Imagination and Creativity in Education

imagine a world without imagination and creativity.

It might look a little like this.

A small dark room with the windows closed.

Wouldn't that be extremely boring?

There wouldn't be such thing as Wifi or iphones or

even cars.

Imagination opens the windows and shows us the landscapes and

horizons that we would otherwise not perceive.

The ability to imagine and create things pervades our entire

existence sadly, schools today do not cultivate imagination and creativity

and out of step with the real challenges Children are

facing in an ever changing well that has been transformed

by Digital technology.

Sir ken Robinson, creativity expert validates this as he makes

multiple statements were born artists, students are educated out of

it. Schools kill creativity as emerging teachers.

It is important to understand what imagination and creativity is,

why it is important for students to be creative and

imaginative and how to teach.

For creativity.

This mind map shows a substantial inter connectivity between imagination,

creativity, the teacher and the student.

It highlights the key terms that will be further explored.

So what actually is imagination and creativity?

A common misunderstanding is that they are merrily the same

thing. And honestly, I previously thought this before studying more

in depth about the two topics.

However, it is important to understand that imagination is described

of thinking of something or new ideas.

These ideas are commonly unfamiliar and constantly changing imagination is

implicit to creativity as creativity involves doing something meaningful with

your imagination or you're thinking, creativity is unique to each

person as it relates to the skills, abilities and attitudes

of each individual.

Thus, creativity requires originality and effectiveness in order to bring

something new into being.

So why is imagination and creativity important to students?

There has been a vast amount of research that supports

why it is important, firstly, students are more successful in

their academic and non academic lives.

A study conducted by the University of Sydney and investigated

643 students to determine whether students who participated in creative

subjects, such as drama and art were more likely to

succeed in the academic and social lives.

The students who were involved in the study were from

a range of different socio economic backgrounds from 15 Australian

schools. The study not only revealed that students who are

actively engaged in creative processes in their schooling were more

likely to succeed in the academic and non academic lives,

they thrived in multiple other areas.

Some of these areas include motivation, enjoyment of school, homework

completion, self esteem, life satisfaction and meaning and purpose.

The importance of imagination and creativity is not only beneficial

to students academic and social lives, but it also prepares

them for the future jobs of the 21st century.

We although we cannot predict the types of jobs that

will exist in the future, The rapid increase of technology

is expected to remain un invaded and may accelerate in

some areas.

The future of jobs report suggests that jobs that do

not require social interaction and have low levels of creativity

are more likely to be displaced by automation.

In 2013, Oxford University conducted, conducted a research study that

examined over 700 different occupations to see how technology influenced

each job, They found that job creation is slowing while

job deconstruction accelerates within a decade, half the jobs that

currently exist are likely to be eliminated.

Therefore, by the time a child who was five years

old today turns 15, half the jobs teachers are currently

preparing students for won't be there.

Hence, if teachers do not foster imagination and creativity, these

students will not have the skills that they need for

future jobs.

If teachers are not careful and deprive young Children of

creative tasks, students will be educated out of using these

skills that are essential to the 21st century, Jefferson and

Anderson recommend that co creativity, ingenuity and imagination should be

at the beating heart of learning.

However, the overwhelming time pressures that are on teachers to

crime and everything from a standardized curriculum has stripped teachers

of their ability to create lessons that nurture students imagination

and allow students to develop their creative abilities.

As the world is rapidly changing, teachers must replace these

outmoded structures of schools with new ways that prepare students

to face the challenges of the 21st century.

With confidence, teachers must have a larger focus on developing

students ability to imagine by teaching them the skills, understanding

and knowledge is before teaching them the facts and formulas,

louis and note Brandon state that there is nothing more

basic and fundamental in good education.

When all we do is focus on the content and

not the skills, we leave them unprepared for life outside

school. Our task as teachers is to educate our students

whole being so they can face the future.

We must prepare them for the jobs of the 21st

century. Therefore it is essential that teaches foster young Children's

imagination and provide them with continual opportunities to be creative

in the classroom.

So you might be thinking, how do we teach imagination

and creativity to ensure that we're preparing students for the

21st century, there is a large debate about whether or

not creativity can be taught.

