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PME 811- Glossary of Terms

Figuring out Important Terms: Creativity, Innovation, Teaching, and Learning

When I first defined creativity, innovation, teaching, and learning earlier in this course, I already felt like I had a pretty good idea of what those words meant. After reading the articles, discussing ideas with classmates, and reflecting on my own classroom, I don’t feel like my thinking completely changed. Instead, it became deeper and more connected to what actually happens in schools.

Creativity

At the beginning of the course, I described creativity as intentionally making something new or meaningful, even if the change is small. I still think that’s true. Creativity isn’t just about painting or music — it can show up in everyday thinking, like trying a new way to solve a problem or explaining something differently.

One thing that stood out to me was Amabile’s research on creativity. It talks about how too much pressure or constant evaluation can make people less willing to take risks. That made me think about how classrooms work. When students feel like every idea might be judged or marked right away, they often stop experimenting with ideas.

At the same time, I don’t think we should get rid of marks completely. I think creativity works best when students get feedback and time to improve, not just a final grade.

Innovation

Creativity and innovation feel closely connected to me. Creativity is about generating ideas, while innovation is about actually doing something with those ideas.

One reading by Cuban talked about how education reforms often repeat themselves over time. That was interesting because it made me realize that innovation in schools doesn’t always mean something completely new. Sometimes it just means improving what already exists.

Teachers innovate all the time in small ways. We adjust lessons, try new strategies, and respond to what students need. During a professional development project I worked on, we didn’t introduce a new program — we simply looked closely at student writing and adjusted how we taught it. Those small changes actually helped students a lot.

Teaching

To me, teaching has always been about creating the right conditions for students to learn. That means helping students feel safe, supported, and willing to participate.

One article by Falkenberg talked about teaching as a reflective practice — basically paying attention to what’s happening in the classroom and responding thoughtfully. At first it sounded a bit theoretical, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized teachers do this constantly.

Every day teachers are watching what students do, noticing when something isn’t working, and adjusting their approach. Teaching isn’t just delivering information — it’s responding to people.

Learning

Learning is something that develops over time. Students don’t usually understand something instantly. Instead, they build understanding slowly by asking questions, making mistakes, and trying again.

Leat and Whelan wrote about how some classrooms focus mostly on getting the right answer, while others allow more exploration and discussion. When students can explore ideas and talk about their thinking, they often understand concepts more deeply.

I see this in my classroom all the time. When students explain their thinking, ask questions, or revisit ideas later, they often learn more than when they just complete a worksheet.

Final Thoughts

This course didn’t completely change how I think about creativity, innovation, teaching, and learning. Instead, it helped me see how these ideas connect.

Creativity helps people come up with ideas. Innovation helps turn those ideas into action. Teaching creates the environment where those ideas can grow. And learning happens when students explore, reflect, and build understanding over time.

I’m still learning how these ideas fit together, but I’m excited to keep exploring them in my classroom.

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