Abstract:

The importance of creativity in teaching has long been accepted (Davis 2010) and during the last 20 years, the importance of technology in the teaching of any school subject has grown. This has not been applied to the teaching which takes place in Language academies in any great depth. There has been an over-reliance on the use of textbooks marketed by the various exam boards. My remit as the Head of Studies was to introduce the physical aspects of technology to all classrooms and then provide training and resources for the teachers to develop the integration of technology into their teaching. As with most academies the teaching turnover is relentless and in the ensuing 6 years this has become an annual event.

This research explores the journey of one Language School as they attempted to develop their creative use of technology post Covid. The pandemic drove us online completely for 7 months with both physical academies closed. Since the reopening we have tried to use the knowledge that we gained working exculsively online to enhance our creativity in the classroom. My findings contribute to increased understanding of the challenges in developing the creative use of technology in Language teaching and the effect that the pandemic has had on the development of our integration of technology in the classroom.

The research method used a naturalistic method of enquiry, based on the practice of a range of teachers during one academic course (October to June). A survey of all the teachers in both academies was carried out online, the results collated and analysed using quantative methods. Four teachers with a range of teaching and technological experience were interviewed and the results analysed using discourse analysis.

The research challenges the view that creativity and technology use cannot be used together and that both are fluid sets of concepts that can be applied in a variety of styles in the classroom. As expected a range of attitudes to technology in teaching and it´s use in the classroom were revealed. There was a willingness to try new ideas amongst the majority of staff and risk taking was seen as a positive approach to being more creative. This conforms to the thinking of Ken Robinson who stated, "If you are not prepared to be wrong you´ll never come up with anything original" (Robinson, TED Talk, 2018).

The main findings of the research reveal the evolution of the creative attitudes of the participants as their technology use developed. The study reveals the creative approach of all participants, the divergence of their journeys and the potential to enhance the creative experience for teachers in our academy. It also challenges the belief that creativity and technology use in the classroom can be generated using a pre-determined set of approaches. The differeing personalities of the teachers provided a distinct and individual ebb and flow in terms of creativity and technology. Jahnke´s (2012) idea that a learning culture "gets creative by fostering independent, self-reflecyive learning and critical thinking" is something that I hope the teachers in the academy will be able to carry forward this coming academic year.

Keywords:

ESL, Creativity, Technology.