Give Your Instruction a of Creativity!

1. BOOST Give Your Instruction a of Creativity! Benjamin Oberdick Information Literacy Librarian Michigan State University

2. Results from Youth Poll Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

3. Results from Youth Poll Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

4. Results from Youth Poll Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

5. Results from Youth Poll Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

6. What happens when we grow up? Why do many people stop thinking of themselves as creative?

7. Creativity Poll of Adults Findings: 56% of Americans under age 30 think Americans have more creativity today, compared to 44% of seniors who think that. College graduates are less positive; just 29% say the Americans are more creative today compared to 40 years ago. CBS News Poll: “Where America Stands: Creativity.” December 17-22, 2009

8. Creativity Poll of Adults CREATIVITY: BORN WITH IT OR CAN IT BE TAUGHT? • Born with 53% • Can be taught 35% • Both 7% CBS News Poll: “Where America Stands: Creativity.” December 17-22, 2009

9. Everyone can learn to be creative… • BUT – …it can take hard work.

10. Why are some people more creative? • Brains function similarly in most people • Brains process things at similar speeds • Determining factor is uncommitted attention

11. Agenda • Definitions • Barriers to creativity • Characteristics of creativity • Becoming more creative • Creativity in the classroom • Importance of observation http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/ac3f/

12. Definitions • Creativity can be defined many ways: • A mental activity performed in situations where there is no prior correct solution or answer • A process of developing new, uncommon, or unique ideas • An experience of thinking characterized by a high degree of innovation and originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking • The generation of novel, useful ideas http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

13. Creativity vs. creativity C: culture-changing product of a genius like Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, or Steve Jobs. c: everyday creativity, a process in which many can and do participate. http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

14. Barriers to creativity • Exhaustion • Distraction • Laziness • Lack of focus http://redriverpak.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/mr-nightstick-and-donna-summer/

15. How can I become more creative?

16. Cultivate your curiosity and interests • Be surprised every day • Surprise someone else every day • Record surprises • Follow a spark of interest http://astronlogia.com/2011/01/19/qualities-of-number-1/

17. Cultivate flow in everyday life • Wake up with a specific goal • Do what you enjoy (you’ll do it well) • Increase complexity of tasks http://smithfamilylowdown.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

18. Toothbrush Activity How can you make an everyday activity more fun, interesting, or exciting? Example: brushing your teeth Share your ideas with a neighbor.

19. How do you facilitate flow? Typical activities include walking, showering, swimming, driving, gardening, weaving…..

20. Protect your creative energy • Routinize daily life • Take charge of your schedule • Reflection & Relaxation • Shape your space • Do what you love http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2455278328/sizes/m/in/photostream/

21. Einstein Spending 2 minutes a day deciding what to wear = 730 minutes a year (12+ hrs.) How much time do you “waste” doing routine things?

22. Internalize Supporting Structures • Develop what you lack • Openness to closure • Aim for complexity http://sueczech.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/happy-4th-birthday-peanut/number-4-shaped-pinata/

23. Know Thyself • Identify your most obvious characteristic • How would your best friend describe you? • What is the opposite of that central trait? • How could you strengthen your opposite trait?

24. What’s really important? Step 1: Close your eyes and spend 5 minutes making a mental movie of your ideal class, course, lesson, or meeting? Step 2: Open your eyes and describe your movie to a neighbor http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/pollock/

25. Application of Creative Energy • Express what moves you • Multiple viewpoints • Implications of a problem • Implementing solutions http://offtherecord-radio.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

26. Selective Exposure Theory • People tend to avoid information inconsistent with one’s beliefs and attitudes • People tend to watch/listen to things that reinforce their already formed beliefs

27. Divergent Thinking • Multiple ideas • Different ideas • Unlikely ideas http://partysticks.co.uk/cakelesscakes/index.php?inc=30&id=7

28. Keyword Activity Spend 2 minutes coming up with as many words related to the concept of “cyber bullying” Note: Don’t edit yourself, just write

29. Personal Creativity • Discover your own creativity • Experiment and be open • Dangers • Addiction • Superficiality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MO-7.svg

30. What could happen…. http://pool-site.com/2011/08/12/swimming-in-pool-2/

31. http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kamsani/1/1266943249/tpod.htmlhttp://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kamsani/1/1266943249/tpod.html

32. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

33. http://www.ski-rent.net/sky-diving/sky-diving

34. Importance of Observation Spend 10 seconds memorizing the pictures on the next slide. http://learnwordlist.com/blog/an-easy-way-to-remember-some-tough-gre-words-i/2009/08/gre-word-list-test-blog-barrons-vocabulary

36. List as many of the pictures from the previous slide as you can. How many did you remember? http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/08/21/quick-housekeeping-issue/question-mark-7/

37. Answer Sheet 8. Elephant • Deer/Buck • Lobster 11. Chair 12. Clown 13. Doughnuts 14. Fishbowl 15. Cow 16. Cake 17. Top hat 18. Bed 19. Milk jug • Bear • Television • Mousetrap • Comb • Present • Target/Arrow • Mouse • Scissors

38. Cultivate your observation skills • Blindfold yourself and observe an instruction session by only listening • Record the audio from your instruction session

39. Thank you for coming! • Questions??? • Contact Information: (517) 884-0895 oberdic1@msu.edu

40. References • Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Iowa State University. (2012, August 12). Creativity. Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/homepage.html. • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers. • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding flow: the psychology of engagement with everyday life.New York : BasicBooks. • Schank, R. C. (1988). The creative attitude: Learning to ask and answer the right questions. New York: Macmillan. • Sternberg, R. J. & Williams, W. M. (2012, August 10). Teaching for creativity: Two dozen tips. Retrieved from http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/teaching_creativity.php.

41. Credits • http://www.vertexauto.com/ShowItem/4503%20Porsche%20Turbo%20Wastegate%20%20Boost%20Spring.aspx • http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/08/21/quick-housekeeping-issue/question-mark-8/ • http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/POLL_DEC08B_SUNMO_Creativity.pdf?tag=contentMain;contentBody • http://matherconsulting.com/adhd/ • http://kidmin360.com/2012/07/09/how-have-healthy-childrens-ministry/ • http://www.atr.com.my/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_13_91&products_id=163 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain