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Show page 12 , Spring 2004 Incorporating Creativity into the Classroom: An Important Lesson BY SARAH PLUMMER PHOTO BY ALY DANIELS Students on campuses around the world benefit from creativity as a fundamental part of the college classroom. It is extremely important for universities to offer a variety of classes that deal with creative subjects such as language and the arts, and to recognize that students have different interests. However, students not only have diversified interests, but they also have distinct learning styles. Some are visual learners, some learn better through hands-on experiences, while others are auditory-learners and prefer taking notes during a lecture. More instructors are beginning to realize that incorporating creativity into their everyday curriculum is beneficial for both themselves and their students. Creativity brings refreshing variety to the classroom and has become an effective teaching tool rather than just another boring lesson to be taught. How can creativity be incorporated when teaching a subject that either is inherently creative or doesn't allow for much creative thought at all? These instances occur in many departments, and some suggestions are simpler than one might think. "I think one of the most creative professors I've had was my anatomy professor. He realized that students learn in different ways and he tried to use a lot of different techniques throughout the semester/' according to Joseph Kamerath, biology major. "He would give PowerPoint presentations with different graphics on each slide, and his textbook was a big coloring book where we filled in blanks and graphs from the slide presentations." Kamerath appreciated his instructor's weekly lectures and labs where students could apply what they had learned through hands-on activities. Heidi Gordon, a senior studying English, said her most '7 think creativity definitely has an important place, but it should be kept within reason. A professor should know when to quit." creative instructor was coincidentally a creative writing professor. Gordon said that while creativity was obviously a big part of the subject matter, the professor always found ways to creatively convey concepts or ideas. For example, the professor would bring in a selection of music to listen to, or sonnets for the students to read, interpret, and relate to their current course focus. "I realize that every class of students is different," said Mitch Jensen, professor of American Sign Language. "At the beginning of each semester I like to get a feel for who each student is, what their personalities are like, where their skill levels are, and what kind of background they've had in the subject." Jensen ------------------------ believes that this helps him decide how to teach the class, since the interactions are always different from semester to semester. While creativity may come naturally for some instructors, those who are less creative can easily start incorporating fun ideas into their usual routines. In his article Teaching Creativity, Marvin Bartel, Ed.D., provided some useful tips. One of Bartel's suggestions included letting students generate questions to ------------------------- be included on quizzes and tests. This helps students think from a different perspective, gain a well-rounded understanding of the course materials, and feel involved in the progression of the course. Bartel encourages the use of interactive multimedia aids during lectures to maintain the attention and interest of students. Bartel also recommends having students keep a class journal where they can express any thoughts or ideas about material being covered. Other suggestions include: role playing, brainstorming with the entire class about an issue, inviting panels of experts or guest speakers to speak to the class, and small group discussions. While Bartel gives ideas on incorporating creativity, he also has some advice for instructors to facilitate a creative thinking mode for students. He suggests that instructors consider and |
