AECT. I asked one of my EDTC professors (for whom creativity is a specific research interest) why she thought that might be, and she said the definition of creativity as interpreted by the arts is just, really, much narrower. I was a bit stunned. She is an established research professional, with firm credentials in the field of creativity research. Her conclusion is informed by rigorous analysis of empirical data. That explains a lot, I think. Creativity is identified as a skill important for 21st century learners, it has been determined that creativity can be taught, and educational institutions are rising to meet that challenge. Maker spaces and genius time garner funding yet, curiously, the arts continue to be cut. I attended one of the AECT creativity workshops, and it was not only fantastic, but helped me understand better how my professor came to her conclusion. Creativity, as explored in the AECT workshop led by Brad Hokanson, is defined as "the ability to generate and express ideas that are new and useful or, in other words, novel and applicable" (Hokanson, 2017, p. 34). That definition is referenced as being used by the National Science Foundation and other research organizations (Hokanson, 2017). I don't know as that is how those in the arts would define creativity. I do know that activities take place in the arts classrooms which fit into that definition. If arts budgets are being cut while other disciplines receive funding to facilitate the cultivation of creativity, it occurs to me that perhaps I have not, as a fine arts educator, done an effective job of communicating the ways in which experiences in my classroom fit that definition. And if fitting that definition is what gets things funded, then I need to find tangible means through which those results can be shared with others. I need to make it easier for my administrators to financially support the arts. The resources below were shared as part of a Professional Development session presented for Fine Arts faculty and staff from Crossings Christian School and Oklahoma Christian School. The topic, essentially, was the integration of digital education and communications technology into the fine arts classroom, but the filter through which they were explored was in reference to the above described definition of creativity. How, as fine arts educators, can we empower our students to produce and share tangible artifacts representing the growth of creativity as defined by the production of novel and useful ideas? We are creative people. Surely we can find a way. Hokanson, B. (2017). Developing Creative Thinking Skills: An Introduction for Learners. Routledge.
Does someone in your world, or even you yourself, sometimes find technology integration a bit frustrating? Here is a chuckle...and perhaps some perspective. Sometimes, learning new stuff is just hard.
Incorporating videos into your arts classroom experience? Videono.tes offers an excellent way to embed formative or summative assessment into your classroom activities, as well as a platform through which students can experience and share reflections and ideas. Comments are linked to a time code, and automatically sync with Google Drive.
IdeaFlip is a fantastic resource for real-time collaboration. My EdTech students used it for attendance--they emailed the class a link to a board, and once in class students clicked on the link and answered the presented question. I love the graphics and stickers available as well, and look forward to using it this semester for some idea-mapping. Create a board for fun, then scroll down the toolbar on the right to find all the nifty graphics. Twiddla offers similar capabilities, with the addition of collaborative whiteboard resources.
Encourage your students to share their ideas and creations. The opportunity to publish can build your students' pride, increase the visibility of the program, and provide the tangible artifacts necessary for others to recognize your students' creative growth. Encourage students to manage the sharing of their work and value others' ownership of their creative work by having them choose a level of copyright protection at CreativeCommons.org.
One of the first steps to growing creativity is to simply have a lot of ideas. Resources such as Padlet allow students to share small ideas which can then be assembled into big ideas. The Padlet below encourages students to create and share a four beat motif using pats and claps. The ideas can then be arranged and rearranged to create rhythm compositions!
Kahoot--great resource for collaboration and formative assessment
Plickers--inexpensive alternative to clickers!
Chatterpix--fantastic iPad app, especially for littles. Fun for not-littles as well!
Rubistar--create and save rubrics helping communicate and measure the value of your activities.
