CEP 818: Module 8 - Argument for Creativity

Argument for Creativity in Life Skills (Family and Consumer Science) Courses

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." — Steve Martin
And much in the same regard, a day without play is like, you know, work.
One of the greatest challenges we have as educators is to teach our students using methods so that they are actively engaged and having fun so they forget they are at work. Aside from the overall enjoyment this brings, Jean Piaget suggested, "it strengthens various mental skills (249)." One of my favorite moments in teaching is when a student exclaims, "Oh my gosh! This class is almost over ALREADY?!" I jokingly reply, "Time flies when you're having fun eh?" And (usually) they agree.

Throughout each class I teach, I do my best to incorporate creative components that challenge my students and give them the opportunity to think outside the box. Why is this so important? Because of this:


Image Credit: The Computers in Education Group of Southern Australia

Students do not retain information they learn through most traditional means of passive instruction (reading, writing, listening, etc.) Instead, they need to be actively engaged in the learning process. This is not only important for retention of content but it’s also crucial to prepare students for their futures. Many newer careers that are currently in demand require problem solving and critical thinking skills. (Employability skills: Creative Thinkers) To provide students with the tools they need to be successful in these fields, it is imperative that we shift from passive learning to active learning and teach them to think creatively.

Wikipedia defines creativity as, “the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new (a product, a solution, a work of art etc.) that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs. What counts as "valuable" is similarly defined in a variety of ways,” (Wikipedia: “Creativity”) Essentially, we need to prepare our students to formulate new ideas, solve new problems, and to envision new ways of perceiving the world. So can creativity be taught? It certainly can. In much of the same ways that riding a bike or cooking or even driving a car can be taught. One word: practice.

In “Sparks of Genius,” Robert an Michele Root-Bermstein tell of 13 thinking tools that can help foster creativity.


Image Credit: Psychology Today

Each thinking skill can be applied to any educational discipline, from Math to Art… but what about Home Economics? Or as it’s referred to today, “Life Skills/Family and Consumer Science?”

Since Life Skills courses are predominantly hands-on to begin with, many of these thinking skills mesh into the existing curriculum nicely. On a daily basis, I watch my students grasp concepts through doing and exploring. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." - Confucius

In November 2010, I attended a Family and Consumer Science conference in Lansing, Michigan where Jean Blaydes Madigan (Action Based Learning, "Teaching the Teen Brain") presented that, "...85% of school age children prefer kinesthetic processing/learning (over visual and auditory learning.) This type of learning involves gestures, movements, and motions to reinforce concepts and ideas.” From my personal experience, I learn best from doing as well. Many of my sewing students ask me, "Ms. M, when/how did you learn to sew?" I always joke with them, "I learned in high school but I didn't have a teacher. I learned by messing a lot of projects up." And that's true. Some would say it was a very painful way to learn. Looking back though, I think it was an amazingly effective way for me to learn because I'm such a hands-on person. When I made a mistake and discovered my error, I was so curious to solve the problem and find a solution that it made me so passionate about sewing. In addition, I was sure to never make the same mistake twice once I figured out the solution. As a result, I learned much more then how to sew. I also learned how to apply my creativity when problem solving. This transferable skill has helped me throughout my entire life.

Because of my own personal experiences and the ones I witness with my students, I try to always incorporate some form of hands-on experience (embodied thinking) in each lesson I do. While this isn't always easy, it makes such a difference. The importance of this was made clear to me at the Family and Consumer Science conference I attended. A recent study showed that when students partake in a physical education class before their most difficult subject, they tend to learn more. A Texas Youth Fitness Study at Cooper Institute showed that, "Significant associations were constantly found between physical fitness and various indicators of academic achievement." Although I cannot involve my students in a full fledged physical education course at the beginning of each class, I can do small things that can make a big difference according to my findings today. Something as simple as having students stand and stretch, model concepts with their arms and legs, walk around the room, etc. can make a major difference in the amount of information they retain. According to Jean Blaydes Madigan, "Students learn 10% better when they are standing as opposed to sitting simply because of the more efficient blood flow to the brain." Active learning assists students with focus and concentration and allows for a little fun too - what a concept, eh? Fun in the classroom?!

One example of how a Life Skills course utilizes a variety of the 13 thinking tools presented in Sparks of Genius is my beginner sewing course. Students customize their own handbags including the pattern design, layout and overall bag construction. Before beginning this project, students brainstorm and consider what they might want their bag to look like. They use the thinking skill imaging when they envision the bag they want to create. To image, one must be able to create or gather information solely from within their own mind. Next, I provide sample handbags to give the students inspiration and ideas to springboard from. Along with these samples, the students observe handbags of their fellow classmates and they pay close attention to the most important components of their existing handbags. These observations help them to decide what is most important in their own designs.
Next, the students create a rough draft sketch of the bag they wish to create. This creates a simplification or abstraction of the final product. Once the sketch is done and approved, they are very eager to purchase fabric and begin the construction process. They ask, "How do I know how much fabric to buy?" I explain to them that it’s impossible for me to answer this question because all of their designs are individually unique so the amount of fabric that each student needs will vary. In order to determine this amount, the students then create another abstract, or simplification of their bag by identifying the individual shapes and pieces that make up the bag. Next, students graph the individual pieces on paper that represents the size of fabric they will purchase (approximately 1 yard per sheet.)



As they graph the pieces they begin to discover that some shapes don’t fit on one sheet. This tells them that they need to attach additional sheets of graph paper and ultimately purchase more fabric (since 1 sheet represents approximately 1 yard.) As students complete their graphs, the light bulbs begin to go off. They make the connection that the amount of fabric they would need to purchase is dependent on the amount and size of the individual pieces of their bags. They began to convert the squares on the graph paper to inches on a yardstick... "So if all my pieces fit on this graph that measure 36 squares across, that means I need 1 yard right?" At this point, I know that they understand the process.

Through the use of these various thinking skills, students are able to put together a customized bag without the use of a preprinted pattern. The rewards to this are endless. They produce a custom creation from start to finish – from the idea to the completion of a tangible item. Their bag is unique and one of a kind. It’s something they create with their minds and their own hands. This is active learning through and through. They are involved in every part of the process and it allows them to experience what it’s like to be a designer. Many of the students make revisions and edit their project during the various stages of this process. As a result, they become very empathetic to the obstacles and considerations that designers experience. As Sparks of Genius describes empathizing, "You must enter into the person you are describing, into his very skin, and see the world through his eyes and feel it through his senses" (182.)

The technical skills that my sewing students learn along the way are valuable as well. Students learn how to sew various stitches, use notions and other small sewing equipment tools, as well as how to troubleshoot machine problems. These experiences prepare them for future sewing projects as they come to recognize the patterns that repeat throughout the process. As Sparks of Genius puts it, "To understand order, it is often necessary to learn how to create it" (117.)

In the end, what’s most important about my sewing course (and all Life Skills courses) is that students are given the opportunity to be challenged, to problem solve and think outside of the box, and to ultimately apply these skills in other areas of their lives. As an educator who values the 13 thinking skills and their beneficial uses across the curriculum, I think it’s important to remember that students don’t acquire technical skills alone from Life Skills courses. Instead, they obtain authentic experiences that prepare them for life while incorporating fun and learning.