HOW TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY IN YOUR CLASSROOM?

Prasanna Bharti is a blogger by profession, and loves to write about education technology. Her write-ups intend to provide a deep insight about enormous resources and ideas available to make learning better and effective with the use of technology. 

For further information visit: EdTeachReview website

Every child is born with the potential of being creative. Creativity is a crucial aspect of any personality. It helps to analyze things in diverse and uncommon way. Creativity does not just happen; it needs to be cultivated, and the cultivation of creativity in every kid starts from the classroom.

Creativity can be promoted or cultivated and here is the list of 5 strategies that can help teachers to promote or cultivate creativity in the classroom.

1. Emotional Connection

Many researches show that creativity can be cultivated best through emotional contacts. For instance, if teachers give project to the students related to community problems like domestic violence. It can help in sprouting creativity because of the human touch and hence emotional connection in it. 

2. Classroom Environment

Classroom environment plays a crucial role in cultivating creativity and confidence in students. Teachers can make classroom environment where each student’s voice matters a lot. Getting involved with the students in the community is the best way to give push to their creativity. Here how teachers can make classroom environment more effective for their students.

•    Permit frequent discussion and interaction amid students in the classroom.
•    Make time for informal class opportunity for the students.
•    Memorize each student’s name meanwhile ensure every student knows everyone’s name.

3. Use Of Different Models

You can use various models to promote creativity in the students. A perfect model can help in:

• Establishing connection amid the students' real lives and classroom.
• Inspire innovation and create chances to resolve novel issues.
• Lookout ways to spread learning prospects at classroom and home.

4- Risk-Taking

Risk-taking thinking or ability automatically prompts creativity. Therefore, teachers must encourage risk-taking approach in the students. Here some of the strategies that teacher can follow to enhance risk-taking ability in their students.

• Offer safe environment that permits risk-taking
• Arouse willingness in the students to try new ideas.
• Accept the mistakes made by students while trying new things.
• Talk to other teachers and discuss what worked and what not.

5. Active Learning

Active learning includes use of creative stuffs like games, concepts, maps and study materials. Active learning can only be encouraged when student enjoys the learning environment. Here are some ideas through which teachers can cultivate creative thought through active learning.

• Create interactions that provide students a lot problem-solving opportunity.
• Give them a lot of opportunities for hands-on field work.
• Organize round-table discussion time to time on interesting topics.
• Permit students to create some of the question for their upcoming exam.

Nowadays, we have access of many tools that develop creativity in the students. Here is a collection free web technology accessible for everyone.

Web Blogs: Blogs are the great platform to enhance creative writing, reading and thinking in the students. Teachers can encourage their students to use blogs to demonstrate their opinion about a particular topic or lesson.

Brainstorming and Mapping tools: Nowadays, a lot of tools and apps available over the web for brainstorming and mapping. Help your students to get the access of mindmaps, puzzles, visual graphs and much more.

Infographics: Infographics are the best way to give wings to your student’s imagination and creativity. Using various tools available on the web, students can showcase their creativity using graphs.

Online Games: Online games endorse teamwork, creativity and cooperation among students.  Some of the online games are specifically meant to education students to learn a specific lesson with fun.

 Here is a list of apps that support and foster creativity in the kids.

Encourage observation

• Evernote
• GoodNotes
• MomentDiary

Develop Questioning Skills

• Popplet
• Idea Sketch

Brainstorming

• Trello
• Spiderscribe
• Edmodo
• iBrainstorm
• padlet
• Freemind
• iCardSort
• Name Dice
• Text2MindMap

Visualization Skills

• 123D Catch
• SyncSpace
• Paper by FiftyThree
• Adobe Ideas
• Whiteboard Pro
• Pic-Collage
• Brushes