Ever wish for a personal assistant who could instantly answer your questions about just about anything? Enter Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that uses a vast storehouse of expert knowledge to answer queries in a wide range of disciplines. What’s a computational knowledge engine? Here’s Wolfram’s explanation. You can get a … Continue reading
A while ago I shared one of my favorite books for supporting students in risk taking, Beautiful Oops. While the book focuses on the beauty that can follow artistic “oops” experiences, it also can spur discussions of successes that can follow all manner of not-so-successful efforts. Now, the publishers of Beautiful Oops are sponsoring a … Continue reading
What do you do on Thanksgiving after the pies are eaten and the dishes done? If you are surrounded by adventurous children and have a new (free) app to explore, you make movies! Lego Movie Maker isn’t really a new app, but it was new to me, as was my small collection of tiny LEGO … Continue reading
For most of us in the U.S., our primary association with April 15 is not a happy one: federal income taxes are due. But for 2015, April 15 can have a much more positive association—the beginning of World Creativity and Innovation Week. According to their website: During World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – … Continue reading
As more and more schools realize that creativity and problem solving are essential skills, we face a dilemma—how do we manage organize curriculum in ways that do both? One possibility is using design thinking to organize curriculum. And some schools are doing just that. For example, Vista Design and Innovation Academy, a magnet middle school, … Continue reading
Want a better mousetrap? Want hotels that feel like home? How about a new way of thinking about literature? A new way to design curriculum? You might consider Design Thinking. While there are a number of varieties and definitions, design thinking is a process, much akin to Creative Problem Solving (CPS), in which the strategies … Continue reading
This week, while reading about schools using design thinking, I was struck with a piece of advice given in one school’s literature. When brainstorming, it suggested, think of your worst, most obvious idea and list that idea first. No idea is likely to be worse, so the pressure is off. Participants can feel free to … Continue reading
Every now and then I run into something that reminds me of the interconnectedness of the world around us—and the wonder of it. I’m sure many of you have see the video making the rounds of social media titled “How Wolves Change Rivers.” If not, just stop now for 4.3 minutes and prepare to be … Continue reading
What has more than 25,000 participants in 10 countries and inspires creative play with things usually thrown away? The Global Cardboard Challenge! It is that time of year again, and this time I hope I’ve finally managed to post the information in plenty of time to use it. Inspired by the YouTube video sensation Caine’s … Continue reading
One of the classic questions in the creativity strategy Synectics is “What animal is like….?” Or “What in nature is like….?” The problem at hand is compared to something in nature that solves a similar problem. There is wisdom in nature. You probably all know the story of Swiss inventor George de Mestral, whose examination … Continue reading
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