DEJ 5

All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking) I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten* by Mitchel Resnick

Unfortunately, most schools are out-of-step with today’s Needs: they were not designed to help students develop as creative thinkers.

I was returned to school after taking some time off to raise a family and was very surprised to changes that have taken place in education.  I saw standards limit teachers in what they were going to present which I think is one reason the focus in the classroom is not always on creating creative thinking.  I think that creative thinking is a necessary skill that should be fostered in education and agree with the authors that it is an area often in the background.  Educator speak of the need to develop credical thinking skills but these skills are often linked to standard curriculum rather than opportunities to try different options and develop ways to use them.

Too often, educational technologies are overly constrained, such as tutoring software for

teaching algebra, or simulation software for modeling planetary motion in the solar system. Our goal is to provide tools that can be used in multiple ways, leaving more room for children’s imaginations.

Once again I think some of this is linked to standards and teaching skills required to pass the standardize tests and the other part is that educators need to think outside the box but this is not always accepted.  Many times parents and non-educators view activities such as playing a role playing game as useless for education and only valued as a fun activity.  I see role playing games as a chance to try out different roles.  In the field of family and consumer science I can see using a game such as the Sims to show the hurdles you face in daily life such as working and earning a living, having enough money to live a certain lifestyle, mataining friendships and social interactions and providing food, shelter and scheduling tasks within a time frame.  In child care class it is accepted for a student to take home a infant doll and care for the doll for a period of time to learn what it takes to care for an infant but a game like the Sims can show similar lessons only in a virtual setting.

Certainly, play has been an integral part of the traditional kindergarten approach to learning, and most adults recognize the importance of providing young children with opportunity to play. But as children grow older, educators and parents often talk about play dismissively, referring to activities as “just play,” as if play is separate and even in opposition to learning.

I agree with this statement and have had teachers dismiss certain activities as having little or no value other just being for fun.  Parents are involved with organized sports outside of school and talk about the benefits of being a team player, developing character and disclipine, and need for involvement but when play is in the classroom it is not taken serious.  I think that with the right activity students can develop the benefit of being a team player by working toward a goal during a game activity.  I think they can develop disiclipine while trying out different ways to be successful in a game.  I think they can develop character my trying out different roles through play as they figure out what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors do not work.  The classroom is an extension of life where skills are learned but to many these skills are just learning facts but not always how to use them or how to make a connection to their value in life out side of school.  In recent years authentic learning has been a catch phase and I think with careful choice of activities coupled with learning objectives, giving students a chance to try a skill, make a connection and reflection, and providing opportunities for collaboration play activities can be a great benefit in the classroom.