I’ve been thinking a lot about brains lately. As I’ve been working on the next edition of Creativity in the Classroom, I’ve been reading neurological research about creativity and learning—an interesting challenge, to be sure. As technology has changed, it is increasingly possible to “watch” the brain at work, examining which parts of the brain … Continue reading
It is sad, but perhaps not unexpected, that since I recently wrote about discouraged educators, I’ve spent a lot of time coaching a young teacher friend. She’s trying to find her way through an interaction with an administrator that has her questioning whether she belongs in public education at all. The specifics don’t matter because … Continue reading
Good curriculum and good assessment go hand-in-hand. So it is not surprising that the fourth key principle in developing curriculum supportive of creativity relates to assessment. In curriculum for creativity: Assessment includes multiple formative and summative assessments, including some that offer choices and use content in new ways. In all good curriculum, we start with … Continue reading
Strategies that support students in their creativity also support their learning. I have been repeating this mantra for more than 20 years, and the more I learn, the truer it becomes. It makes me think about bridge beams, and the interconnectedness of their strength. Pieces of steel that directly support one thing also help support … Continue reading
It is back-to-school time, at least in most of the U.S. Depending on where you live, you are probably in the last stages of new-year planning or already in the thick of things. Either way, it is a good time to think about general principles for planning curriculum that supports creativity. Helping students think more … Continue reading
Knowing what to teach can be tricky. Really. Given the seeming endless lists of outcomes, objectives, core ideas, etc. teachers face each day, that might sound odd. It seems any number of people and groups are oh-so-happy to tell us what to teach. But that can be the problem. When the lists are long and … Continue reading
I’m back! Not so much like a movie meme, but more like a hiker slogging in after a long trek through the wilderness. Yes, it has been that kind of spring/summer. Life—personal and professional—just got complicated. But there are seasons like that, and I always learn a lot, some of which I hope I’ll be … Continue reading
Again, today, I’m thinking about motivation, specifically, motivation to learn. Needless to say, teachers hope students will be motivated to learn the content they’ve prepared. There are few things more frustrating than facing a class with a carefully crafted lesson only to be met with indifference. Thinking about what motivates students to learn—and how it … Continue reading
Sometimes, Peter Pan is right. Remember his song, “I Won’t Grow Up?” When I think about some of the things going on in the name of early education. I’m about ready to start singing it. There is a time to grow up, of course, but there is also a time when kids should get to … Continue reading
The small country of Wales has just done something big. The government of Wales, in conjunction with the Welsh Arts Council has issued a 5-year action plan titled Creative Learning Through the Arts: An Action Plan for Wales. It starts with a vision: The arts, and creative approaches to teaching and learning, should … Continue reading
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