Room to Run: Using Technology to Move Creativity into the Classroom

In a rapidly changing world, it can be hard to know where to invest resources in K-12 education to prepare students for the future. Educators are pulled in many different directions as they try to address course content, local curriculum, state standards, and accountability testing in a very limited amount of instructional time. Integrating creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship (CIE) education into the K-12 school day is a promising approach that can give students from all cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds access to advanced learning opportunities that are enhanced by technology. Yet many educators believe that any focus on CIE distracts from the standards- and test-focused criteria against which their effectiveness is judged. This chapter describes how the strategic use of technology provides teachers with room to run as they apply principles of CIE education across the curriculum, providing students with opportunities to develop creative process skills, innovate within areas of interest, and prepare for the challenges of rapidly changing postsecondary education and career paths. Combining technology and CIE learning experiences can help K-12 educators pursue both equity and excellence.