By Swati Saini
In the modern era, to stimulate learning, the building and the environment function effectively as the third teacher. It is the child’s relationship with the teacher, parent, and environment that ignites learning.
The best schools in Gurgaon showcase the need for open learning spaces which evolved with the changing trends in the field of education in the 21st century. Skills such as creativity, innovation, and collaboration are the key skills required in the 21st century. I believe emphasis should be placed on their development right from the preschool stage itself.
Research says that a traditional classroom is a more teacher-centric way of academic delivery and adheres to a specific format. Open learning spaces have a more student-centric approach wherein the teacher functions as a guide and allows students to learn according to their individual differences. Open learning spaces foster the development of creativity and innovation and motivate students to collaborate and solve problems.
Can creativity and innovation be taught?
It’s true that some people are just naturally more creative than others. But creativity can be nurtured in everyone and all students can learn to use a process for practical and effective innovation. Project-based learning (PBL) creates a learning environment that helps in fostering creativity and teaches children to use the tools at their disposal to find innovative solutions to problems that are always changing. The best learning environment is one that has some elements of creativity that make lessons more engaging and interactive. Students who are given the right mix of creativity and curriculum are more likely to learn new things and be innovative.
One of the major advantages of project work is that it makes school more like real life. An in-depth investigation of a real-world topic is more worthy of children’s attention and effort.
The schools with PBL pedagogy foster creativity and innovation and are beneficial to students in many ways:
1. Improves thinking capability
To be called the best school in Gurgaon, its learners need to be stimulated to think imaginatively. In addition to the classroom curriculum, teachers need to promote activities such as creative team-building activities, open-ended questions, debates, and brainstorming sessions. To make learning fun and easy for children teachers tactfully employ these techniques when teaching concepts.
2. Emotional Development
Classrooms, where students can explore freely without any boundaries, will always be popular with students. Students can build good self-esteem by expressing their true feelings with creativity in the classroom.
3. Learning made fun
When creativity is incorporated into the classroom, it gives learners a chance to learn while having fun. Storytelling, skits, etc. are some teaching activities that help students learn without feeling stressed. This all makes them more inquisitive in their learning. Leaders at the best schools ensure that both creativity and innovation are addressed in the curriculum and that students are inspired to believe in their own creative vision. Organizing fun team-building activities promotes creative thinking in groups and also teaches participants to accept the opinions of others.
4. Foster attention and focus
Young children have a short attention span. Research says with traditional teaching methods, children lose their focus very early in the course of classes. Many schools have integrated creative teaching techniques such as bringing in regular intervals of creative elements, playing educational games, and setting a conducive classroom environment. These play a huge role in increasing students’ attention spans.
5. Better communicators
Fostering creativity in the classroom allows learners to explore a world of communication. During their free time, they can engage in rich conversations and sessions to stimulate innovative thinking.
In terms of 21st-century competencies, there used to be 3 C’s – critical thinking, collaboration, and communication – but now there are four. Creativity is the fourth. It is a process and way of thinking. Learning how to tap into sources of creativity and make use of this essential skill starts at a young age making the classroom the perfect environment for fostering creativity. At Vega Schools’ we strive to do this every day.