The Creative "I" Project-Part 2

The Creative "I":  Developing and Bringing It All Together

The Creative “I” Project—Variations on a Theme

            I will be the first to admit to anyone, that being “creative” is a significant challenge for me.  I see things in “black and white”, “right and wrong”, and the gray area is not a place I enjoy visiting.  In my opinion, this has hindered my ability to be “creative”.  It was refreshing to read this article and understand that my life experiences, my knowledge, and my interests are the tools to which I can foster my own creativity.  I felt relieved to read, “…it can be learned and developed with practice.” (Henriksen & Mishra, p. 16)  Understanding that creative ideas are seldom “new” in the sense that they are not original ideas, but rather ideas altered or developed from previous works in order to create something new.  The concept of “twisting the knobs” to slightly alter an existing piece of work or creative piece, resonated with me.  My previous projects were ideas I have seen before, but I personally “twisted the knob” in order to change them to fit my needs and my own take on creativity. 

          So, instead of choosing a song that is “my favorite” I chose a song that has been sung in my class.  I thought this fitting since my topic is Phonological Awareness. Singing familiar songs or reading poems has been proven to increase children’s fluency and help recognize the rhymes and rhythms of words. Children have sung the popular children’s song I’ve Been Working on the Railroad for many years.  In our current reading program, Reading Street, this song along with many other popular songs have been reinvented and written with different words to fit the theme for that weeks’ reading lesson.

Original Song and Lyrics:

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

I've been working on the railroad

All the live-long day.

I've been working on the railroad

Just to pass the time away.

Can't you hear the whistle blowing,

Rise up so early in the morn;

Can't you hear the captain shouting,

"Dinah, blow your horn!"

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Someone's in the kitchen I know

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Strummin' on the old banjo!

Singin' fee, fie, fiddly-i-o

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o

Strummin' on the old banjo.

Here is one adapted version of I’ve Been Working on the Railroad from Reading Street program:

My New Song and Lyrics:

“I’ve Been Learning to be Creative”

I’ve been learning to be creative,

which is a challenge for me,

I must learn how to thiiiink,

outsiiiide the box,

Using creee-a-tiv-ity

requires using pre-existing ideas

using your experiences

to create something “unique and new”.

Oh, It must be Novel,

It must be Effective,

It must be Whooooooole!

It must be Novel,

It must be Effective,

It must be Whooooooole!

Twisting the knoooobs tooo

create something neeewww

by using your knowledge

and experiences to learn.

Singing Creee-a-tivity

Creeee-a-tiv-i-teee

Creee-a-tivity

Coming up with something N.E.W.!

Click here to hear my “creative” singing version!