The Creative Classroom Nurturing and Supporting Innovative Thought

1. The Creative ClassroomNurturing and Supporting Innovative Thought Wednesday, July 25th, 2012Jeff Danielianjdanielian@nagc.org

4. Possible Titles and Ideas Eminence, Prominence, and Diligence Chance, Circumstance, and Incidence Consideration, Expectation, and Evaluation Motivation, Dedication, Frustration, and Introspection

5. From the pages of: “Dreams begin at home or in the classroom.” “Educators can only guide students in the right direction, offering suggestions and ideas along the way. The rest is up to them.” “Education, much like life, is an ever changing process. Failure, as a variable, always comes into play.” “The monotony of daily classes is lost when students are allowed to discover who they are as individuals.”

6. “Never give children a chance of imagining that anything exists in isolation. Make it plain from the very beginning that all living is relationship. Show them relationships in the woods, in the fields, in the ponds and streams, in the village and in the country around it. Rub it in..” - Aldous Huxley

7. “The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.” - Loren Eiseley

8. I Love The Chalkboard

9. “Take somethingsimple and connect it to many things.”

10. Chalk: It’s Ancient Uses Drawings that date to prehistoric times have been discovered by archaeologists. The earliest chalk writings/drawings are usually found in caves. As time went by artists from various countries used chalk to make drawings and sketches. For the convenience of these artists, a major innovation was introduced – chalks shaped into sticks.

11. Chalk: The Science Over the course of 100 million years, Protozoans such as foraminifera, with shells made of calcite extracted from the rich sea-water, lived on the marine debris that showered down from the upper layers of the ocean. As they died a deep layer gradually built up and eventually, through the weight of overlying sediments, became consolidated into rock. Later, during the formation of mountain ranges, these former sea-floor deposits were raised above sea level. Chalk is composed mostly of calcium carbonate with minor amounts of silt and clay.

12. Chalk: Other Uses Chalk is used to make quicklime and slaked lime, mainly used as lime mortar in buildings. Sidewalk chalk is used to draw on sidewalks, streets, and driveways, mostly by children, but also by adult artists. In agriculture chalk is used for raising pH in soils with high acidity. In field sports, including grass tennis courts, powdered chalk was used to mark the boundary lines of the playing field or court. In gymnastics an rock-climbing, chalk — now usually magnesium carbonate — is applied to the hands to remove perspiration and reduce slipping.

13. Chalk: Other Uses Tailor's chalk is traditionally a hard chalk used to make temporary markings on cloth, mainly by tailors. Toothpaste also commonly contains small amounts of chalk, to serve as a mild abrasive. Polishing chalk is chalk prepared with a carefully controlled grain size, for very fine polishing of metals. Woodworking joints may be fitted by chalking one of the mating surfaces. A trial fit will leave a chalk mark on the high spots of the corresponding surface. Used as Fingerprint powder Taken orally, in small doses, as an antacid.

15. What is Creativity

17. A Generational Campaign

19. The Reason for my becoming and educator! And why I still am…

20. “Every generation has a chance to change the world. Pity the nation that won’t listen to its boys and girls. The sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard.” -I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonightfrom: No Line on The Horizon 2009

23. Csikszentmihaly’s three-part theory of creativity • the individual • field • the domain These are the most important components of the realization of creativity. • FLOW

24. Gardner • studied the creative eminence of influential persons of recent times. • states that components must be present to permanently alter the domain “in a way that is initially considered novel but that ultimately becomes accepted in a particular cultural setting.”

25. Wallas • presented a four-part creative process including preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. • Creative individual follows a pattern in which success is finally determined by the acceptance and verification by an audience.

26. Factors Contributing to Creativity Amabile: Intrinsic motivation Maslow : Self-actualization concept the creative individual continues to develop by recognizing his own potential, and the motivation comes from inner strength and confidence. • the love, satisfaction, and challenge of a particular event which directs talent.

27. Art CostaHabits of Mind • Persisting • Communicating with clarity and precision • Managing impulsivity • Gathering data through all senses • Listening with understanding and empathy • Creating, imagining, innovating • Thinking flexibly • Responding with wonderment and awe • Thinking about your thinking (metacognition) • Taking risks • Striving for accuracy and precision • Finding humor • Questioning and problem posing • Thinking interdependently • Applying past knowledge to new situations • Remaining open to continuous learning

28. Three Ring Conception Over Houndstooth Pattern

29. “Jane Raph– An inspiring Teacher in my masters degree program at Rutgers University asked me to read a pre- publication manuscript of this book. By the time I finished I was hooked on the subject of creativity and wanted to study it more than anything else I was doing. This led to a lifelong interest in creativity and related cognitive processes.” JSR

30. Creativity enters the Equation: An Influential Teacher and A Little Bit of Luck Prompt: Picture of a Man On An Airplane The High IQ Subject Mr. Smith is on his way home from a successful business trip. He is very happy and he is thinking about his wonderful family and how glad he will be to see them again. He can picture it, about an hour from now, his plane landing at the airport and Mrs. Smith and their three children all there welcoming him home again. Getzels, J. W., & Jackson, P. W. (1962). Creativity and Intelligence: Explorations With Gifted Students. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

31. Prompt: Picture of a Man On An Airplane The High Creative Subject This man is flying back from Reno where he has just won a divorce from his wife, He couldn't’t stand to live with her anymore, he told the judge, because she wore so much cold cream on her face at night that her head would skid across the pillow and hit him in the head. He is now contemplating a new skid-proof cream.