Haynes argues that creativity cannot be taught in school, while

Robinson maintains a stance that creativity can in fact be

taught and assessed nelson states that while creativity can be

developed and honed over time, students need to hone their

creativity on different projects at different stages of their education

with support from their teacher in order to fully develop

their creative perspectives.

Thus, teachers must support their students to reveal their creative

potential rather than teach them how to be creative creativity

is not something that is taught in a conventional way,

it is not revealed by direct instruction.

Instead, educators should guide students to think of new ideas

as opposed to what is already known or perceived.

Therefore, teachers must teach for creativity.

So how do we do this?

Well, if you walked into a classroom right now, this

is probably what you'd see this top run right here.

Children who are bored, unengaged and disruptive in the classroom.

Instead, we want our classrooms to look like this, a

classroom full of chattel and Children who are engaged in

their learning and creating different things.

So what can we do to change the way we

run our classrooms to ensure that they look like this

in order for teachers to teach for creativity, they need

to be a facilitator plan for creative opportunities and use

group work.

Teachers must facilitate opportunities for students to use their imagination

louis and note Brandon state that imagination, creativity and innovation

are three concepts that are distinct phases on a continuum.

Imagination is foundational on the continuum and must be well

fed in order for creativity and innovation to occur in

order for teachers to help students develop this foundation, it

is recommended that teachers build strong relationships with their students

in order to know their students interests to make learning

more personal to them.

This makes learning more interesting, exciting and effective and encourages

students to reach a state of flow.

Flow is defined as a state of effortless concentration and

enjoyment. Flow generally occurs when a person is doing his

or her favorite activity.

They're able to be imaginative and creative.

Therefore, it is important for teachers to understand that students

will reach flow when they're doing something that they enjoy.

Thus, new ideas.

Creative learning and innovation are more likely to occur.

So should teachers plan for creative opportunities?

Yes and no.

Teachers should allocate time for students to be creative and

plan activities that embrace student interest in order to full

flow to occur.

However, a large part of planning for creativity is to

plan for the unexpected to take place.

It is common that students will be working on a

task and suddenly have a new idea about something in

order to foster students imagination and creativity.

It is important that teachers embrace these moments in the

classroom. Additionally, teachers must create high standards in the classroom

so that students can learn how to fail.

Robinson states that the problem isn't that we aim too

high and fail.

It's the opposite.

We aim too low and succeed.

If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come

up with anything original.

Therefore, if we embrace students lightbulb moments and allow them

time to collaborate in groups and talk about the idea,

students will discover failures and successes on their own collaboration

in groups is an important aspect of this process.

According to faulty and savage, the teachers should incorporate group

work to encourage imagination and creativity.

Johnson confirms the benefits of group work.

As he suggests, group work can be referred to as

a liquid network.

The liquid network is where you have lots of different

ideas that are together, different backgrounds and interests, all jostling

with each other bouncing ideas of each other.

This is an environment that leads to new ideas and

innovation. Therefore, teachers should plan opportunities for students to work

in different types of groups, whether they be friendship, ability

based or random.

The implementation of group work in the classroom is part

of students growth.

First students make original discoveries themselves, using their imagination and

then building on those discoveries by collaborating with others.

Furthermore, group work encourages students to discuss and refine their

ideas and promotes the use of imaginative capabilities.

The capabilities for imaginative learning underscore how universal and accessible

every aspect of imaginative learning is in group work.

Students make connections with peers, learn empathy and patience towards

others as well as articulate, identify and reflect on ideas

in groups that's louis and note Brandon emphasis that by

providing students a chance to apply their imaginative capabilities, it

makes them more motivated to be in school as learning

is more relevant, Imagination and creativity serve a crucial purpose

in the classroom for the 21st century learners.

In order for teachers to teach for creativity, teachers must

facilitate and include opportunities for students to be creative, and

finally, they should incorporate group work.

This is essential in order for teachers to develop their

imaginative and creative abilities, which proved to benefit student success

at school and in their lives as well as prepare

them for the jobs of the future.

Creativity is as important in education as literacy and numeracy.

So why do we not treat it with the same

status? And to finish off here are my references.

Thank you.

Imagination and Creativity in Education

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