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Teaching Outside the Lines: Rethinking Creativity (and Technology) in Our Classrooms

 I’ve recently started reading Teaching Outside the Lines: Developing Creativity in Every Learner by Doug Johnson, and it’s one of those books that quietly but powerfully reshapes how you see your work.

Cover of the book teaching outside the lines: Developing creativity in every learner

Right from page one, Johnson references Sir Ken Robinson’s famous TED Talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” — a talk that has circled through educator circles for years but somehow feels even more urgent now. Robinson’s assertion that we’re educating students out of their creative capacities hit me hard, especially as someone who works at the intersection of learning and technology.

Johnson’s message is clear: Creativity isn’t always about big, flashy projects or colorful masterpieces. More often, it’s about quiet, unconventional problem-solving that leads to surprising solutions and fresh ideas. As I’ve read, I keep reflecting on how this connects directly to the role of technology in our classrooms.

When used intentionally, technology is a powerful tool for this kind of creativity. It lets students design, build, tinker, and tell their stories. It gives them access to digital spaces where imagination meets action: coding a robot to navigate a student-designed maze, creating digital art that couldn't exist on paper, or crafting a video that shares their unique perspective on a concept. Technology doesn’t replace creativity; it amplifies it.

human hand draa human hand writing the words think, design, idea, crative, planning, art, concept, inspiring, business innovation in the sape of a light bulb
(Innovation Minds, 2020, Feb 4)

And yet—people don’t like change. We see it all the time. There’s a pull to stick with the familiar, with what’s easy to grade, easy to manage, easy to measure. Multiple-choice tests, true/false questions, fill-in-the-blank — neat, tidy, and predictable. But creativity, especially with technology, doesn’t always fit nicely into a box (or a rubric).

What’s sticking with me is this: creativity is not a bonus or an optional skill. It’s essential for students to thrive in a constantly changing world. Tech, when used well, can be the paintbrush, the hammer, or the musical instrument students need to express their ideas and build something meaningful.

This book has me thinking about this question:
How can I guide teachers to structure lessons so creativity isn’t an extra—it’s the core?

I’m looking forward to continuing the book and experimenting more with what it means to "teach outside the lines"—especially when those lines are sometimes drawn by screens.

And so, I’ll leave you with the question I’m sitting with today:

How might we use technology to make creativity the rule, not the exception, in our classrooms?

References

Innovation Minds. (2020, Feb 4). Creative lightbulb, [Graphic image]. https://innovationminds.com/on-joy-creativity-innovation

Robinson, Ken. (2006, February). Do schools kill creativity? [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?language=en

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