Ted Talks Position Paper

When thinking about if technology should be used in the classroom my immediate radar of rule-breaking goes off. As my brain begins to list the many problems monitoring tech in the classroom I must accept it is now a part of life and a major part of learning for today's kids. I watched the following Ted Talk  Do schools kill creativity? by Sir Ken Robinson searching for reasons why such is beneficial to use. One of the first things Sir Robinson said that I thought was brilliant was that "creativity is as important now as literacy".  He goes on to explain in depth that the education system must change as there is a flood of intellectual degrees based on the idea that the math, languages, and humanities field are the most important and the only ones that can get you a job. This kind of thinking has created what Sir Robinson has called "academic inflation". 

I do agree with him that the academic market is flooded, this is the reason why many schools are pushing students to learn trades. But I also think that when schools give just as much value to the arts and athletics as they do academics you create a more rounded, harder working, and more driven student. Allowing students to find their passion in whatever it is and then accrediting that passion is more beneficial in today's world than just creating a math genius. Our world has evolved enough, some say too much due to rapid industrialization, a time when we needed our brains to think in a very intellectual way. But that now has created a gap in many other ways of thinking. Not because children do not have the ability to think creatively anymore, it's because education does kill creativity and replaces it with what some adults one hundred and fifty years ago thought we should be learning. 

How can we return to a time of creative passion-driven learning and use technology to enhance such learning? In my classroom I offer students multiple modes of expression, whether it be written, drawn, making videos, or speeches/demonstrations. This not only allows students to pick their own creative outlet but also helps them see History as fun. We have to take assessments on the computers per district policy but I find importance in opening technology up for other reasons than that is very beneficial for many types of learners. I am also a huge advocate for test reviews and allow my students to pick from the handwritten review, or create Kahoot, quzizz, or any other form of review game they create themselves. 

After hearing what Sir Robinson says about creativity, I have begun thinking more about how I can implement more creative learning opportunities within my classroom using technology as a tool. I have always wanted to use VR as a way for students to have interactive lessons that help them learn about different historical events and figures. For example, they can use interactive maps to show the spread of civilizations over time. They can also visit important landmarks like the White House or the Great Wall of China, giving them a firsthand look at these iconic structures. By also allowing them to pick the people, places, or things they use the VR on is an excellent way to support their creativity and involve them in their own learning path.