The Joy of Creative Ignorance for Us and our Students

Another interesting article on creativity - "The Joy of Creative Ignorance: Embracing Uncertainty in Your Day-to-Day" by Mark McGuinness.  While this article is not written with the librarian or educator in mind, it certainly offers questions for our consideration.  We function in a data driven environment.  We question the time students spend in elective courses: the arts, the shops, the computer labs, especially if they are not scoring as highly as they need on standardized testing. Their extra time is spent in remediation or soon in project based assessment. We practice the multiple choice and praise the correct answer.   As suggested in the article, I fear we are in danger of “cramping [the] imagination [of our students] to fit our expectations, instead of allowing it to surprise us with something unexpected.”

I found it both refreshing and some what intimidating to consider the notion that the best creativity often arises from embracing uncertainty - ignorance of where the process will take the creator.  Again, in the midst of my own planning, goal setting, and completing the proper and necessary paperwork, I hope that I find the time to seek ways to offer students the opportunity to be creative.  

Our Valentine’s Day blind date book promotion encouraged several readers to choose outside of the box. In their responses they were appreciative of the opportunity to read something different from what they might normally choose. I am pursuing several ideas to encourage poetry and poets in the month of April.  Articles like these certainly inspire to keep moving forward with these ideas, even when it seems not time exists to do so. Ideas to foster creativity would be welcomed as comments for sure!

What are you doing in your library to foster Creative Confidence?

Creative Confidence Builds a Strong Future

In an education world that is increasingly driven by data and test scores, I found an article that argues for creative confidence a refreshing read. Whittle argues quite effectively that "all students are born naturally creative, full of curiosities and questions. The difference between those who continue to be creative in careers as leading scientists, inventors, historical figures, artists, and philosophers and those that do not is all in how they are nurtured. The more children are encouraged to keep asking those questions and pursuing their curiosities, the more likely that creative spark will remain – and there couldn’t be anything more important in today’s increasingly competitive knowledge-based economy."

Most educators would certainly agree.  They are, however, in that awkward place where they are evaluated by test scores and urged to teach toward these scores.  Equally strong, though, the mandate to prepare our students to function in this 21st century world of ours.  Seemingly, librarians are in a unique position to foster creative confidence.  We encourage free reading, foster research skills, create maker spaces. We absolutely have ample opportunity to utilize the 7 suggestions for instilling creative confidence. We must pay careful attention to our students when they are in our space. We can allow them to be messy and create and provide the tools to do so.  I tell my kids we are a one stop shopping spot for their project needs.  We are happy to scrub glue residue off our tables. We can seek ways to offer positive feedback without the pressure of having to follow up with a grade.  We can suggest improvements freely.  I have teachers who are great at keeping me in the loop on their students' upcoming assignments offering me the opportunity to encourage them to dive in head first.  Frankly, with some creative planning we can provide the artist date as suggested in the article. What are you doing in your library to foster creative confidence?

Push Girl - Chelsie Hll and Jessica Love

Hill, Chelsie and Jessica Love. Push Girl. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2014.

Push Girl pressed most of the buttons for this librarian. Co-written by a “Push Girl” herself, this book tells the story of Kara and her senior year. Her life is changed in the blink of an eye when a drunk driver plows into the side of her car.  When she wakes up 2 weeks later, she learns she is a quadriplegic.  Over the course of her journey, she goes from feeling trapped in her wheelchair to feeling empowered by the freedom the chair gives her.  She navigates friendships old and new, learns to process the “head tilt” that inevitably greets her, a new relationship with an old love, and the crazy politics of a run for homecoming queen,

Chelsie Hill a co author is herself a push girl.  She was involved in an accident in her Senior year that left her paralyzed.  She is active also in the TV series “Push Girls.” Because of her experiences, Kara’s story is heartbreakingly real.  The reader experiences her wide range of emotions as she figures out her new reality.  We are sometimes shocked and sometimes saddened, but always learning.  Perhaps because the other author is a high school teacher, the teenage interactions ring true.  While bits and pieces of the language may quickly become dated, these are far overshadowed by the genuine nature of the teen experience. My students will relate to Kara; hate Curt; root for Jack; and appreciate Amanda. Certainly they will enjoy the ever so slightly overly happy ending. Sometimes we all just love a happy ending!

The buttons? Kara is an overcomer.  She experiences the unthinkable and certainly struggles, but ultimately becomes a champion, raising money and awareness for other folks in wheelchairs. Kids need to read inspiring stories like this.  Also, because it is so grounded in real life, this will resonate with many of my students who like to feel that a story is “true.”  And the happy ending - refreshing and lovely.

Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson, Brandon. Steelheart. New York: Delacorte Press,  2013

Amazing world building. Superb character development. My intentions, honestly, were to skim the book to make sure it was appropriate for my library.  I am not necessarily drawn to action adventure, and I find myself thinking that I’m over dystopia; can we top Divergent and Hunger Games anyway? So I started to skim, and the story of David, from the very first chapter drew me in. This kid is one who loses his dad in an unspeakable and violent interaction with a revered Epic.  Forever endangered because he has seen the Epic’s weakness, eight year old David escapes and spends his life studying the Epics in his world, charting their moves and their weaknesses, making it his life mission to become a Reckoner, the group that is working underground to hold the Epics accountable for their terrifying and destructive rule. Not without struggle, David joins Megan, Prof, Cody, Tia, and Andrew for some epic battles with evil.  

I was not at all familiar with Sanderson’s work, considered it not my genre even, but completely enjoyed this book on a variety of levels. The character development of David won me over first.  He is an incredibly complex and vulnerable action hero.  I loved the back story and the insight into his vulnerabilities throughout the book  I liked the little bit of a love story with quite a cool twist. I am not that familiar with weaponry and tactical skills, but the cleverness of these confrontations and the need for quick thinking on the part of the heroes kept me interested along with some futuristic technologies like tensors and harmsways.

I will be book talking this soon with my juniors.  I am always on the lookout for adventure and war stories for the fellows.  They will absolutely be drawn to this title. Book two? Ordered.