“The traditional kindergarten approach to learning is well matched to the needs of the current society, and should be extended to learners of all ages.”
After kindergarten, many subjects tend to leave behind creative thinking. Create thinking will not only help students achieve higher scores on standardized testing, but will also them succeed in all aspects of life. When I first started reading this, I was surprised that the author thought that all grades should model after methods used in the kindergarten classroom, but then quickly agreed after finding out that creative thinking is supported in kindergarten and should be used in all subject areas.
“One reason, I believe, is a lack of appreciation for the importance of helping young people develop as creative thinkers. Another reason has to do with the availability of appropriate media and technologies.”
Students not only enjoy using media and technology in the classroom, but use it everyday outside of school. Studies have shown that using technology can help teachers teach creative and critical thinking skills. School systems want students to excel on standardized testing, where the underlying principle on all subject areas on the test requires students to use critical thinking skills. Hopefully, school systems will recognize that technology is important to today’s generation and try to gain as much technology as they can for the schools.
“But, with a few notable exceptions, such as the Sim series games and Shaffer’s “epistemic games” [18], currently-available video games do not support kindergarten-style learning. Even games that engage children in strategic thinking and problem solving provide few opportunities for children to design and create a key ingredient in the kindergarten approach to learning.”
I agree that more games should be created that involve the kindergarten approach to learning. After reading this statement, along with the other statements about the LEGO NXT robot kits, I disagree with the author. I am not sure when the article was published, but LEGO has created WeDo robotics, primarily for students in grades K-4. This robotic kit in particular allows students to create animals, people, transportation, etc. The students can build whatever they chose, create a story using whatever they build, and program it to tell their story. This allows for more creative thinking compared to the LEGO Mindstorm series. However, the mindstorm series, students can come up with several robot designs and determine how their robot can be used to help a real-life process.
Resnick, M. (n.d.). All i really need to know (about creative thinking)i learned (by studying how children learn) in kindergarten. Retrieved from http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/kindergarten-learning-approach.pdf
This website organizes kindergarten activities by themes and promotes creative thinking on all levels. Teachers are able to share ideas and even post their favorite activities.
Jacobs, G. (1999). Gayle's preschool rainbow - activity central. Retrieved from http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/
I agree, I'd like to see the school systems incorporate more technology into the classroom. But, after talking to my Introduction to Education professor yesterday, she informed me that while the public school systems are becoming more technology savvy, a lot of the teacher education websites such as TeacherTube, and a few others, are blocked from being used within the school system. How are students supposed to get the full effect of being able to use technology in the classroom if these websites are blocked? ... I can understand blocking Facebook, Twitter, etc, but even then these websites have some sort of educational component to them. A teacher may have another teacher friend who posted an educational video to Facebook, but can she access it from her classroom? No. ... I would personally like to see all technology available to everyone who is part of a public school system, because I think it enhances the material being presented, and also makes students more interested in learning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments about LEGO. I learned something! I also believe that teachers using technology promote creativity and critical thinking. I'd love to see the day when "all schools are created equal" in terms of accessibility to the same technology tools. Why is it (for example) that two schools, 3 miles apart, do not have the same tech. tools/equipment available? Parents should be questioning this inequality.
ReplyDeleteI agree that children need help to develop as creative thinkers. Children should be urged to be creative and think outside the box. Lack of access to the appropriate media and technology does limit creative resources for students. Beginning to integrate technology and creative thinking at a young age is important to succeed throughout school.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion of serious barriers to more meaningful uses of technology in schools! The inequites between access schools just three miles apart points serious problems with the funding of schools and suggest the need for policy change!
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems I think with students and inappropriate behavior on the Internet is because kids have been left to fend for themselves on the Internet! When educators use Facebook and Twiter with students they help them learn the productive potential of these tools. After all, they are central to some of the most powerful demonstrations of democratic activity we have seen in decades!
With all the talk of the kindergarten style of learning, I can't help but wonder why creative thinking, exploration, and experimentation are not intensely focused on in the upper grade levels? Obviously they are all important characteristics of learning, so they should be focused on more in all grades.
ReplyDeleteGaming is a great way to provide students with a creative thinking outlet. Also, technology is the face of the new age; incorporating it into the curriculum and classroom will provide students with the tools they need to face the real world; the technologically based future.
Your link is fantastic; I really like the themed activities. I am going to be a secondary level teacher, not elementary, but I bookmarked your resource because I think with a little modification, the projects and ideas the website provides will be valuable to even middle and high school level students.
I agree that to be successful you need to be a creative thinker so that you can be a problem solver and able to think on your feet. I also agree that the use of technology is completely natural to today's students but because most teachers today did not grow up with technology everywhere it will take time to catch up. I really like the premise of this article and it really made me think about some of the things I have tried and what outcome they had with the students.
ReplyDelete