I spend too much time sitting. Sound familiar? Between teaching online classes, blogging, and keeping in touch with family and friends, I spend a lot of time at the computer. I know that isn’t good for my health, but now I learn it may not be good for my creativity either. A recent set of … Continue reading
When I was young (albeit in the Dark Ages) the marks of a customized bicycle were playing cards that flapped between the spokes to make a satisfying racket, and perhaps an extra-large horn. No longer. How would you like to design a bike that glows in the dark? Thanks to Make, you can do it—just … Continue reading
How much time does it take to be creative? Is ten seconds enough? Ten minutes? This short video, from Café Communications, looks at what happens when students are given a bit more time for creative tasks. Take a look. It made me think, how many times do we do that with students? “It’s time for … Continue reading
So, when is failure not failure? When it is defined as an “iteration.” What does that mean? An iteration is a repetition, but not an exact one. An iteration is a repetition that changes just a bit, each one coming a bit closer to a goal. Think about times you’ve tried a recipe several times, … Continue reading
One of the most powerful ideas in psychology today is the idea of mindset. Carol Dweck, in particular, has studied the ways in which our beliefs about our capacity affect what we do. If we have a fixed mindset—about any number of human attributes–we believe our capabilities are etched in stone. If we are smart, … Continue reading
My husband and I have different views of what constitutes an acceptable level of chaos in our house. But the truth is, though I can obsess about visitors arriving in a relatively clutter-free “living room” space, the areas of our home in which we actually live exist in ever varying patterns of detritus. And our … Continue reading
Having a more creative school year is not about beautiful bulletin boards or teachers shouting from the desktops–though those don’t hurt. More importantly, it is about becoming a classroom in which students are encouraged to be their most creative selves, while learning content that matters. It is serious work, but it can be a lot … Continue reading
This week I was working with a group of teachers when one of them raised a familiar question, “How can I help students be creative when I’m not creative myself?” It’s a dilemma. If we really believe we are not creative, how can we help students go beyond our capacity? It can feel like being … Continue reading
I’m not a person who has a lot of quotations hanging on her walls—in fact, up until today I didn’t have any. But a friend recently sent me a wall decal I love, a quote from Albert Einstein, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” I don’t know when or where Einstein said it, but it makes … Continue reading
Recently, I went with a friend to Greenfield Village, one of Michigan’s historical treasures. Originally opened in 1933, the Village consists of more than 80 historic structures on a site laid out like a New England community, complete with a village green, farmhouses, workshops, shops, a railroad depot, and a bandstand. The Village also includes … Continue reading
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