There always seems to be a reason (or should I say, excuse?) for creativity not being embedded into classroom practices. Yes, there is the curriculum. Yes, there are assessments, yes there are time constraints, yes, yes, yes........
And there is boredom.
And there is the shutting out of learners' needs and interests, sweeping the development of soft skills and creativity away from the classroom. Classrooms and syllabi where creativity is perceived more as an individual gift rather than a practice for all. Curricula which still ignores the relevance and need of including soft skills for students' futures.
Many educators are aware of those restrictions on a daily basis.
Despite young people reading more than ever before, there is a need for learners to write more - and not only for the purpose of passing a test or an exam.
Commaful is a digital space for creative writing.
Free, (with an app for iOS), Commaful is a more than only a writing space - it is a multimedia space for writing, reading and sharing one's stories. It may be for aspiring writers, but there are also professional storytellers sharing their writing.
Most stories tend to be short and readers can leave comments, slowly creating a community around the stories which are posted and shared.
The multimedia format will hold appeal for learners, as will the possibility of writing shorter narratives and receiving feedback from someone other than a teacher.
It may take some time for learners who are not accustomed to participating in such online communities to get more actively involved, but don't we as educators have some responsibility in introducing such writing spaces to learners?
What's your story?
Most stories tend to be short and readers can leave comments, slowly creating a community around the stories which are posted and shared.
The multimedia format will hold appeal for learners, as will the possibility of writing shorter narratives and receiving feedback from someone other than a teacher.
It may take some time for learners who are not accustomed to participating in such online communities to get more actively involved, but don't we as educators have some responsibility in introducing such writing spaces to learners?
What's your story?
Creativity from SVA BFA Design on Vimeo.
Kingston School of Art: What is Creativity? from Buff Motion on Vimeo.
Further Suggestions:
Employers lament lack of soft skills in graduates
The rise of the soft skill – in demand by 2020
Let’s stop calling them ‘soft skills’
What Counts as Student Agency?
How Exam Success Masks Lack Of Writing Skills
Millennials Are Out-Reading Older Generations
Millennials: A Generation Of Page-Turners
Creativity is a human quality that exists in every single one of us
Nesta identifies the digital skills required for a ‘future proof’ job
Writing Skills and Patterns
Creativity and Writing
Writing - The Space Between
Release Your Inhibitions - Writing Resources
Hirshfield on Storytelling, the Art of Concentration, and Difficulty as a Consecrating Force of Creative Attention
Power Learners, #DavidBowie and Creativity
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