Journal 4:
Sowing the Seeds for a More Creative Society by Mitchel Resnick




Schools often base student achievement on how well the students perform on tests. This is based on the idea that schools just need to pass on knowledge to students and the more knowledge a student gains, the more successful he or she will be. The above article points out that while acquiring knowledge is important, it is not enough. Many students lack the ability to think creatively and thus are unable to improvise in unexpected situations. Unfortunately, unexpected situations arise routinely in both our personal and professional lives. Students are graduating from High School and college with a wealth of knowledge but inexperienced in critical and creative thinking. Many employers have expressed concern over this trend and some schools are responding by implementing new technologies that can aid children in their development of creative thinking. I will discuss two of those technologies as follows.

Crickets are the first new bit of technology I will discuss. They are kits that are designed to be an artistic outlet where children can create things not only using craft supplies such as pipecleaners, pom poms and so on, but also electronic parts such as motors and sensors so that they can integrate colorful lights, sounds, music and motion into their projects. Children have used these raw materials to create their own light-up shoes that change colors based on walking speed, alarm clocks and even wearable jukeboxes. With Crickets, children can create their own unique toys- they don’t have to buy them in the store.

Scratch is a another bit of technology that stimulates creativity in children. Scratch is a program that allows children act as programmers and create stories, games and animations that can be shared with others on the internet. Just as their adult computer programmer counterparts, children using Scratch have to problem-solve to fix program bugs and set design goals for their projects.  Children who use Scratch can create their own toys, in this case, their own online computer games.  Just as with Crickets, children can act creatively instead of buying toys at a Toy Store.

Check it out at:

http://scratch.mit.edu/

Question: When might I integrate a program like Crickets into my classroom lessons?


I would like to teach Junior High School science. In Junior High, kids are often required to do a science project or create an invention. Crickets opens up the possibilities for these types of projects. Imagine what kids can do with motors and sensors?!? I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Question: How will I generate the necessary funds to purchase Cricket kits for my classroom?

Funding is a big issue. Perhaps I can integrate the funding aspect of the project into the lesson. After all, kids will discover that they will often have to convince their superiors of the value of the projects they may be working on. This is especially true in jobs in research and the development of technology. Alternatively, with class consensus, funds can be generated by first borrowing money for the projects and then selling them to make up the money. All proceeds could go towards the needs of the classroom. This could offer an opportunity for a lesson in marketing.