Journal #6: Foster in creativity and innovation through technology

Vaidyanathan, S. (2012). Foster in creativity and innovation through technology. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(6), 24-27. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120304?pg=26&pm=2&fs=1

 Summary: 

The article “Fostering Creativity and Innovation through Technology” by Sheena Vaidyanathan describes the importance of granting elementary students the ability to explore and develop their creative minds while learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects with the assistance of digital design programs.  Vaidyanathan states that her fifth and sixth grade students from Los Altos School District in California used digital design programs, which are free the majority of the time, to create games, art projects, interactive stories and other interactive activities.  Furthermore, she describes that digital design programs allow her the opportunity to teach her students STEM subjects in a fun and interactive approach because students are able to apply math, science, technology lessons to real life.  For example, her students engaged in the act of creating virtual towns on their computers in order to build successful towns students needed to understand different aspect of geometry such as angle and line significance. 

Question 1:

How can the use of digital design programs help younger students (kindergarten, first grade)?

Using digital design programs younger students can learn basic art/math concept which become the foundation for further academic development.  For example, the author explains that older students use programs to create virtual towns and simultaneously apply their geometry skills.  Similarly, younger students can use this same type of programs to create cities in which they focus on creating dynamic and different shape buildings.  They would be able work with shapes like rectangles, squares, circles, and so on.   

Question 2:

Can teachers find time to allow students to use digital design programs?

Educators have busy schedules and many are afraid that allowing students to use these types of programs will take away from other academic subjects.  However, allowing students to use these programs during school hours will allow students the opportunity to apply math, science concepts to real life, thus, making the time invested on these activities well worth it.  Additionally, students with access to computers and the Internet at home can continue the learning once school had ended.