Creativity in Schools
As we move to using more and more technology for learning, productivity seems to take the lead. The following TED videos are centered around creativity. The first, which you may or may not have seen, is from Sir Ken Robinson talks about how schools might be killing creativity. Sir Ken also happens to be one of a great line up of keynote speakers at the annual NYSCATE Conference held here in Rochester next month.
How might we bring more creative uses of technology for learning in our school communities? How does our view of individuals (students and colleagues) effect how we teach and work?

November 22-24, 2009
Waiting for the world to change...
Those are wonderful videos, and I agree wholeheartedly with the content of the messages. However, my students would say that teachers are just too pressured to "perform", to meet standards, to cover content, to raise test scores...
What I have noticed as a huge problem here is that there is the perception that technology is something extra that teachers are expected to "do" on top of everything else. There is often a poor understanding of how technology can and should support the very goals of understanding content, meeting standards, increasing student performance, extending the capabilities of the mind, problem-solving, creative ideas and solutions,.... Teachers are ill-prepared to see technology as a creative and powerful means to improve what they are already doing, and in some cases, change how they have done things in the past. Until we bring vision, creativity, and innovation back into administration, policy, curriculum, and yes... teacher preparation, I don't think we'll see widespread creative innovation trickle down to where it needs to be... in the classroom.