Wednesday 7 October 2009

Creativity in All Things

I’m currently reading quite a heavy academic book about creativity. It’s hard-going and I have to read each paragraph several times in order to really understand it. It’s made me somewhat preoccupied with the whole idea of creativity.
Creativity isn’t just there in great artistic works and great literary works. It’s there in everything we do. Including in planning and delivering lectures. I find it is actually a great part of the job I have now. I have to design my lectures: what I say, what I show on PowerPoint, what is in the handout and what goes on Blackboard, our VLE, are all slightly different but they come together in a harmonious whole. Is the whole greater than the parts? Each part matches a learning style or an aspect of a learning style. There is some repetition. There is something new in each bit.
It’s been a little rushed this time. I’ve had to put some things together very last minute. That should be part of the skills I hold anyway. If the opportunity offers itself, it will be good to revise in more detail before next year.
It’s a very enjoyable process, bringing the components together. It was also one of the most enjoyable aspects of secondary school-teaching: lesson planning. That’s creativity I guess.

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