Using Creativity in Enrichment Clusters

1. Using Creativity in Enrichment Clusters Barrow Elementary Fall 2011

2. “The single best way to nurture creativity in anyone may be to recognize it and value it.” --(Cramond and Connell, 2009)

3. Characteristics of Creativity • Everyone has some. • Creativity can be developed and encouraged. • Not always an artist, musician, etc. • New (at least to them) products or ideas. • Can be expressed in a variety of ways- may or may not be content specific. • Different levels of creativity.

4. Why Creativity? • Benefits of Creative Activities: • Creative thinking promotes self-actualization • Children learn to think independently • An emotional release • Better mental health through creative expression • Form of communication • Can be helpful during hardship • Global economic competition

5. Creative Thinking Skills • Fluency- having lots of ideas • Flexibility- having a lot of different ideas • Originality- having new or unique ideas • Elaboration- having ideas with a lot of details

6. Brainstorming • Brainstorming is a basic technique for increasing fluency of expression. • Quantity is more important. • Free of evaluation.

7. Rules for Brainstorming • 1. Do not judge ideas at this stage. • 2. Share all ideas- even the silly ones. • 3. Stress quantity over quality. • 4. Piggybacking is allowed.

8. Questions to Guide Brainstorming • Other Uses • Can it be put to other uses? • Can it be put to other uses if it is modified? • Adaptation • What else is like it? • What other ideas does it suggest? • What could you copy or imitate? • Modification • What new twist can you make? • Can you change the color, size, shape, motion, sound, form, odor?

9. Questions to Guide Brainstorming • Magnification • What could you add? • Can you add more time, strength, height, length, thickness, value? • Can you duplicate or exaggerate it? • Minification • Can you make it smaller, shorter, lighter, lower? • Can you divide it up or omit certain parts? • Substitution • Who else can do it? • What can be used instead? • Can you use other ingredients or materials? • Can you use another source of power, another place, another process? • Can you use another tone of voice?

10. Questions to Guide Brainstorming • Rearrangement • Can you interchange parts? • Can you use a different plan, pattern, or sequence? • Can you change the schedule or rearrange cause and effect? • Reversibility • Can you turn it backward or upside down? • Can you reverse roles or do the opposite? • Combination • Can you combine parts or ideas? • Can you blend things together?

11. Strategies to Encourage Creativity • Encourage students to play with ideas, laugh, and have fun without worrying about being graded or evaluated (encourage risk-taking). • Show generous praise for quantity and inventiveness of responses. • Try to avoid using phrases or expressions that are natural killers of creativity: -“Don’t be silly” - “A good idea, but…” -“Let’s be serious” -“That’s childish” • Encourage students to reflect on their creative thinking processes by asking them questions

12. Activity • SCAMPER Question Generator

13. Scamper Example • Here are some ways General Mills, Kellogg’s, Quaker Oats and Post put elements of the SCAMPER technique to work in their product development efforts: • Substitute – Corn Flakes led to Bran Flakes (substitute ingredient).  Puffed Rice helped launch Rice Krispies (substitute preparation).  Substitutions can also include people, physical locations, production processes, flavors, and distribution channels. • Combine – Raisin Bran was born from combining bran flakes with raisins.  Cereal manufacturers are experts at this (Honey Nut Cheerios, Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal).  This step is about adding a new ingredient or combining two or more existing items into one. • Adapt -Cinnamon Toast Crunch came from making a toast recipe and turning it into a cereal.  Take the all-American favorite of chocolate chip cookies, turn them into a cereal, and you have a winner – Cookie Crisp.  Fruity Pebbles was a huge hit for Post, and was adapted from the popular show the Flintstones.  (side note: same idea worked for Flintstone vitamins)

14. Scamper Example • Magnify/minimize – Frosted Wheat became Frosted Mini Wheats.  Granola evolved into Low Fat Granola.  A regular box of Wheeties now comes in a giant, family-sized box. • Put to other use – Rice Krispie Treats are now packaged in separate units and sold as a competitor to the candy bar.  Corn Flakes can be used in dozens of recipes including breading for chicken and as an ingredient in stuffing.  Of course, Kellogg’s makes these recipes readily available and recommends the alternative uses. • Eliminate – Without nuts, reduced fat, sugar-free, only whole-grains, and other banners are unavoidable as you walk down the cereal aisle at your local grocery store.  Eliminating one or more aspects of a concept is a clever way to uncover brand new ideas. • Rearrange / reverse – Post launched Honey Bunches of Oats in 1989.  Today, you can enjoy your Honey Bunches packaged with Almonds, with Bananas, Peaches, Strawberries, Chocolate Clusters, Cinnamon Clusters, or Vanilla Clusters.  What did they do next?  They launched “Just Bunches”, eliminating the other elements of the cereal altogether.  This playful approach helped the company build a cereal franchise around one original product idea.

15. More Ideas • Good, Bad, Interesting • Six Thinking Hats • Attribute Listing • Analogies or Metaphorical Thinking • The Connect Game