When I was little I had a friend, David Across The Street. We were going to be scientists when We Grew Up. We knew we would be Great Scientists because we had already made an Amazing Discovery. All On Our Own we discovered if we mixed water with the dirt in David Across the Street’s backyard we could make Clay. Certain we were first with this Amazing Discovery, we triumphantly took a sample of the substance inside to show his mom. She celebrated Our Discovery, and we enjoyed an exciting afternoon imagining ways Our Clay could be used. Photo by Evan Dennis on Unsplash Interestingly enough, we happened across our Amazing Discovery because we were Digging to China. A certain Big Sister had told us that, since China was opposite us on the globe, we could probably get there if we dug a deep enough hole. David Across The Street had an already sizeable divot in his backyard, we had a couple of sticks, free time and nice weather, so it seemed like a good day to tackle this completely accessible goal. We didn’t find China, but we Discovered Clay, and because of this believed we Could Be Scientists. We didn’t get Where We Were Going, but we discovered Something Amazing along the way. Photo by Matt Duncan on Unsplash My Grown-Up, Mortgage-Paying self has a tough time tapping into the spirit of those young scientists. As educators, we know the value of play. We teach our students to stay focused but to also watch for opportunities for discovery and exploration, to be willing to step off the path and journey into unanticipated, creative ventures. That’s what I teach my students, but for Grown-Up me, if the task is Digging to China, I am by-gum Digging to China. Sometimes it feels like it’s been awhile since I Made Any Discoveries. It’s easy to lose the magic. I’m busy seeing the end from the beginning, keeping my eyes forward, making sure the main thing is the main thing. Sometimes I need to relearn how to play--like back in the day, “scientisting” with my friend David Across the Street. I’m headed this week to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) conference. I’m joining mentors and colleagues of whom I am in awe. I’m blessed with a great advisor who regularly checks to make sure I am asking questions and exploring ideas. I’m anticipating opportunities to make wonderful connections and learn new things, discover my place in the profession and discern fruitful areas for research. I hope I have my heart and eyes open enough to Discover Clay. I’ll let you know. ~Kathy Essmiller The Educational Technology Masters Program at Oklahoma State University (OSU) empowers students to discover and develop fluency with the effective partnership of instructional design (Plomp 2007) and educational technology. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has provided several definitions of educational technology ("Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field," 2008). The most current states “Educational Technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” ("Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field," 2008). The AECT has published a set of standards guiding professionals in the field in areas of content knowledge, content pedagogy, learning environments, professional knowledge and skills, and research. Creating, Using, Assessing/Evaluating, Managing, and Ethics are provided as indicators for each of the standards. Coursework associated with the OSU Educational Technology (EDTC) department is aligned with and guided by the AECT standards. Appropriately creating within the field of educational technology has many aspects ("Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field," 2008) and is best accomplished in partnership with intentional instructional design. Using the ADDIE system (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) I created a hybrid course through which students might engage in the arts through digital music technology. Guided by the ADDIE system, I considered instructional goals, learner characteristics, required resources, and the appropriate delivery system. Built into the design are opportunities for evaluation of the course for incorporation of potential revisions. Engaging in the coursework and discussions expanded my content knowledge in the field of educational technology and my understanding of how and when associated content is best used (Baird & Fisher, 2005). That understanding guided my decision to design the course for hybrid presentation (Al-Qahtani & Higgins, 2013), as research indicates blended learning designs result in slightly stronger learner outcomes than those presented face to face or fully online (Al-Qahtani & Higgins, 2013). As Web 2.0 resources afford opportunity for increased student participation, collaboration, and creativity (Ullrich et al., 2008) considered valuable for effective learning environments (Albert, 2015; Callaghan, 2016), I incorporated their generous use into my course design. The credibility of each source was carefully evaluated; determination of author, date of creation, frequency of updates, and other indicators were used for this evaluation (Schrock, 1998). When using others' resources throughout the course, appropriate credit and citations are given (Schrock, 1998). Important in creating the course was consideration of whether use of a digital technology resource best afforded learner construction of knowledge (Parrish, 2009). When suggested for use, digital technology resources were aligned with learning theories, specifically constructivism, in which students work through learning experiences reflective of authentic, real-life situations to construct learning (Schunk, 2016) and connectivism, which speaks to the growth of ideas which can occur as individuals interact (Dillenbourg, 2016). To facilitate critical thinking, opportunities for reflection occur throughout the course (Schunk, 2016). Student access to digital resources is of critical consideration when designing courses. Research indicates the presence of a digital divide, possibly on several levels (Ghobadi & Ghobadi, 2015). Elements of the digital divide related to the socio-economic level of the learning population may be alleviated through the use of open educational resources (OER). OER resources allow for revision, reuse, remixing, redistribution, and retention, and may mitigate financial restrictions inherent in the use of more stringently copyrighted materials (Wiley, Green, & Soares, 2012; Wiley, III, Ellington, & Hall, 2012). Perhaps most importantly, the OSU EDTC graduate courses helped me experience and internalize the value of collaboration (Schunk, 2016). It has been a privilege to work alongside talented peers and dedicated professors to, well, learn about learning. Having experienced the reality of being better together, I am eager to apply what I have discovered, share what I have learned, and be part of research which continues to enhance the effectiveness of the field (Reeves, 2006). I will continue to intentionally plan, expedite, and evaluate educational experiences of which I am a part. I will reflect what has been modeled for me throughout this program and demonstrate integrity in respecting my colleagues, students, and the ideas of others. References Al-Qahtani, A. A. y., & Higgins, S. E. (2013). Effects of traditional, blended and e-learning on students' achievement in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(3), 220-234. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00490.x
