Students will likely need exposure to, and practice with the CS Principles big Idea “Creativity” many, many times before a “creative – innovative – mindset” is comfortable and natural. You may have to undo years of “non-creativity conditioning.”
It is not enough to tell students that creativity is important; you must show students that you value creativity by actively engaging in it yourself. I don’t have to tell you that a unit exclusively “on creativity” is bound to fall flat!
So how can we build creativity and innovation into the very core of CS Principles? A few suggestions from a variety of experts:
- Let students know that there are usually multiple paths that lead to understanding.
- Arrange student collaborations that provide meaningful (to them) real-world, problem-solving opportunities.
- Provide lots of project and performance choices that employ a variety of “intelligences” whenever feasible.
- Encourage them to look for and experiment with new things and ideas.
- Encourage questioning.
- Be sure your grading does not penalize “less than successful” creativity. Students will not feel free to experiment if their grade hinges on some abstract measure of success. The true reward for being creative is purely intrinsic.
- Encourage them to mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than failures.
- Enable students to exchange, value, and build upon the ideas of others. Share interesting examples of technological creativity that you run across in the media.
- Make time for informal interactions between students.
- Offer a safe environment that encourages risk-taking. Avoid a competitive and extrinsically rewarding classroom, by providing a friendly, secure, and comfortable environment.
What do you do in your classroom to build the creative capacity of your students? Share with us!