Critique 3: Encouraging Creativity with Digital Technology!

Journal article from a printed journal

Jones, A. (2004). Encouraging creativity with digital technology in early primary classrooms. Australian Educational Computing, 19(2), 8-11

Both pictures above are from FlickR and are both Creative Commons-licensed content

This article published in the ‘Australian Educational Computing’ journal reports on a study undertaken by a university researcher on the development of computer based activities being introduced into the early years of primary school.  The report discusses an important issue, which I myself feel should not be over looked.  Does the access to technology broaden young minds to more of a creative thinking process?

The method was to see the implications of young children when given a piece of paper and asked to first draw a house and then draw a funny house.  “There were several ways that creativity was demonstrated in the drawings of houses which the children had to construct in their minds’.  Once completed, the young children were given the opportunity to use a multimedia package called, “Micro Worlds”.  The software was used giving oral instructions in which students were to draw certain items on a particular area, use colour in certain areas and then draw on wither the right or left of certain items as directed.  I found this very interesting.  For such young minds the concept of using single letters to enable them to create one or more certain images or drawings was quite remarkable.

The conclusion of the article addresses the fact that some children could of found the software quite daunting, however the children using their imagination when drawing at the computer did not have this affect.  I personally found this article to be well put together and I do agree that both traditional drawings by hand and new digital drawings, are both capable of providing an appropriate canvas for children tp express their creativity.  I also believe that with on going influence of tecnology it can only be an advantage to use this new digital software and incorporate it into the classrooms.  By using new digital software programs, teachers are given the ability to enable more students to learn and show more of an artistic side.  With the envolvement of computer base programs more students are able to express themselves artistically and some may of not been able to do so before.