This is a challenging question. I do believe technology can open many doors for creativity in our students. There are some aspects of technology that enhance play and offer unique learning opportunities for creativity, while others can be not as helpful.
The videos were very effective in pointing out how crucial creativity it is to recognize and encourage creativity in the students we teach. Instead of pushing the "core" subjects in our classes, we should be holding subjects such as music, art, dance, and physical education as equally important. Each individual student in our class will have a different skill set and will excel in their own way. We need to recognize the strengths of our students and be sure to interpret them as important and valuable.
Researchers have been tracking children's creativity for over 50 years and are discovering a significant decrease in creativity among children for the first time, especially younger children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Researchers believe this could be due to the large decline of play. However, research has also proven that worldwide, children are very creative with their digital media. In the limited play time that students seem to have these days, their play has in fact become more imaginative (Rachael Rettne, 2011). It seems to me that if we can find a balance between the amount of time students are spending on their technological devices in class and their play time, we will see greater positive outcomes in their creativity.
It has been argued that play for students is a significant creative process that fosters emotional health, imagination, original thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, and self-regulation. When they play with materials, children are building a foundation for understanding concepts and skills that form the basis for later academic learning. I think students can also benefit from these creative processes through using technological devices. As a student I wasn't a great artist. I couldn't draw, paint, or come up with creative ideas during art class. If I had been given the chance to use a technological device to create for example a collage of clip art with drawings, I would have finally been able to excel in art class! Technology gives students a chance to be fearless when it comes to art. It also gives students an opportunity to erase their work, use clip art, use programs with built in paint brushes etc. There's an incredible app for students who need extra confidence with their skills in art. The name of this app is Unleash Creativity and is designed for everyone who needs to unleash the creative potential they have.
The website below gives educators the Top 10 Great iPad Apps to Enhance Student Creativity
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/02/10-great-ipad-apps-to-enhance-students.html
Creative Whack Pack
Clear
Mind Tools
Evernote
Oflow - Filled with over 120 proven tips on how to be more creative. You can flag, browse, and email all of your favorites. Plus create, save, and share ideas you have right from within the app.
Innovate
The Brainstorm
iBrainstormer
Behance
Download these for your students!!
Another website I found extremely useful is the following:
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/11/10-pinterest-boards-every-teacher-must.html
This website has the top 10 pinterest boards for educators. It includes teaching resources, ways to incorporate technology well in the class etc.
http://pinterest.com/medkharbach/ (this pinterest board needs to be followed by all of you teachers out there!!)
Fleith (2000) says that "in a climate in which fear, one right answer, little acceptance for a variety of students products, extreme levels of competition, and many extrinsic rewards are predominant, it is difficult to foster high levels of creativity." Through providing students with a variety of creativity tools on their technological devices, teachers are giving students a variety of ways to come across an answer and create a product using many different devices. Students who aren't confident with their art skills can finally develop their creativity with the use of technology and its tools.
There is an ongoing research experiment going on right now that is striving to create a way in which disabled students can create art through technology. The software being created recognizes the meaning, or intent, associated with eye-movements, enabling the software to work with the user, presenting design variants which are increasingly optimal over successive presentations. This technology will allow disabled students to do something they currently can't do. This program is currently named the "dinosaur drawing" program. It will allow students the ability to draw and create art. It's pretty amazing that technology is allowing students with disabilities to be able to showcase their talent.
Overall, I do believe that technology can allow for opportunities for creativity, especially for those students who couldn't necessarily use their potentially creative side in the first place!
The article I referenced above: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44121819/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/are-todays-youth-less-creative-imaginative/#.URv6LaWsiSo
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