2012-13 Creative Digital Technologies

Boys Learning Creatively Through Digital Technologies

It is broadly acknowledged that the use of digital technologies can foster creativity by enabling users to think and act in ways that have been previously inaccessible or non-existent. These technologies encourage individuals and groups to build and share knowledge in ways that support exploration, play, risk- taking, collaboration and reflection. Research also supports the special role that digital technologies can play in the engagement and motivation of boys in their learning.

So how might teachers utilize digital technologies in the classroom, and how might they evaluate the effect of this use on boys’ learning? Over a 12-month period, the members of this IBSC action research team conducted action research projects within their schools to reflect on, and evaluate, how digital tools can foster boys’ creativity. Boys used iPads to: develop story-telling skills and create innovate art projects with Photoshop and Histamatic; Minecraft to create potential visions of a city; blogging to write for an audience; GoAnimate to produce social issue posters and demonstrate deep understanding of a concept in novels; and Info.gram and Easel.y to develop powerful displays of economic solutions to current world problems. Documentaries were made in iMovie to display science lab reports, whilst in another project boys were given a choice of tools with which to undertake project-based learning. Subjects enhanced by creative moments included reading, writing, science, economics, social studies and art across a variety of grade levels.

Team members presented at the 20^th IBSC Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, June, 2013.