Activity 7.3

I have always been interested in the role of creativity and innovation in the learning processes. It sometimes feels to me like originality or creativity is not as prized as a student's ability to mimic the teacher's lesson strategies or produce vocal or written repetition of material. If a student is supposed to model his thoughts after what material has been presented to him, where lies the possibility for originality? This thought has worried me. 


In his article, "But What About that Gigantic Elephant in the Room?", Albert Bandura addresses my fears: "Another misconception requiring retirement claimed that modeling is antithetical to creativity. Quite the contrary. There are several ways in which modeling promotes innovativeness. Modeling novel ways of thinking and doing things fosters innovativeness in others, whereas modeling conventional styles curtails it," (3). 


Bandura goes on to describe that students who are exposed to several different models of thought can in fact come up with new, original ideas (3). He credits this process to "selective hybridization", or the ability of a student to select pertinent information from several different models and mold the information into a new existence that fits the individual's purpose (3). This sounds optimum to me, and I would agree that this theory sounds like it fosters creativity; my only problem is that Bandura does not list any examples of this process in practical terms. Can anyone think of one based on their experiences? I can think of a few based on movies, but no real life success stories are coming to me. 


Looking unbiasedly, it seems like I am highly influenced by whatever mode of thought is presented to me at the time. For example, when I was introduced to the idea of "new historicism", I believed that all literature should in fact, be discussed in the context in which the author wrote it. I held that view until I came across a professor who believed that literature should be addressed solely as its own entity, separate from the author or the context of the time. I then adopted that belief (this makes me sound a little wishy-washy, though, doesn't it?). After coming across more new-historians, I have found my beliefs to have shifted back to that frame of mind. After making this observation about myself, I am determined to make an effort to discern what I think; I'd like to think that while I prize creativity and originality, it is not out of reach for me.

This reminds me again of the Good Will Hunting clip I posted on my Activity 5.2 blog post. (I'll post it again - watch from 1:10 to see the interaction). The graduate student at the bar with Will (Matt Damon) was doing exactly as I was; he merely encountered a thought process and adopted it as his own. As Bandura would say, the graduate student exemplifies the misconception "that modeling is antithetical to creativity" (3). Will, then, provides the opposition - he represents the possibility to form one's own thoughts based on the provisions of others, the opportunity for originality.