Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s Disease? If you do, you’ll wish you lived across the street from this remarkable young man. 15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka followed in the footsteps of many great inventors when he looked at a problem near to his heart and was spurred to action. He is a fine example of real-world … 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
One of the most fascinating mysteries about creativity is problem finding. How do artists decide what to create, writers decide what to write, or scientists determine what to investigate? The finding of a creative task is the heart of the creative process. We know something about the kinds of behaviors that can lead to problem … Continue reading
Ever wonder how creative people come up with their ideas? Me, too. So many times I look at a new invention, artistic endeavor, or form of literature and think, “How did they ever imagine doing that in the first place?” That is why I am fascinated with problem finding—the processes by which individuals choose the … Continue reading
In the busy moments of the holiday season–or any season for that matter–it is helpful to have a quick lesson to pull out in the 10 minutes before lunch. In one of those times you might want to pull out the story of the secret Nanas. It provides inspiration for both generosity and creativity–both particularly … Continue reading
What kid doesn’t love things that go “splat?” There are lots of fine traditions that could be categorized as “splat art”—blowing paint through a straw, bouncing paint with a ball, stomping paint on paper, throwing paint from bushes or shooting it with squirt guns. Each of these has the potential to be wonderful messy creative … Continue reading
Ever wonder why birds wear feathers instead of fur? Why spiders don’t get caught in their webs? What kind of chocolate is the most popular? Me, too. And now we have a place to go for all those wonders, and more. The website Wonderopolis bills itself “Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease,” and that … Continue reading
Dan Meyer says he spends his days trying to sell a product to a market that doesn’t want it but is forced by law to buy it—he teaches high school math. He believes math class needs a makeover, and is ready to lead the charge. From a creativity perspective, Dan is a master of problem … Continue reading
Sometimes it can be easy to think, “Creativity is fine for art class or writing, but not math. Creativity in math is for Einstein, not middle school.” If you’ve ever been tempted to think such thoughts, take 5 minutes and watch Annie Fetter at an NCTM Ignite session. She describes a math lesson based on … Continue reading
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the last few weeks exploring the web looking for writings on creativity and students with special needs. Guess what? Not much there. I can find examples of art activities to do with students with disabilities, which is fine, but the arts are only one area in which … Continue reading
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