32. aware of their own creativeness original independent willing to take risks energetic curious keen sense of humor attracted to complexity and novelty artistic open-minded need for privacy, alone time perceptive Positive Characteristics of Creativity

33. questioning rules and authority stubbornness low interest in details forgetfulness carelessness and disorganization with unimportant matters absentmindedness indifference to common conventions tendency to be emotional Negative Characteristics of Creativity

34. Creative Thinking Fluency – the production of a great number of ideas Flexibility– producing a variety of categories of ideas. Originality– production of ideas that are unique or unusual. Elaboration– production of ideas that display detail or enrichment..

35. Strategies

36. Creative Problem Solving The CPS technique encourages students to answer, consider alternatives, and create solutions to problems by formulating an action plan. • Start with convergent questioning to find issues. • Wouldn’t it be nice if …or Wouldn’t it be awful if … • Gather information: • Consider the problem at a deeper level. • Isolate one problem: • Isolate one problem or issue that needs to be addressed. • Find solutions to the one underlying problem: • Brainstorm possible solutions to this one problem, and be sure to consider solving the problem from many different perspectives • Create a dynamic action plan: • Develop an action plan that will tell who will take charge of the idea, how long it will take the idea to be put into place, where the work will be done, and what materials will be necessary throughout the planning and implementation of the plan.

37. Creative Dramatics The act of creative dramatics is perhaps the most active and performance driven of all the creativity thinking tools. It not only allows the students to use their imagination and bodies, but it makes the students active, an important part of middle level education. The students, becoming comfortable with their voices and bodies, begin to develop an appreciation for the dramatic arts and their use in the areas of public speaking, leadership, presentation, and creativity, and not just the stage.

38. “SCAMPER” In 1977, Bob Eberle rearranged some common divergent thinking questions into the acronym “SCAMPER” to help students create new ideas by systematically modifying something already existing.

39. Scampering Read a story. What elements of SCAMPER could be used to affect the plot and outcome of the story? Design an invention. Sky’s the limit. Use a current social or political problem as a way to discuss how SCAMPER could be applied for a solution. Take an object: a pencil, a brick, a paperclip. How can you apply the elements of SCAMPER to come up with a new and creative use of the object?

40. Morphological Matrix Students list the attribute of two or more related topics in order to create a new product, story, etc.

44. Classroom ImplicationsMany Routes and ConsiderationsStrategies: Scamper, CPS, and Morph Matrix 1. Sketches and possible images of your product, wrapped and unwrapped.Appeals to the Artists and Photographers! 2. A written description of your product, with a special emphasis on descriptive words.Appeals to the Writers! 3. Complete advertising plan, including marketing information and print and/or media ad example.Appeals to the Artist, the “Business Person” and the voice talent and possible Videographers! 4. Consumer trial data or comments based about the areas listed in #’s 1-3. Appeals to the Scientists and Public Speakers (My follow-up would include a presentation to me in class)

45. Asking what if or just suppose questions • • Predicting, speculating, and forecasting and then testing out ideas. • • Combining or changing parts to make new possibilities. • • Thinking about metaphors or analogies • Refining, developing, and strengthening possibilities. • Setting priorities, sorting, arranging, and categorizing ideas. • Examining ideas using a constructive approach • Focusing on how to strengthen or build up ideas by analyzing possibilities in balanced and forward thinking ways. • Going beyond what is given by acquiring and using vast amounts of information. • Gathering, organizing, and analyzing data from many sources and domains. • Asking many, varied, and unusual questions. • Learning from mistakes. • Showing initiative and taking ownership in problem solving. • Persisting when things are not yet working. • Reflecting on their goals and progress. • Marching to a different drummer.

46. Observation It is Crucial to observe students as they engage in a creative activity. Through observations, strengths and weaknesses in the student’s processes will come to light. Use the strategies you have already gained to assess.

47. Utilizing Assessments Along the Way • Calendars • Planning Sheets • Reality Checks • Note Sheets • Research Portfolios • Scattered Due dates • Rough Draft Submissions • Faculty Sign-ups More responsibility on the student!

48. Rubrics offer students a glimpse into how they will be assessed and allow for a range of comments concerning effort, creativity, skill acquisition, and demonstration of ability. Students are able to see areas of strength while focusing on areas needing improvement. • • the Criteria, or skill areas to be evaluated;• the Descriptors of these criteria, longer statements about each criterion; and• the Levels of Performance, that illustrate the highest and lowest levels of understanding. • Comments, Comments, Comments, and Copy

49. No Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor for levels of performance. Try to relate them to the subject or discipline. For example, an assignment relating to writing a newspaper article would have a top level of National Publication and a low level of School Newspaper. An art project might carry the levels National Museum, State Museum, Local Gallery, and School Wall. Students should never think of themselves as failures, but should look for skills to improve. Using these levels lets them know how positive it is to have their work published in a school newspaper or displayed on a fridge or school wall.

50. TEACHING FOR CREATIVITY: TWO DOZEN TIPS By Robert Sternberg and Wendy M. Williams