Most recent public comments by LeAnne Schmidt https://nowcomment.com/users/90754 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061617 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061617 My students ran a simulation this week in which they were 14-year-old apprentices in 1770 Boston, where they witnessed the Boston Massacre and several related events which preceded it. For them to read a story about it, they would not have been likely to cast it with an authentic background which lent depth and richness to the experience. In simulations like Second Life or even online game scenarios, participants benefit from the opportunity to be creative and pursue different options without the high-stakes of living with the consequences of their choices. They can simply restart or select a new avatar and try a different method. Sun, 20 Sep 2020 17:12:36 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061610 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061610 While information and communication do not require technology, these aspects can facilitate the process and provide each learner with the same opportunity for voice. Anastasiades (2017) identifies the ODYSSEUS option for collaborative connections. Other such examples are a shared Google Document with comment features and an open discussion forum in which each learner could post his/her thoughts individually and respond to those of others while everyone's thoughts are presented in the forum. Having a neutral forum for such expression during collaboration allows the child to achieve the variety of aspects of creativity, including innovation/originality, divergent thinking, problem solving, and the safe emotional investment while being open to making mistakes (Anastasiades, 2017, pp. 19-20). This fits well with the collaborative goals expressed by Sawyer (2015) which refer to "improvising together" (p. 15). Collaboration adds an unpredictable quality to the experience. Unfortunately, while much can be learned aside from the content of the exploration, many of these takeaways are lost if not properly captured through reflection, such as recasting disagreements or troubled pathways by a look back to project how things would be different if another solution had been tried. Sun, 20 Sep 2020 17:04:40 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061586 https://nowcomment.com/documents/224569?scroll_to=2061586 Schools, if they are to continue functioning, NEED to deliver content required by their supervising body or certifying entity in the most economical method to achieve the results for the greatest percentage of their populations. We, as those who will be dependent upon the functioning capacity of these children, need to assure that they are able to solve new problems which haven't been imagined yet and to exceed the capabilities of their forebearers. Sawyer states that "creative thinking requires that students create their own knowledge... [which] requires collaborative emergence" (p. 26) and "requires that teachers and classrooms engage in disciplined improvisation" (p. 26). These expectations depart from what is economical because they are time-consuming and require specialized skills not generally taught in teacher education programming. Furthermore, alignment of content requirements when students are creating their own knowledge is tenuous at best and counterintuitive for nationwide school goals. While this position is valuable and brings insight and a better product overall, it is assuredly not needed by the current educational structure which limits content to approved curricula, mandates specific texts, and requires alignment of all teachers and with all standards. Creativity and standards would seem antithetical to one another. Sat, 19 Sep 2020 17:00:04 -0400