PME 811

Final Blog Reflection: A Transformative Learning Journey

         The opportunity to learn is a tightly wrapped gift, requiring active unwrapping. While my professional focus has been education for the majority of my dedicated learning, this class positioned itself from a new place. Through the lens of philosophical mindedness versus previous priorities. I am proud to acknowledge the growth I have earned through this hard course work. 

    I have taken countless courses featuring leadership, inclusive education, indigenous knowledge, pedagogical practices and a myriad of passionate advocations for systemic change. Never before have I dedicated so much time to learning about the perspectives of those dedicated to the philosophy field and its potential applications for my students. I am leaving this content with new understandings and shifts in my personal and practical beliefs as an Educator. 

    In 2017/2018 I had the life-changing opportunity to coach our national Team Canada Juniors in the world cup. At that time, I was learning to be a teacher, and my experiences were limited to internships. However, coaching at that level, with primarily Middle/High School students fundamentally shifted my focus towards a fascination with motivation and engagement. I didn't realize at the time that that would direct my professional journey in such a significant way. 

    When I saw this course, and its description, I was intrigued by the concept of innovation and the previous post-secondary learning about how innovative practices can increase motivation and engagement in my students. I expected that this master's course would primarily impact my classroom practices. I am leaving this class acknowledging that the major shifts that have been earned, are for myself, more than for the humans I will serve. 

    There have been moments in this course work where it has felt like lightning striking my understandings. Beginning with my dive into the cognitive functions of creativity and innovation and the bias within our system that creates barriers against those processes. (Mueller). I began to consider the abilities of my students differently. Their brains are not developed and many of them are just beginning to have access to their pre-frontal cortex, the fundamental pathway for innovation. I reflected deeply on the pieces needed for true creative output, and realized that not only are their brains and bodies working against these pieces, but that the educational system itself is riddled with problematic barriers. 

    As we continued through the course, I learned that historical paths have led to contemporary bias against "creativity". The association with creative qualities as being viewed as negative, feminine and non-cognitive. (Martin) Where instead of valuing the kind of thinking and person that innovative practices create, we have spent the majority of our educational history, actively attempting to vanquish them. 

    This historical infamy has led to our current societies' drought of innovative persons and creative qualities. (Badran) Now we find ourselves in a new world where the solutions of our uncertain future, kinds of problem solving, critical questioning and collaborative resolutions are being framed as our saving grace, a precious commodity, in short supply. Creating confusion as to why we cannot find these kinds of saviors, staggering abysmal statistics (Badran) (Martin) or attributing creativity and innovation to special kinds of persons able to tap into unique energies the majority of us cannot access. (Csikszentmihalyi) When in reality I have now learned that access to those processes has been intentionally mediated for generations.

    These meaningful understandings have positioned me as a passionate advocate for the pieces that will support creation and innovation. Additionally, I now understand the value of marrying my practice with pedagogical theories that encourage deep learning through a philosophical lens. Creating an urgency in myself as an Educator to support students with deep reflection, time to consider alternative perspectives and strategies for philosophical thinking and processes. (Whelan) (Christou) (Smeyers). By doing so, I strongly believe I will be working to challenge the systemic barriers that have been the foundation of our educational system and help students reach innovative potential, currently desperately being sought after. 

References: 

Enhancing Personal Creativity. (1997). In Mihaly. Csikszentmihalyi, Creativity : flow and the psychology of discovery and invention (1st HarperPerennial ed., p. 456 p. ;). HarperPerennial.

Mueller, Jennifer, and Melwani, Shimul, and Goncalo, Jack. (2011) The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Reject Creative Ideas. Volume 23, Issue 1 (Mueller, Melwani, Goncalo)

Leat, D., & Whelan, A. (2023). Innovative pedagogies in relation to curriculum. In R. J. Tierney, F. Rizvi, & K. Ercikan (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (Fourth edition., pp. 132–141). Elsevier. 

Smeyers, P. (2006). What Philosophy can and cannot do for Education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 25(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-006-6427-x

Badran, I. (2007). Enhancing creativity and innovation in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 32(5), 573–585. https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1080/03043790701433061

Martin, J. R. (1987). Transforming Moral Education. Journal of Moral Education, 16(3), 204–213.

Theodore Michael Christou. (2012). The Case for Philosophical Mindedness. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 20(1), 14–23. https://journals.sfu.ca/pie/index.php/pie/article/view/310

    

    

Inspiring Creativity from Within a System That Diametrically Opposes its Processes.

