When I think about creativity and problem solving, military service is not the first thing I envision. For many good reasons, following orders efficiently is an essential part of military training. And yet, there are also few places where good problem solving is more important. So today, as we think about veterans, I’m thinking about … Continue reading
I love it when I hear stories of students whose creative contributions astound me and bring me hope. That’s how I felt when I read about the students in the Creative Musical Arts and Sciences program at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, AZ. These students, in high school, are earning music credits while essentially operating … Continue reading
Today I’m wearing my “Nevertheless She Persisted” tee shirt, tribute to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s political persistence, and the persistence of so many women who have needed determination to accomplish their goals. I did not know it would be so appropriate to today’s creativity news. This week the Creativity Post blog featured a summary of new … Continue reading
All creativity involves some risk. We know that. Any time we try something new, there is risk of failure, of ridicule, or getting ourselves in over our heads. And yet, if we want to make creative choices, we persist. How do we decide when to risk? One factor is our creative self-efficacy, that is, how … Continue reading
I don’t typically address politics here, but in recent days it seems that is all there is. Like a lot of people in the U.S., I’ve been pretty despondent all week. So many years after I was a high school student marching for equality the streets of Schenectady New York (of all places), we have … Continue reading
If you were a parent whose child asked to wear jeans to school on “Jeans Day,” what would you say? No problem, right? What if that child had a disability that meant he could not put jeans on independently or use the bathroom while wearing jeans? What then? How do you tell a child he … Continue reading
Theater and dance for teaching math? Math for teaching art? Arts integration is not only a great idea, but a great idea in the news. A recent story in the Education section of the Washington Post describes students from kindergarten through middle school learning mathematical concepts through the arts. You can find a description of … Continue reading
Are you in the long-winter doldrums? Are you interested getting sparking your students’ creativity and having a little fun at the same time? The Imagination Foundation’s 2016 Inventors’ Challenge may be just the thing for you. The Imagination Foundation started with a chance encounter that resulted in the viral film Caine’s Arcade, the story of … Continue reading
In my last post I said it seems questioning is in the air—and so it is. What should arrive in my latest ASCD Education Update but a newsletter whose headline reads “The Wonder Years.” If you are an ASCD member you can read the newsletter at the link, but simply reading the introduction gives … Continue reading
Eric Weiner’s recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, “The Secret of Immigrant Genius,” suggested an unusual take on today’s immigrant debate—How many of the world’s greatest creative achievements have come via immigrants or refugees? Einstein was one, emigrating from Germany to Switzerland. The article cites others clearly recognizable as having sparked creative change: Sigmund … Continue reading
