Here I am back. Again. It is true that, like everyone else, I’ve had my life rhythms disrupted by COVID. But I am among the fortunate in that my immediate family and friends have been spared major illness thus far, so that isn’t a great reason for my absence. I do have one good one, … 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
If you are looking for a practical resource for adding some “sparks” of creativity to your curriculum planning, ASCD has a resource that may help. Patti Drapeau’s Sparking Student Creativity is subtitled “Practical Ways to Promote Innovative Thinking and Problem Solving,” and it delivers on that promise. The book is organized around four “roads,” one … Continue reading
The M I Curious series on my local Public Radio station is a cooperative exercise in problem finding. Modeled after the Curious City series at WBEZ in Chicago, M I Curious asks, “What do you wonder?” It invites listeners to submit questions, puts the questions to a vote, and then selects those for investigation. It … Continue reading
This feels a bit like a birth announcement. While the labor involved is a lot less painful, the birthing of a book–even a revision like this one–is a long process. I’m delighted to share the happy news that the 5th Edition of Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight is now available. I hate … Continue reading
Every once in a while I see an example of creativity that is so good I just have to share it, and hope you will share it with your students. This is one of them. It comes from Lima, Peru. Lima is a city of more than 7 million people, in a difficult and somewhat … 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
Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to work with some Korean teachers interested in incorporating more creativity in their teaching. We had only a short time together, and so it was important to stick to a few key ideas. Like many teachers, they have a required curriculum, and any creative adaptations must build on those … Continue reading
One of my long ago favorite Bill Cosby routines was one about the word “Oops” and times you would really hate to hear it. From your surgeon. Or your dentist. Or perhaps your plumber. But funny as that is, I have a new favorite reference for “Oops,” the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. Beautiful … Continue reading
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