 

Welcome to my second post, my first real contribution to the world of blogging! 

I'd like to have a chat about creativity. This somewhat mystical, somewhat scientific essence of human innovation. Our histories, developments, technologies, cultures and future have depended on it, and yet replicating true inspiration remains challenging and elusive... especially for our students.

This week I learned about the major brain centers and processes that are required for creative/innovative output. We begin with the pre-frontal cortex, where ideas are born. While I sincerely value creativity personally, my lens as you are aware is as a Grade 7 teacher. Which is developmentally problematic as the pre-frontal centers do not fully develop until 25. But we'll put a pin in that issue for now. 

The second critical space for creativity to occur is the hippocampus. Here past memories and experiences are retrieved and manipulated to support the idea, improve it and grow into action. This, however, takes time. Firmly takes time, and without it you cannot utilize your cognitive creative processes. In fact, expecting our students to create over and over again without giving them time to ruminate will lead to idea fatigue a mental block where innovative juices go to die. 

So, let's talk about our Educational System and how it is diametrically opposed to creation.

First, "creativity, innovation, engagement and problem-solving" are found in every single curriculum. From core to content the expectation is that we as Educators are inspiring creativity daily. We understand that the deepest growth is earned within these processes, and that authentic learning and inspiration are hand in hand. But the system we work within, was not designed to support this. 

When we began educating our masses, the purpose of education was boiled down to creating competent citizens. That meant humans who could function in a workplace where factories and rote work dictated futures. Over time this lens and our understanding of how kiddos actually learn, has changed so significantly, it is almost unrecognizable. Literate humans still stand at the forefront of our priorities, but their futures and possible vocations are undefined. I would argue, undefinable. 

Our definitions for "literate" have also expanded. But the structure and expectations of our system has not. We work within a rigid timetable. Content is shuffled through regardless of ideal conditions for learning, or opportunities for deeper more meaningful education. (Or if kiddos have even actually embedded the learning!) We do not give our students time to process between assessments, because our system expects that Educators check off a ridiculous number of outcomes by the end of the year. 

We continue to be guided by lists and expectations instead of prioritizing the experiences and growth of our students. We communicate with home and school a set number of times, at a specific time (regardless of how things are moving in the class). We send home report cards filled with language that cues other Educators but offers no meaning to students or families. 

These two singular aspects, our timetable and reporting are small examples of how we work against the creative process. How our system creates bias towards innovation and creativity. We do not allow time for creativity to physically occur in the brain. We expect the brain to constantly be creative despite the inevitable burnout, and we take away feedback cycles that are equally as fundamental to innovation and improvement. Creative is novel, and our system continues to maintain historical roots that value replication and consistency. Both of which kill joy, curiosity, engagement and innovation! 

So, you're thinking. You're a teacher, what is the solution? How are you fixing this? You can see it's a problem; you understand their brains and how this is working against what you believe in. Against creation, which you are required to inspire. Well friends, I don't have the answers. But I am a warrior for creativity working within the system. Engagement has been a 4 year long focus for me and hyper-engaging Middle School brains is one of my deepest passions. 

Can it be done? Yes, and I'm doing it, and their growth is my proof. Is it ideal, absolutely not, but it can be done. So, stay with me a little bit. I promise this space will be filled with all of my tips and tricks. All of the work I've been doing for these years and the actual lessons and opportunities I've created. Because the only way we can change this, is to work together. 

References: 

Starko, Alane J. (2018) Chapter 2: Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight. Sixth Edition. Pgs 29-50

Innovation Lab Link: blog/powerful-creative-thinking-exercises-unlock-innovation-potential

Mueller, Jennifer, and Melwani, Shimul, and Goncalo, Jack. (2011) The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Reject Creative Ideas. Volume 23, Issue 1

Welcome.

 Hello, my new digital friends, thank you for visiting my little blog. I'm glad you found us.

The immediate purpose of this space is to participate in deeper learning through reflection with colleagues. Humans who have undertaken the same Educational Epic I am currently on. The lasting purpose I hope will act as a foundation for the culmination of all of my learning during my Masters. A keepsake of this time and this growth.

But how can you connect when you know nothing about me? For the purposes of a public blog, please call me Mrs. Beeson, my teacher name. A name I hold and cherish with immense pride. The name that echoes down the halls as I serve the micro-communities of schools I work for.

Teaching kiddos has been the most meaningful part of my life. A vocation I have dedicated my entire life to. My passion lives in the space where we connect and support learners. Be it the environment I create, the learning I instill or the advocation for others I commit to.