Comments on: It’s not an assignment, it’s a creative brief

By: Little Red Riding Hood Remixed - Teach42

Little Red Riding Hood Remixed - Teach42 — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:38:56 +0000

[...] I mentioned before how much I love the idea of turning assignments into creative briefs. [...]

By: Creative Briefs | Tech Gal

Creative Briefs | Tech Gal — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:03:24 +0000

[...] We brainstormed a list of possible products, which you can see on our class blog post. The projects are still being created and will post them at their completion, but just this evening while going through the 1500 blog posts I have not read over the last 3 months I came across an article on Teach42 about the same concept. They call it creative briefs. [...]

By: Katie205

Katie205 — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:02:12 +0000

Thanks for the great idea. I am a college student working towards my teaching degree and currently taking a class on how to integrate technology into the classroom. Needless to say, I love the idea! I think it is a great way to let student express creativity and it is also way create a huge memory in their minds and it will be easy to remember. Love the “creative brief” title too! Thanks for sharing!

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:00:53 +0000

Steve –
Love the idea of the “creative brief”. Too often we as instructors focus too much on format or the presentation of the knowledge rather than the actual knowledge we hope our students internalize and are able to demonstrate. For example, for me, as an English teacher it’s too easy (and too tempting) to focus on whether all the parts of an effective essay are included or that the language use is edited and polished instead of focusing on whether actual knowledge and understanding are being demonstrated. The “creative brief” forces students to demonstrate ownership over the content. They manipulate it, shape it, mash it, reconfigure it, make it memorable and meaningful, (rather than simply placing content into a pre-conceived template.) Perhaps it’s a bad metaphor but it’s the difference between learning to cook someone else’s recipe really well and actually creating your own dish from scratch – which is going to be the most beneficial, longer-lasting experience in one’s development as a cook?

By: Heidi Van Riper

Heidi Van Riper — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:53:10 +0000

What I like about this is how it will prepare students for the kinds of assignments and projects they will face when they enter the workforce and their adult lives. We must foster this creative side of them so that they will have the ability and the belief that they can devise creative and appropriate solutions. Heidi Van Riper´s most recent blog post.. How Products Are Made

By: Maryann Molishus

Maryann Molishus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:15:07 +0000

Yes, I agree with Ben and Jared and you. This has become the “funnest” way of teaching for me. Even my second graders can manage this. Best question to ask, “What do you want to learn about and how to you want to share what you have learned with the rest of us?” As a second grade teacher, I have more freedom than some, which might make choosing topics a bit easier, but I do think this is possible for others if you know your standards, think creatively, and also know the tools that you have available for you and your students. Last year, we created a TV show that was broadcast on our local district TV station because of one student’s idea. This year, I have three students at this moment planning guest presenters for the Moodle site they are building. Their beginning idea was that they wanted to start a Nature Club. The assessment is tricky – you have to plan ahead and carefully, but there are lots of bonuses for teachers too. For me, I get to learn with my students!!!