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Morgan Creech

Hometown: Geneva, Alabama

Creative Learning Tools in Education

I have always had a special connection to education. Coming from a family of educators, I have had a chance to experience both sides of the public education system—the side of the students, and the side of the teachers. My childhood was filled with memories of helping in my mother’s classroom, watching her grade papers, and late nights creating and baking for her students. She was a firm believer in hands-on teaching and exploring new ways to bring creativity into the classroom. Her dedication instilled in me a love for education.

Education is a rapidly changing system; children are often overburdened by the workloads they are expected to follow. The pressure is then on teachers to meet current curriculum standards. This often leads to kids being over-stressed, burnt out, and, in some cases, left behind. Creativity and exploration in classrooms take a backseat to standardized test preparation. Play is considered one of the greatest learning tools for children. My project focuses on creating a series of workbooks to stimulate students’ creativity while they are working towards understanding the content covered in the state curriculum. These booklets would use vibrant colors and illustrations to project the feeling of an activity book rather than a workbook, making review and practice of material learned in the classrooms easier to retain.

When I was a student in elementary school, I often fell behind in classes due to my inability to pay attention to lectures and boring black and white worksheets. Even now I require the stimulation that I have found through design and being creative. I hope that with this project students can find it helpful in easing the burden of learning and test preparation.