COMMUNITY & SPACE
Radical
creativity is a direct and oppositional ideology to traditional
schooling, and focuses especially upon the creation of a space that is a
necessary retreat from the pervasive ideas found within the system (and even simply within the institution of the school). In developing a space for radical creativity, one must consider a couple of factors. Firstly, the space must be one that feels safe for students to engage in open intellectual discovery, of any nature. Secondly, and perhaps just as importantly, the space needs to be one where risk-taking is supported and encouraged. To achieve these ends, we must first explore the essential notion of community building -- both within the classroom and without the classroom.
RADICAL SPACE // A NEW COMMUNITY
To do this, and to create the radical conditions that foster creativity, I suggest creating a radical space, a community, that is contrary to the pervasive intellectual, political, and social norms found within the mainstream of society. It should act as a refuge for students, a "balancing" space of the predominant discourses found in society (Orlowski, 2014). As an alternative space, students would likely come to understand the inherent "difference" that can be made from this new space. They should grow to feel comfortable and respected within this space, and unafraid to think radically different than what is expected of them at other times; within a strong classroom community, they will learn to take "intellectual risks" (Greene, 2012). However, family background and associated expectations must be considered, here. Family and familial expectations can be both a beautiful or terrible influence on our students. Family background forms our students notions of success, of what is acceptable, and what is expected (Mihyeon, 2014). For my students, who come from predominantly Asian family backgrounds, the role of the family and expectation is intense -- and more distressingly, in these certain family backgrounds, the notion of questioning (and questioning authority) is wholly suppressed. This was not as big of an issue for me, although certainly still present -- so I've had to carefully consider and integrate this issue into my inquiry. While the family can be supportive, parental expectations can also limit our students from developing as their own thinking persons -- expectations can limit our students from taking the risks necessary in creative thinking. Radical thinking, the answer to this mental block, thus requires the feeling of safety -- like that of family or a second home, but found hidden within the institution. It is only if these students feel they can explore outside of what is expected of them, that they can truly be free to think creatively and self-discover. Parrhesia, which is the frank discussion of things (Ross and Vinson, 2014), is the essential course of action not only in building relationships through this open self-discovery, but also in modeling that it's okay to take risks openly within your mutually created space. This is the essential quality of a good classroom community. |
The creation of radical spaces can change the world. (Stimulator, 2015)
COMMUNITY
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EXTRA-CURRICULAR COMMUNITY
Yet, the sense of community need not stop within the walls of the classroom and curriculum. In fact, radical creativity is primarily not a class-based skill -- it should be expanded into one's life well beyond the confines of school. Thus, within the created and radical space of the classroom community, teachers need to use the concept of la perruque, or using class time for extra-curricular purposes (Ross and Vinson, 2014) -- like allowing students to socialize and build relationships (with you, included), or pursue their own interests more generally. This enables students to grow socially, emotionally, and develop their own agency and conceptions of self. Beyond the classroom, community needs to be made at lunch time and after school, through the use of clubs and societies -- and even outside the larger institution of the school, extra-curricularly. This kind of community space is more easily recognized by students as being a free and radical space, and could also reach a greater number of students whom have become disenfranchised by their own, perhaps different, institution. For the purposes of community building, though, the school can still be a great place to start, and community centers and neighborhood houses can be integrated to help foster greater community. This kind of community space allows these students and the wider public (such as parents) to fulfill their own inquiries and social and emotional objectives together. Our observations of these students during this extra-curricular time can help inform our future pedagogical practice (Smith, 1997), with-which we can then adapt our radical spaces for our students.
The sense of community created, both in class and outside of it, is integral in allowing students to grow as their own people; to feel accountable and responsible for something more than themselves; and to give them a sense of security in exploring new and radically creative ways of thinking.
Yet, the sense of community need not stop within the walls of the classroom and curriculum. In fact, radical creativity is primarily not a class-based skill -- it should be expanded into one's life well beyond the confines of school. Thus, within the created and radical space of the classroom community, teachers need to use the concept of la perruque, or using class time for extra-curricular purposes (Ross and Vinson, 2014) -- like allowing students to socialize and build relationships (with you, included), or pursue their own interests more generally. This enables students to grow socially, emotionally, and develop their own agency and conceptions of self. Beyond the classroom, community needs to be made at lunch time and after school, through the use of clubs and societies -- and even outside the larger institution of the school, extra-curricularly. This kind of community space is more easily recognized by students as being a free and radical space, and could also reach a greater number of students whom have become disenfranchised by their own, perhaps different, institution. For the purposes of community building, though, the school can still be a great place to start, and community centers and neighborhood houses can be integrated to help foster greater community. This kind of community space allows these students and the wider public (such as parents) to fulfill their own inquiries and social and emotional objectives together. Our observations of these students during this extra-curricular time can help inform our future pedagogical practice (Smith, 1997), with-which we can then adapt our radical spaces for our students.
The sense of community created, both in class and outside of it, is integral in allowing students to grow as their own people; to feel accountable and responsible for something more than themselves; and to give them a sense of security in exploring new and radically creative ways of thinking.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH OF LEARNING: