Creativity Tools

Creativity tools is a digital way to produce products and share learning with others.

As I was exploring different creativity tools I came across Google Docs, IMovie, and Popplet. Their was different things that I liked and disliked about them.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a tool where students can publish their learning and are able to share with their classmates for collaboration and editing. Several things I liked was the automatically saving component. I remember in the past I would sometimes forget to save and the computer would crash on me and all my work was lost. Google docs is so efficient that as your working it is always saving, work is never lost. Another component that I like is that it is based online and I can work from a desktop, laptop, or even a mobile device. Work is easily accessible without having to use a usb drive to save and then open work in another computer. Having the ability to save your work as various forms such as a Microsoft Word or pdf file also offers flexibility. For instance, if I’m working off of my google doc and need to submit a file in Microsoft Word format, I simply download as Microsoft Word file and it creates it for me. It is ready to be attached to an email and get submitted. Lastly the ability to share it with others for collaboration. I think this is the most beneficial component especially for students. Once students create a document they may share it with anyone who have a google account and they can help in editing. All the persons can work simultaneously on the document and will appear as a pop up who is editing and what is being edited.

The only downfall that I saw while using this app was on the formatting options. For instance, it offers about twenty five different fonts only, while Microsoft Word offers many more. However, as I continued exploring I found the add-on feature, where I was able to download the add-on of “Fun Text”. This add-on was a great way to edit text in a fun way. It allowed me to display the words wobbly and in rainbow color. I believe google docs is a great creativity tool that will allow the students to share their learning with their classmates and promotes collaboration.

I-Movie

I-Movie is a great tool that showcases a student’s learning through a movie production they create. I liked several things about the I-Movie tool, one was having pre-made trailers available to choose from. These trailers already had the music integrated and the layout of the storyboard, it was very easy to use and gave it a professional look. All I did was insert pictures or videos into the template and saved my work. Another thing I liked was once it was complete you could save, edit, and upload the movie clip. This makes it easy to share with others. A disadvantage I came across was having limitations on where to place text or the color of it. Overall, it is a great app that promotes an end product to showcase learning. As I reflect on my 5th graders, this would be an app that they could easily navigate through and create a movie clip demonstrating their learning.

Popplet

Popplet Lite is a creative tool that can be utilized to analyze content knowledge and create a visual display of interconnected ideas. As an educator of science I really liked this mapping because students could analyze their knowledge on a topic and elaborate how ideas are connected. I also liked how in each popplet you could change the color, add text, use a drawing tool, and including a picture. My favorite was being able to include a picture. I feel by being able to include a picture it is requiring the student to make connections to the content. Lastly, creating the popplet and being able to share it as pdf or jpeg file is an advantage. It makes is accessible for others to view promoting collaboration. A limitation that the Popplet Lite has is it does not keep a record of your work. If you want to make another popplet you must delete your current popplet and begin a new one. Popplet Lite offers students a visual organization to represent learning.

Using Popplet Lite

Using a creativity tool

A creativity tool that I would select to support learning would be the iMovie tool.

Content: 5.6B The student will explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and conflicts.

Pedagogy: Collaboration Approach

Technology iMovie

In this lesson the students would work collaboratively to explain and analyze the role and functions of our main character, August Pullman from our novel, Wonder. They would work together and explain how August changes from the beginning to the end of our novel. They would also relate to the real world and make connections how August’s conflict is something that affects us in the school and society today. Students would use the iMovie tool to promote the creativeness and include images or video clips to make connections and demonstrate their learning.

I selected the collaboration approach since our main character, August goes through bullying at his school due to his appearance. Our students unfortunately at times have been victims of bullying or have been witnesses of it. Collaboration in this lesson would be essential since it will bring different perspectives and experiences to the group making the lesson more meaningful.

I selected iMovie creativity tool for technology because it would make our language arts lesson more vivid. Students would be able to not only tell us about the character but show us as well. They would select from the different trailer templates that would best suit our novel. Even during this phase, students would have to collaborate to choose the best template the entails the mood of the novel. Lastly, they would be able to upload and share to class, school, or even globally.

Importance of creativity tools

Selecting the appropriate creativity tool is vital when wanting to integrate technology into our lessons. These tools offer many affordances such as collaborations, analyzing, or making connections to their learning. The students must use higher order thinking skills in order to fulfill tasks. Using a computer software is not necessarily a creative tool. For instance, Imagine Math Facts, is a fun engaging software program that assesses students on math facts. This software is intended for drill practice and memorization of facts only. It does not promote higher order thinking skills. This software is something I would use for a five minute math fact practice drill, but not for my lesson product. As educators we must evaluate the technology we want our students to utilize in our lessons. Will it promote creativity? Will it create inquisitive learners? Will it engage in meaningful experiences? If it does not, then we should look for one that will promote in depth learning.