3 Ways To Increase Creativity With Technology
Creativity is fast becoming one of the most valued traits of the 21st century. According to a 2018 report from the World Economic Forum, it’s one of three skills employers will be looking for by 2020. Increasing creativity with technology is something we can use in classrooms.
In addition, an IBM survey has found that 60% of CEOs believe that creativity is the most important leadership quality today. A great tool that we have at our disposal and that we may not always use as effectively as possible is technology.
If you want to know how to enhance creativity with technology or make your students more creative in their day to day, we are going to see some ways to do it. It is possible by following a few simple guidelines.
Increase creativity with technology by searching for the right distractions
Teachers and teachers often complain that technology can be distracting. This is because it is a fact. Yes, it can be quite distracting. However, when it comes to being creative, research shows that distractions can be a good thing.
A study by neuroscientists at Harvard University and the University of Toronto found that people with a low ability to avoid distractions tend to have a richer mix of creative thoughts. Distracting yourself can be good.
If we want to generate useful ideas, both these people with a low ability to avoid distractions and those with a higher capacity for concentration, have to learn to let themselves be carried away by these distractions, but they must also learn to tune in to the “correct” distractions.
In this sense, we must guide students so that, if they are distracted by technology (something highly probable), they do so with appropriate distractions. They have to choose those distractions that can provide them with knowledge or inspiration for the work they want to do.
You have to be open to new things
Things are not always the same, but they can change. In technology this is also the case, although it is normal for these changes to cause us discomfort. An important characteristic of creative people is the ability to be open to new experiences, opportunities, and ideas.
If one day a website that our students usually use in class has changed, it does not look as usual, we can point out at that moment how positive this is. They will probably tend to protest and feel uncomfortable, but it is our job to teach them to be open to new experiences.
Soften the line between learning and playing to increase creativity with technology
Softening the line between learning and playing is something that is also good for increasing creativity with technology. Understanding that work and play don’t have to be mutually exclusive is actually the key to a good balance between teaching and real life.
Once students accept and understand that they can have fun while learning, and know that they can have brilliant ideas related to what they are learning in their “down” time, they will be more open to new ways of thinking and creating ideas.
Research shows that the creative process tends to involve a period of “incubation” or time alone. In this period the thoughts can wander freely. During this time the students will have several ideas: some good, some bad, but for this they must have their own space.
That is, we must use technology in class to enhance creativity, if possible, in groups and individually. We can achieve this by sharing spaces and creating our own places. It is very important to find the right balance to achieve this effectively.
