Creativitiy 9/30

This past Sunday my team opened our season with a huge win against rivals Texas A&M. Each of these pictures show different angles of my team, and how it takes everyone of us and every aspect to get that W! 

Learning Enviornment

My classroom layout was specifically designed to meet the needs of Elementary level students, especially Kindergarten through Second grades. I chose a large room with a flowing layout and many double panel windows so that the children and I can both receive plenty of natural sunlight throughout the day. The desks are located in the center of the room in pods so that the kids can interact with their peers. They are also all placed facing the projector screen so that everyone can learn and be taught more easily. To the right of the room is a Computer Station with three computers available to students. To the left is the projection screen and easel. In the back right corner I chose a Reading Rug for story time and project sharing. In this corner there is an L-shaped couch for extra seating, and also book cases with numerous books available to the children. In the back left corner is my desk, so that I can have my eyes on the classroom and the children at all times. There is also plenty of storage for myself and the student's belongings and tools. Oh, and can't forget about the class pet!

I chose the lay out of the room because of how open and bright it is. I like plenty of space and everyone seated in one direction so that they can easily focus on where I am teaching. We will be reading a lot and sharing a lot of projects that we complete so I wanted a nice area for this with plenty of space and a homey touch. The three computers will be used a lot by the students, and will help them become accustomed to technology, which will be demanded by them in the near future. I would like the atmosphere of my classroom to be very peaceful and welcoming to the children so that they can feel at home and comfortable while they are learning. I plan to be very one on one with the kids, and also somewhat old fashioned. I like teaching and using some technology but I will not solely base my teaching style or curriculum off of it. I think it is necessary to incorporate both. I am very excited about my classroom and hope that the children will be just as enthusiastic as I am!

Four Dimensions of Creativity

             The four dimensions that J.P. Guilford used to describe creativity are fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Among these four dimensions, I personally find myself struggling with Fluency the most. Fluency is known as “the ability to generate many ideas, in order to loosen up the creative wheels.” I often do not struggle with originality, and am able to produce unique, one of a kind ideas, but when it comes to brainstorming in order to have a variety of creative options, I usually find myself being limited to one or two options. Fluency is a very important dimension of creativity, as it is the very first step. By brainstorming with classmates, group members, peers, etc., ideas are shared among the group, allowing for others to branch off from these thoughts as well. I believe I have the hardest time with this dimension because I am not a naturally creative person, and once I come up with an idea, I tend to stick with that one idea. In EDIT 2000, we use the “Chalk Talk” tool in order to create fluency among the class and generate numerous ideas. “Chalk Talk” also allows our class to elaborate upon our ideas and others', which is the fourth dimension of Creativity. By Blogging and building our own personal google site, we are applying Originality and Flexibility. When we build these sites, it reflects our personalities, and allows us to be as original and creative as we like. By viewing other individual's blogs and sites, we are often able to see the world in a different light, thus applying Flexibility to creativity. Every single one of the creativity tools listed in this article could be extremely beneficial to teachers and students. By using these resources, teachers can learn and incorporate outside knowledge and techniques into their classroom, while also potentially sparking creativity within themselves.

My Monday Morning Creative Endeavor

When describing myself to others, I have never used the word "creative." Even in today's world with the help of Pinterest I struggle more than the average individual. I think that being creative is a wonderful quality to have, and I envy those who are constantly doing and creating unique things as if it were nothing to them. I recently went out on a limb and took a trip to Hobby Lobby, where I bought different size canvases, paint, and paintbrushes. When we were asked to wake up Monday and do something creative, it didn't take me long to decide that I was going to paint something. Although what did take me forever, was deciding exactly what I wanted to paint! I finally stuck with the idea of a street sign. Not just a regular street sign though; Telegraph Avenue, in Berkeley, California. At first this may sound bizarre, but my boyfriend, Campbell, just recently transferred to UC Berkeley to play tennis. I thought his new studio apartment needed a girl's touch, and what better way to touch it up with, than a personal piece of artwork from me. I chose this specific street because of it's historical significance and unique vibe that it gives to all who walk, shop, eat, work, and drive on it. Located in the bay, the entire city of Berkeley is known for its hippy vibe, especially Telegraph Avenue, where many 1960's and 1970's protest took place. For this reason, I painted the background of the canvas tie-dye. I attempted this by combining a series of different colors in a flowing flower like pattern. It isn't standard "tie-dye" but you get the picture. I then painted the street sign in blue and yellow, which is exactly how it appears  in person. The painting turned out exactly how I planned and I was ecstatic. I didn't have to make a second trip to Hobby Lobby, and instead made a trip to UPS!

Horizon Report Response

In my opinion, some of the trends, challenges, and future technologies are already impacting education, and will only continue to impact them in the near future. As a college student, I am currently completing my sixteenth year of school (K-Undergrad), and the changes that have occurred are already immense. These new trends allow us to access our work no matter where we are, what time it is, or what we're doing. Geek squads are being replaced by cloud and online tutorials, chalkboards are being replaced by google docs, and the value of face to face learning is diminishing as individuals seek the more convenient, online route to their degrees. Many of these trends are very valuable to the learning experience and make learning trendy and accessible. However, these trends are ever changing and we are becoming more and more dependent on these technologies. 21^st century classrooms will need to change in order to adjust and accommodate to these technologies. In fact, they are already changing and shaping around them. My mother is an elementary school teacher and I see these changes being implemented more each school year. These changes are not only seen in the physical structure of the classroom, such as the additions of promethium smart boards, I-pads/tablets, laptop computers, etc., but also through the learning styles and texts. To be able to host such technologies, my mom has had to complete many different workshops and tutorials in order to learn the ways of these trends and teach them to her students. Just as these current trends have manifested change in the classroom, the future technologies will do just the same. I believe that in order to use these technologies and see them displayed successfully, we will have to continue altering our education strategies and slowly work them into our every day lives.