I am a technology facilitator and an art teacher at an international school. The biggest hurdle first for several teachers to understand is getting away from thinking that creativity is being good at something in the arts. It’s not. It’s being able to think and solve problems.

Once understood, the box begins to open. Teachers who are not challenging their studens to be, think or act in different and creative ways, will be left behind. This is unfortunate. Dust doesn’t look good when it settles.

The easiest and most successful approach would seem to come through authentic assessments. Sorry, I shouldn’t say that. I should say most effective. There is a difference, and teachers are strapped for time.

When challenged, students will think creatively and think critically to judge it. They will think cyclically. Repeatedly back and forth. It’s a happy marriage. Left and right. VHS and Beta. It may take a while to get used to and to organise, but once students see the results, it begins to accelerate and motivate.

When we undergo a project, an authentic assessment task is presented. Students are encouraged to try different formats for presentating and/or producing products.

Written assessment is required, but one group may present via video, one through a children’s story, one through a discussion, one through a skit, one through song, one through a graphic novel etc etc. The list goes on and on. When sharing and presenting, students and teachers are more interested and engaged at the variety. How many times have you had to sit through twenty-five powerpoint presentations? (Yawn) Better yet, students are then motivated to try something different for the next unit.

If set up properly, teachers can float the room and simply consult and guide the groups. I have had my grade 3 class simultaneously create a picture book (no text allowed), a video through iMovie, a powerpoint, a song created through GarageBand and a skit for the same assessment project. We all loved it. They worked in groups. It wasn’t presenting. It was a festival. That student(s) became the master for that piece of technology, and assisted the next group who wished to try.

It was all facts first and then tools. The technology was not driving the unit, the research process was. The students were creative.