I've spent some time over the summer break thinking about creativity, and practising one manifestation of creativity that works for me. I have several reasons for thinking a lot about creativity in our educational mahi.
- Our manaiakalani pedagogy 'Learn Create Share' puts creativity at its centre. It reflects the re-imaging of knowledge that Jane Gilbert wrote of in the early 2000s in her book 'Catching the Knowledge wave' in which she theorised that in the 21st century we need to redefine knowledge as not only knowing stuff, but being able to 'do something with that stuff', that is, to create. In our Manaiakalani kaupapa the act of creation doesn't;'t mean creating something new to humanity, but rather something new to the learner, creating a new understanding, a new product that uses the 'stuff' that the learner now knows.
- As technology, and artificial intelligence, increasingly replace people in mundane tasks, I find us left with the basic question: what then is the purpose of education? What matters, if AI can replace much that was a mainstay of the 19th and 20th century workforce? To which my answer is empathy and relationships, and creativity (although eve this latter is being challenged by AI!!)
- There is some fantastic research coming our of University of Auckland, via Professor Peter O'Connor and his team, on the impact of creativity on wellbeing.
Some of this this thinking lead me to lead the re-imagine our Hornby High School vision as 'a centre of creative excellence". A vision isn't a statement of what we are, nor is it (probably) a statement of what we will ever become. However it is a statement of aspiration, and as such it helps to guide us in what we choose to deliberately and intentionally do to support the growth of our rangatahi to be functioning and contributing members of a caring and empathetic society.
An aspirational vision also gives staff and students some sense of what we, of what they, could be. There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come, and when one of our head students in 2021 made direct reference to how this vision has impacted his educational journey at HHS and inspired him I felt vindicated that we had chosen a powerful idea on which to focus. A vision is there to inspire people, to motivate them, and we ignore such forces at our peril.
None of this of course detracts from the need for quality teaching, for powerful and focussed direct instruction, for engaging cross curriculum work and activity that engage the learner. ALL of that goes without saying.. although I fear we need to say it loud and often because for some it is not as obvious as it ought to be.
For each of us creativity will look very different. It may mean creating a painting or a poem, but equally it may mean restoring an old car (or something else), it may mean solving an IT problem, building a bookcase, creating or cooking a new recipe, or finding a new way to defeat an opponent in an on-line game, or... you see what I mean.
At the moment one of my creative outlets (amongst several) is writing 'free verse' poetry. I've done quite a bit of writing in my time, including four successful text and work books which were published in the early 2000s. I also like to do some creative writing. This free verse poetry is a relatively recent thing.
Now what fascinates me about ALL of this is the creative process.. what is it that drives the human brain in its creative work, where do ideas come from etc. I have no doubt that neuroscientists will be able to explain much of that to me. I am mostly interested in my own experiences of it, and while trying to crystallise a fleeting idea for a poem yesterday, something. totally different just dropped into my head, on this very subject of creativity.
I still haven't 'captured' that other idea, by the way. It is still lurking like that dark dark shadow.
