Teaching Improv & Creativity

This article I found [http://www.eastsideinstitute.org/ImprovReading.html] is about an inner-city (Brooklyn) teacher who played improv games with her students, like the “Yes, and” game where students have to go around in a circle and build upon each other’s stories. These games engaged the student’s creative side, and as a result, the teacher has the best-performing class in New York City. Her students, after playing the game for some time, became more attentive and more excited about learning. Not only teaching improvisational skills, these games also taught the students to work together for one common goal, making the class have a better group dynamic.

Improvisational skills keep a person on their feet, and able to adapt to any situation. Teaching improv can be difficult, but like the example, it can be done, and it is undoubtedly beneficial for students to learn such skills, which will help them for the rest of their lives.

1) What are other games you’ve played that in retrospect, helped your improvisation skills?

Role of Creativity in Education

Beyond music, there are other times in the classroom where a child can be creative. I believe that in elementary school, and even in times during middle school, a child’s creative nature needs to be nurtured, in every subject being taught. Students shouldn’t always have to be grounded in reality. Allowing their minds to wander about the subject, or allowing free time to draw, can really help them make connections on their own time. Plus, a young kid’s mind works in funny ways, usually resulting in the funniest of stories or pictures. Creativity causes students to make connections, solve problems, and think of other questions on top of that. Such skills will undoubtedly help them in the future with anything they encounter.

How can a teacher incorporate creativity beyond music or art?

Music in Education

When there is always constant talk of music and arts programs potentially being pulled from schools, I believe that it is mostly a huge disservice to the student. There is always room for other cuts, seeing as music/arts teachers aren’t paid that much anyways. I believe that music gives the students a much-needed break in the work day. It gives students something to look forward to and breaks up the monotony of sitting in a desk. Beyond that, it stimulates creativity and brain activity. Music students usually excel in all areas further than students without musical training, which is probably true but I couldn’t find any hardwired facts. Despite that, just allowing a student to try something new in a new field could inspire something inside that changes them. Music is very mathematically based, and a student with that kind of thinking could really take to it. Personally, I only remember ever learning how to play the recorder, but music was still a much welcomed break for the teacher and for the students who just couldn’t sit in the chairs very much longer.

Does elementary music education have enough value to justify its keeping?

Response to Mary: do you think one can be taught how to adapt, or must it be something they learn through experience? Why?

I believe that no one can be taught how to fully adapt and improvise to certain situations. However, someone can be taught the skills needed to adapt to any situation. For example: you learn cpr, you learn 911, you learn crisis management skills. Each experience that requires someone to adapt helps them build for next time. The next time something happens, they can then use the skills they’ve learned, plus use the experience gained from previous times, to hopefully, improvise and adapt well. Adaption is super important, seeing as nothing ever goes as planned. I think it is something that takes things that are learned, and combines them with experience, to work.

What skills should one have to ensure they are somewhat prepared for situations that would cause them to have to adapt?

Improvisation

Someone said that improvisation allows a student to be “empowered in the face of uncertainity,” which I really liked.

Teaching a student to have improvisational skills is integral to their education. Not everything goes to plan. Improvisational skills are important in school, work, and even in day to day life situations. For example, a person needs to be able to think on their feet. Tragedy can occur, and improv could potentially help in a life or death situation. Beyond the extreme, improv requires a student to be fully immersed in what is being learned at the time, or what is going on. Improv is very difficult for a day-dreamer, so I believe that requiring improv, or randomly calling on a student for an answer, ensures that a student is giving their full attention.

Does improvisation have a place beyond dangerous situations?

Response to Brittany

Brittany asked: Have you ever had a teacher who took a active role in trying to make your education enjoyable?

I had one teacher in high school who was my absolute favorite, and the main reason I am a journalism major. My junior year, you were allowed to take an elective writing course and an elective reading course in place of basic "Junior English". That year I took Journalism as my writing course. That semester, we delved into everything journalism, from dissecting leads, to learning the pyramid format, to producing our own newspaper, complete with advertising from local businesses. I was sent out on my first interview (the senior quarterback, gasp!) , and even bothered the poor lady at the pizza place down the road for advertising money. I think my teacher could have just taught us current events, made us read a bazillion articles, and watched All the President's Men, but she went above and beyond that. Putting us in uncomfortable, new positions actually helped me grow, and of course, when I read my articles now, I'm pretty embarrassed and very aware of how bad my writing was then, but everyone has to start somewhere. Without Ms. Caldwell, I have no idea what major I would be, maybe it would have still been journalism, but she definitely saw something in me and pushed me, helping me find my way and work on my goals very early on.

Response to Jessica: technology and constructivism

I think that technology has a prominent place in a classroom, especially a constructivist classroom. As I've been discussing in my blogs, a teacher should be trying to teach the boring bits in an interesting fashion, and actively involving students.

There are a lot of programs that teach while seeming like a game to the studetns. I know a lot of random facts because of this one game I remember from middle school where you were taught by this talking robot and got to play games if you got certain questions right. I also type really well thanks to Mavis Beacon and her computer game in the 2nd grade. I remember being shown movies in high school that helped me retain historical information thanks to this one teacher who was obsessed with the American Experience movies from PBS. For some reason, I really liked those movies and I still watch them when they're on. I've learned a lot from them.

More recently, McRae shows youtube videos of poets reading their own work. I think all of these types of technology help a student retain information and learn a lot more than if they were just being lectured.

Technology is changing students. It is a part of every student's everyday life, so it only makes sense to uniquely involve it in the main portion of their day in school as well to benefit their learning.