Don't Kill the Creativity

The biggest smirk came across my face when Steve Spangler described what will NOT lead to success in the classroom. A slideshow of faces streamed through my mind as he described hardworking teachers with worksheets, rubrics, detailed procedures, lists of standards, goals, data, and laminated lesson plans filled with definitions taken directly from an outdated textbook.

Spangler thinks he has the answer to success in the classroom, but the education community on large does not. As recently reported in a NY Times magazine article, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing millions to improve teaching quality, but what does that mean? “Unfortunately, it seems the field doesn’t have a clear view of what characterizes good teaching,” Gates said. “I’m personally very curious.”

Spangler proved his point by leading the audience through an investigation of Bernoulli’s principle. He posed the question, “How many breathes will it take to fill the plastic bag?” We all made our best guesses. I could feel the robotic steps of the scientific method start their march from question to hypothesis to observation and so on. He then instructed the volunteer to put her hand on the end of the bag, her mouth on the bag and blow. Clear step-by-step procedures were given, and the volunteer performed the duties like a good student would. We observed how full the bag became after three breathes then were asked to estimate how many more breathes would be needed to fill the entire bag.

This activity sounds like a pretty typical middle school science demonstration. Science teachers know that they need to give students opportunities to apply the scientific method, but also fear losing control of a room full of crazy thirteen year olds. The marriage of these two objectives results in TOO MUCH HAND HOLDING. These sorts of experiences are not teaching students to think like scientists. They prepare them for jobs at fast food restaurants or assembly lines.

“As soon as I said, put your hand right hear and put your mouth on the bag, I killed the creativity.” Spangler suggested a better approach. Instead, introduce the task by saying “I don’t know how you are going to fill the bag, but you have 3 minutes to figure it out.”

The latter describes real inquiry! This gives students an opportunity to try different methods, learn from trial and error, and possibly discover the secret is to blow air in front of the bag so that a fast stream of air comes behind and fills the bag with the air around us. Bernoulli’s principle taught without the definition. The teacher still needs to address how this works, but this is done after students are already hooked and have a reason too want to know the answer. Brilliant.