When I looked at this challenge, I decided to try using Scratch. I knew nothing about coding and thought it might be fun to create something basic without the pressure of needing to make something really great. When I initially sat down and started playing around with the site, I could feel my anxiety level rise as I tried to figure out what the different tiles meant. Since I have no background knowledge, it took me awhile to get the gist of what I was supposed to do. I watched the tutorials, which helped, but still felt myself frustrated and stuck. Because of this, I decided to walk away from it for awhile. After a few days, I revisited the site, and thankfully, felt much more confident and a bit more creative. I realized that during my second visit to the site, I was more relaxed, free from deadlines and time constraints, which allowed me the liberty to sit and tinker.
Through this experience, I learned that creativity isn’t always something you can just “turn on.” Instead, I think it’s something you need to “work into.” That being said, I truly believe there is a need for this type of freedom of thought in academics. It’s through this freedom that new ideas are born. According to Anna Powers of Forbes Magazine, “…the key to staying ahead and participating in the creation of the future is our own creativity.” Giving individuals the time to think and wonder about things affords them the opportunities to imagine the unimaginable.
When assigning certain tasks to my students, I’ve heard some of them complain that they’re not artistic enough or that they have trouble coming up with good ideas. Based on my own experience, going forward I’ll probably give my students a little extra time for the more thought-provoking or creative assignments. I realize that people need time to work through some of the stresses of the day and be in the right frame of mind to relax and create. Students, too, need time to sit and think in order to tap into some of those unexplored parts of their own imaginations.
So, although my creation on Scratch is a bit “lack-luster,” I did learn quite a bit about myself and the freedom of creativity.
Hi Andrea,
I also tinkered with Scratch for this challenge and had a similar experience to you. I have never used Scratch before, either, and had to play around with it for a long time to understand how to use the different functions. Like you mentioned, creativity definitely can be learned. I realized that when doing this challenge because I was able to practice being creative. Putting time aside and exploring the different features of Scratch allowed me to be creative. This practice is definitely something I plan on incorporating into my lessons as well.
I also learned that creativity requires time. I played around with Scratch a few different times. After walking away from it for awhile, I felt less stressed out when I came back to it. It showed me the importance of allowing my own students the time to be creative, because being creative doesn’t always just happen on demand, it takes time and thought.