Week 2 Response

In this week’s reading by Norman Jackson, I was opened to connecting to the higher education learning framework and how can educators open up creative opportunities for students and how to encourage students to develop a critical mind. In the previous week, We learned from Irwin that as we delve into schools in general K-12 education settings, we are often restricted by frameworks of what to do and what is wrong to do. Hence, Jackson ties to how can PDP (Personal Development Planning) add to constructing a creative direction for students to explore. Most creativity, in my own post-secondary experience, is delivered limitedly mostly in Arts education. Through language art, literacy, performance or visual art. As of now, we derived contemporary art which breaks up the sense of “art” into interdisciplinary fields. In the Article Jackson mentioned that students who were in PDP are building imaginative thoughts and being original as they create, but also have the ability to reflect on their own work. Through self-assessment, one can obtain a critical mind in observing beyond their work and also opening up question opportunities. While students have a collection of their portfolio, students may get to rewind their thoughts and rethink the inspirations or context they worked with in the beginning and consider whether the work has successfully delivered their creativity. Arguably, I can say that no work will ever be fully successful because to be considered as a critical mind, there should always be underlining questions that evoke critical conversations. Such practice also opens up connections between the students themselves the teacher and to viewing audiences. Thus, an educator who provides and opens up a creative learning environment can facilitate a platform for students to expand and break upon the barriers and boundaries that were given throughout foundational education restrictions. In my first year experience at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, I struggled heavily to ground myself in a space where I can do anything I want. I questioned what were the first steps and rules, but often I was told there were no correct steps. I frowned and wondered if there were areas that I should not be reaching. I was carefully testing the water throughout my first year in art school, and now as I reflect back, I can say that I was very much contained in a framework of “Do’s and Don’ts” in my early art education. In my third year of contemporary art school, I began to find more confidence as I investigate into critical creativity. I was yet still afraid to make mistakes in my work but began to focus on how I can deliver an original context that conveyed who I am. I believe contemporary art and PDP is a very bold approach, it may shock those who are used to living within frameworks and may feel out of place when all frameworks were removed. In my future classroom, I hope to gradually bring in this concept to serve inquiry education first to help students further transition into their critical ideas.

References:

Jackson, N.J. (2006). Developing and Valuing Students' Creativity: a new role for Personal Development Planning?