Long Tran

Adam Padgett
ENG 102-27
15 November, 2016
Technology: Beneficial to Learning and Creativity?
Technology is a tool or invention that humans can use to make life easier or more
enjoyable. According to Rollo May, Creativity is the process of bringing something new into
being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was
previously hidden and points to new life(creativityatwork.com 1). Technology can range from
the invention of the computer for data storage and media streaming libraries like iTunes or
Netflix. Computers today are far more advanced than when they were first introduced to the
public. Computers can now do a variety of different tasks such as: writing papers, making graphs
and charts, becoming a movie and music library, and browsing the internet for news and
information. Technology gives people access to a plethora of information literally at the tip of
their fingers. Creativity can be benefitted by technology in many different ways. Technology
now offers new mediums in which artists can express themselves. Technology can be beneficial
to learning and creativity in the education system if it is able to be efficiently integrated into the
classroom setting.
With all the recent advancements in technology that society has gone through, it would
seem to be common sense that all aspects of life are made easier, especially in education. With
all the technology todays world has to offer, the way things have been done in the education
setting have changed rapidly over the past decades. Currently todays classrooms have high tech
projectors and smartboards that can easily erase anything and everything on screen with the
touch of a button. Smartboards can replace the chalkboard that many students once knew.

Physical books can now be replaced by digital copies on a computer or with something called ebooks that have recently surfaced. With these recent e-books, the growth and popularity of
digital content in the form of e-books that are delivered to electronic reading platforms has been
significant (Hyman, Moser, Segala 36). The authors are implying that this new technology is
now making digital reading more accessible and popular. This new platform for reading has
authors of textbooks incorporating audio, video, and text-to-speech capabilities as part of their
information delivery strategy (36). Having all the information of multiple books condensed into
an electronic device that is portable and can fit in a persons hand is incredible. It can make life
easier for a college student who has to carry around multiple textbooks and notebooks all day
long. It can help students learn better because it is easier to be motivated when all the material is
in one place.
The future is unknown for libraries because of this new change in technology. Since
physical books can be replaced, whole libraries can either be transformed or can be eliminated
from the equation completely. There is a possibility in the future that libraries with physical
books will become extinct. The question is: How soon? A research poll was conducted by Pew
Research Center to find out what American citizens thought about libraries in todays society.
According to the data that Pew Research Center compiled into a chart, most Americans want
libraries to: support local education, serve special constituents such as veteran, active duty
military personnel and immigrants, help local businesses, job seekers and those upgrading their
work skills, and embrace new technologies such as 3-D printers and provide services to help
patrons learn about high-tech gadgetry (Horrigan 1). This means that American citizens would
still want libraries around for their children and for their local communities. Since the digital age
has come around with new innovations, libraries are now equipped with computer labs and other

types of digital media. In todays local libraries and campus libraries, physical books are still
available, albeit not as popular. The trend of Americans actually going to libraries has ebbed
somewhat over the past several years, though it is too early to identify a national trend (1). This
means that some books will be replaced with digital media, but libraries will not get rid of books
completely. About 30% of American citizens that are 16 years old and older think libraries
should definitely move some print books and stacks out of public locations to free up more
space for such things as tech centers, reading rooms, meeting rooms and cultural events (2).
These new technological implementations in the library offer new types of benefits that can help
people advance their knowledge.
Creativity and technology are two things that compliment each other and can advance
each other as long as technology can be properly implemented. There are multiple digital
mediums that help showcase artists creativity and knowledge. These new digital mediums range
From Google to Facebook, from cloud computing to YouTube channels and digitality has
altered how we live, work and connect with each other (Henriksen, Mishra, Fisser 27). These
are the products of societys rapid improvements in technology. Henriksen, Mishra, and Fisser
believe that we must consider learning technologies alongside creativity instead of in isolation
(27). YouTube is a place where artists such as choreographers can showcase their artistic talents
to the world and at the same time be able to teach that same piece. YouTube is full of how-to
videos with multiple people showing their own creative ways of doing something. This is a
prime example of how creativity, technology, and learning can mesh together. Henriksen, Mishra
and Fisser believe that in order for technology to be implemented in a classroom, teachers must
understand the range of ways in which technology can present content creatively, and see how
this interacts with different pedagogies (30). What they are saying is that in order for things

such as PowerPoint presentations to be truly effective in a classroom setting, teachers must be

able to present large and boring amounts of information in a manner that is captivating and
creative. Students most likely prefer to not be bored by a plain presentation that was thrown
together last-minute by the teacher or professor. Having a presentation that is creative and that is
designed well can easily keep the attention of students and help them take in and retain the
information better. New technology implementation in the classroom can present new
opportunities to interact and become engaged in discussion or class. An example of this concept
in action is a channel on YouTube called Veritasium which focuses on physics, and the choice of
topics is often driven by questions sent in by his audienceallowing learners all over the world
interact directly with science ideas and each other via his site (31). This allows the audience of
the channel to stay interested in the videos the creator produces. This also helps the creator of the
channel because he is able to retain his subscribers because the topics are what his viewers want
to watch. Students in a classroom setting obviously cannot choose the topics that they want the
teacher to go over, so this imposes a barrier in this kind of implementation. Henriksen, Mishra,
and Fisser believe that there are three major parts to the implementation of technology and
creativity and education: Teacher education, Assessment, and Educational policy (34). For
teacher education, it is important to be able to teach them to use these new technologies
efficiently and in a creative way in order to improve teaching methods. For Assessment, it is
important to find a way to test creativity in the learning environment. It will prove a challenge,
because creativity is something that is very unusual and difficult to measure. A challenge in
educational policy involves convincing policymakers that there is a clear or definitive answer,
where creativity can only be learned by actually doing and finding it for oneself and cannot be
taught as a skill.

-talk about how technology can help intercultural learning

- talk about technology integration for 3d 4th, and 5th graders
-mention the barriers to implementation and possible solutions
- conclusion.