Not everything we teach in school is best taught through formal lessons. Extra curricular activities and clubs provide plentiful opportunities for students to develop skills, leadership, and creativity. For years, schools have sponsored teams for Future Problem Solving, Destination ImagiNation and other problem-solving ventures. Now another type of club has emerged for our technical age: … Continue reading
Posted in January 2013 …
What Do You Have the Courage to Do?
February 4, 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rosa Parks, often called the First Lady of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. A petite woman, Mrs. Parks stood tall when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. In honor of this event, the … Continue reading
Time for Exploring!
My original plan for today was to post the last link in the Creativity in the Classroom model, linking Creativity and Intrinsic Motivation. But I decided I’d had enough theoretical posting for right now, so instead I linked all the information on the model to a new “Creativity in the Classroom: Why and How” tab … Continue reading
Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Today, guest blogger Melanie returns with a post for those of you who teach English, love Jane Austen, are interested in video blogs or just want to see an amazingly creative riff on classic literature. Here’s Melanie. Even if you don’t teach Pride and Prejudice in class, this web series presents a special opportunity for … Continue reading
Creativity in the Classroom Model #2: Intrinsic Motivation and Learning for Understanding
Few things concern teachers more than student motivation. The degree to which students are invested and engaged in classroom activities is basic to their success. We may sometimes talk of “unmotivated students,” but the truth is, every student is motivated. Every student attends to and puts effort into something—it just isn’t always the things we … Continue reading
Math in the News
Math in the News is exactly what it sounds like—a website, with related weekly newsletter—that uses math to explore issues in the news. Produced by Media4Math, Math in the News activities range from probability maps predicting landfall for Hurricane Sandy to an exploration of pumpkin costs per hundredweight or the statistics of the presidential election. … Continue reading
Creativity in the Classroom Model #1: Understanding and Creativity
CREATIVITY: A Celtic Knot I’m coming near the end of my first year of creativiteach.me, and like most anniversaries, this one has prompted some reflection. In the past year I’ve been honored by thousands of visits from 114 countries. Creativity, it seems, is on people’s minds. But, in the face of all the challenges of … Continue reading
Missing Calvin
I really miss the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes. I loved opening the paper each morning (yes, that dates me) and catching a magical glimpse into the mind of a creative—if occasionally gruesome—child. I think I miss him most in the winter, when I recall Calvin’s memorable snow creatures. In case you don’t remember, here are … Continue reading
Family Fun for January: Beach Sand
I can see my Michigan friends shaking their heads already. Beach sand? January? But January is the perfect time to think about beaches. First, it gives me a chance to salute my Australian readers, who occasionally (and very kindly) remind me that not everyone operates on Michigan’s calendar. They are beginning warm summer days, and … Continue reading