Albert, D. J. (2015). Social Media in Music Education. Music Educators Journal, 102(2), 31-38. doi:10.1177/0027432115606976 Baird, D. E., & Fisher, M. (2005). Neomillennial User Experience Design Strategies: Utilizing Social Networking Media to Support “Always on” Learning Styles. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 34(1), 5-32. doi:10.2190/6wmw-47l0-m81q-12g1 Callaghan, N. (2016). Investigating the role of Minecraft in educational learning environments. Educational Media International, 53(4), 244-260. doi:10.1080/09523987.2016.1254877 Cuban, L., Kirkpatrick, H., & Peck, C. (2001). High access and low use of technologies in high school classrooms: Explaining an apparent paradox. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 813-834. Cullen, R. (2001). Addressing the digital divide. Online Information Review, 25(5), 311-320. doi:10.1108/14684520110410517 Dillenbourg, P. (2016). The Evolution of Research on Digital Education. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 26(2), 544-560. doi:10.1007/s40593-016-0106-z Ghobadi, S., & Ghobadi, Z. (2015). How access gaps interact and shape digital divide: a cognitive investigation. Behaviour & Information Technology, 34(4), 330-340. doi:10.1080/0144929X.2013.833650 Januszewski, A., & Molenda, M. (2008). Definition: Definition and Terminology Committee of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Educational Technology: A Definition with Commentary (2nd ed., pp. 1-14). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Owston, R. (1997). The world wide web: A technology to enhance teaching and learning? Educational Researcher, 26(2), 27-33. Parrish, P. (2009). Asthetic principles for instructional design. Educational Technology, Research, and Development, 57(4), 511-528. Plomp , T. (2007). Educational design research: An introduction. Reeves, T. C. (2006). Design research from a technology perspective. Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field. (2008). TechTrends, 52(1), 24-25. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0108-2 Schrock, K. (1998). Separating the wheat from the chaff: How to tell the good sites from the bad. Internet Trend Watch for Libraries, 3(2). Schunk. (2016). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (Seventh Edition ed.). Boston: Pearson. Ullrich, C., Borau, K., Luo, H., Tan, X., Shen, L., & Shen, R. (2008). Why web 2.0 is good for learning and for research: principles and prototypes. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 17th international conference on World Wide Web, Beijing, China. Wiley, D., Green, C., & Soares, L. (2012). Dramatically bringing down the cost of education with OER. Center for American Progress. Wiley, D., III, J. L. H., Ellington, S., & Hall, T. (2012). A preliminary examination of the cost savings and learning impacts of using open textbooks in middle and high school science classes. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(3), 262-276. I had the opportunity this fall to participate in the 3MP competition hosted by Oklahoma State University. Below is a transcript of my presentation. The topic I chose to explore was how learning in the digital age facilitates student experience of The Four Cs. I’d like you to imagine the early 1900s Missouri classroom in which my grandmother taught. You would see many children, sitting at desks, facing front, in tidy rows. Tidy rows facing front, and one passionate teacher ringing the schoolyard bell to assemble their learning community. I have the bell from that school house in my backyard. I ring it sometimes, just for fun.
Then, just as now, teachers empower student ownership of the 4 C’s-Connecting, Creating, Collaborating, and Critical Thinking. We have the delightfully alliterative catch phrase, courtesy of the United States-based Partnership for 21st Century Skills, but understanding their importance is not new. As always, meaningful learning occurs when students are willingly engaged in active, collaborative enterprises reflective of authentic real-life experiences. My grandma facilitated learning in a one room schoolhouse with the desks facing front and a bell in the yard. I facilitate Learning in the Digital Age. The world is our classroom, and we are called to learning by bells ringing from innumerable yards. Learning in the digital age affords opportunity for enhanced communication and feedback, allows restructuring of teacher time, provides extended purpose and audience for student work, and facilitates connection with others allowing us to grow stronger and smarter together (Siemens). Digital resources whose use is intentional, purposeful, and driven by effective pedagogy have the power to transform learning. Learning in the Digital Age affords opportunity for enhanced communication and feedback. I am able to provide almost instantaneous feedback for my elementary music students on their creative progress through the Chatterpix App. Their improvised melodies are recorded and performed for playback by an animated version of stick figures they have drawn. I immediately cast the animation onto a large screen, and as we experience their creation together, I affirm their creativity while assessing their level of understanding. Learning in the Digital Age means I, as the teacher, am able to restructure the use of my time during class. I embedded myself into my student population, enjoying their stick figure’s performance along with them, moving through the room and interacting personally with each of my students as they celebrated their collaboration. Learning in the Digital Age provides extended purpose and audience for student work. I am able (with appropriate permissions) to upload videos and the accompanying audio tracks my older elementary music students have collaborated to create of school faculty and staff. The online publishing platform allows students to easily share their work with friends and family. School connections have been strengthened, students have collaborated to create and communicate understanding, and they have exercised critical thinking progressing through several necessary decisions. Learning in the Digital Age facilitates connection. Digital resources allow me to document and (with appropriate permissions) share my students’ performance with a music classroom in Zimbabwe working on the same song. This communication can lead to collaboration, all of us growing through connection (as Siemens posits) smarter and stronger with our friends from far away. Digital resources whose use is intentional, purposeful, and driven by effective pedagogy have the power to transform learning. Learning in the digital age affords opportunity for enhanced communication and feedback, allows restructuring of teacher time, provides extended purpose and audience for student work, and facilitates connection with others. Teachers have always sought to promote learning communities in which connecting, creating, collaborating, and critical thinking are empowered. My grandma did it in a one room schoolhouse. I get to do it in the world. I love ringing that bell. |
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