Why I Create Content- how do we show we value student originality?

So the other day, I created a Google sites website mainly to help myself process ChatGPT as an educator. It took a few hours, to collect information, process my thoughts, analyze what I read, and then place it in a cohesive space. During the whole experience, I kept thinking “why am I making a website?” At first, it was going to be a blog post, but the more I thought, the more I realized it was too much information for a blog. So I started creating. I used pages to discuss the warring concepts in my head. I used pages to curate articles I’ve read. I used pages to add ideas of adjustments that could be made in teaching while facing AI-text-generating disrupters.

Every day or so since creating it, I add more, I rethink pages, and I adjust what I want to share. I shared the link with a few educators that I value. One of these intelligent educators said, “I can’t get it together to even write a post.” My response was, “I have more free time than you do.” His response was- “And you’re an excellent content creator.” I found myself wrinkling up my nose as I read that and thinking, “Am I? Noooooo.” I have, over the years, created oodles of content. Truthfully, I enjoy the process. It helps me to process my own thoughts and opinions. It’s not that I think I can create better content than someone else, it’s as if clarity doesn’t really happen for me until I can word it in a way that seems outward facing worthy.

So while I’ve been thinking about being a content creator it’s reminded me that this is what grieves my soul the most about AI-generated anything. I love hearing original thoughts of other educators who are stuck in the muck of a problem. I love sharing educational wins that I find myself in and feeling the release of endorphins that comes from celebrating those classroom objectives being met when I read, or reread, that moment in history.

I value originality and creativity in myself and others. I think that’s what spurs me to spend hours creating content that no one might even interact with. I’m intrinsically motivated to do it. How do we, as educators, instill the value of originality and creativity in our students? How can encourage them to want to be free thinkers, risk takers, and questioners of the status quo? More succinctly put in regards to what’s going on in the educational world, “how do we encourage them from depending fully on generated text options for writing assignments instead of their own thoughts?”

What makes a student want to be original? We all can think of someone who fits that mold- sometimes it’s the fashions they choose to wear that don’t follow their peer’s cookie-cutter outfits, and sometimes it’s the thinking out loud that pushes back at authority or social norms. Sometimes it manifests itself in innovative ideas or ridiculously hard achievements.

I was looking over an interview on this idea from NPR (Nadworthy, 2016. How Adults Can Encourage Kids To Be Original Thinkers, retrieved February 2, 2023). The author suggests “that kids are much more likely to think in original ways if you teach them in conditionals rather than in absolutes.

So instead of saying, you know, “This is a book,” you teach them, “This could be a book.” And then they’re more likely to ask questions about the things that they say as opposed to assuming that there’s one right answer.” Another concept in the article was the idea of collaborative learning. Maybe it’s because we all want to bring value to a group, but it often brings out our creative side.

I know that a digital discussion board often allows the quiet voice to be heard (in the words of my friend, Jerry Blumengarten. I’ve experienced that, I’ve even been empowered by it myself over the years. So maybe that’s the twist? Are we placing value on the original thoughts of our students? Are we asking the right questions that allow them to wrestle with what they truly think about a topic, not just regurgitate what they think is expected of them? Are we acknowledging that their original thinking is of worth? Is it? Are we questioning them about topics they could care less about and therefore their original thoughts aren’t really worthy of being read?

I’m good at content because I am creating content about things that matter to me. How can I adapt that to my classroom more? How can I give students the freedom to create content about something that piques their interest but still meets my curricular objectives?

Good for thought- if it’s really original thoughts I’m after, how do my classroom interactions and expectations support that concept? Am I explaining the why behind the things we are doing in class and in the assignments I’m creating?

How do we get our students to value the gift of using their own voices to share their learning? I think we have to start by showing them we value hearing it.