Chapter 4

1) I do not fully agree that creative ability not be assessed. In the previous assignment I handed in a lesson that included creativity and original thought as part of the assessment. The lesson was on 20th century composers, and the result of their original thoughts on music composition. The reason for the lesson is to show students that it's okay to think outside the box and make mistakes, because as Ken Robinson said if you're not willing to make mistakes then you'll never have an original thought. I think that taking creativity out of assessment is like taking creativity out of school all together. If we're not going to force our students to think outside of what they know and are comfortable with, then they will not grow. Kids used to be forced to be creative in order to stay out of boredom, or trouble. However, more and more children are spending countless hours in front of screens (TV, Computer, Video Game, Cell phone, etc...) that their creativity is being killed outside of school as well. It is so important that creativity be a part of their assessment, but as more of a yes or no, did you or didn't you. We may ask our students to be creative, and assess whether they were able and willing to, but we need to be careful when assessing what the creativity comes up with, because if we criticize or judge somebody's original thought in a negative way they are likely never to want to think originally again.

3)Creativity to me, going off of my last answer, is what happens when one thinks independently of outside resources. In everyday life creativity happens when you're faced with a problem that has never happened to you, and you're not aware of any resources that can help you so you turn to your own imagination. It can take place when you're trying to find grab something that is just out of your reach. You use your creativity when you really want something that you can't have. Kids use creativity every day, it is not something that is an ability or talent. Human beings are born with the ability to be intuitive and inventive and to create, that is why we have flourished as the most complex beings on the planet. It is in our nature to come up with solutions, ideas, hopes and dreams. All of these things are products of our creativity. Even in music, when we are forced with the issue of improvisation, when we feel we can't do it and there's nothing in the world that can make us, we can come up with something on the spot. Creativity to me is something this is missing in many lives today and is so important in my philosophy of teaching. As a music teacher, I am not directed solely by government and district standards. I can take some time to allow my students to be creative beings. In my experience, most students are not willing to do this and it is so fulfilling when they try and succeed.

5) For me, composition is the most comfortable. When students are given strict parameters in which to compose, their creativity is stifled. As a teacher, I like to give as few rules and regulations as possible and allow the students to be their own teachers. My part of student teaching was at the end of each lesson when students were given the chance to compose their own song. We ended each lesson with this, and the students loved it. I enjoyed watching them take their own ideas and turn them into music. A lot of time there were few to no boundaries, and when students are given that freedom they really create some beautiful pieces.