creativity: it’s not just for art class penfield pace jan. 2012 presenters: karen graham cynthia...
TRANSCRIPT
Creativity: It’s Not Just for Art Class
Penfield PACE Jan. 2012
Presenters:
Karen Graham
Cynthia Salsedo
Kerry Young
Enrichment Specialists
Bay Trail Middle School,
Penfield, NY
Who are we?(And why are we here?)
CreativityCan it be taught?
Traits of Creativity How do we use these in the classroom to begin
building creative habits of mind and routines?
FLUENCY FLEXIBILITY
ORIGINALITY ELABORATION
FLUENCY
FLUENCY refers to the production of a great number of ideas or alternate solutions to a problem. Fluency implies understanding, not just remembering information that is learned.
FLEXIBILITY
FLEXIBILITY refers to the production of ideas that show a variety of possibilities or realms of thought. It involves the ability to see things from different points of view, to use many different approaches or strategies.
ORIGINALITY
ORIGINALITY involves the production of ideas that are unique or unusual. It involves synthesis or putting information about a topic back together in a new way.
ELABORATION
ELABORATION is the process of enhancing ideas by providing more detail. Additional detail and clarity improves interest in, and understanding of, the topic.
Fluency
Exercising Fluency in the Classroom:
Ways teachers can do this with students- Write down as many 3 syllable words as you can in 3 minutesName all the polygons you can in 1 minuteWrite a persuasive essay in 10 minutes
Your Turn! Write a short paragraph about Wegmans…without using the following words/phrases:Grocery store, groceriesFoodShop or shoppingBuy or buyingSelection, variety, a lotBig, huge, largeDanny
Have students generate this kind of list before they write!
How can you help your child exercise fluency at home?
Generate a lot of ideas about something
Think quickly about all the choices we could make
Flexibility
Exercising Flexibility in the Classroom: Thinking in Metaphors
Teachers can do these with students - Create analogies
_____ is to _____ as _____ is to _____
Create a metaphor for justice in the next 5 minutes (also fluency)
SynecticsPutting together two disparate ideas
Your turn!How is a snake like a doorknob?
Write your own!
Flexibility – how can you encourage this in your child at home?
Thinking from different points of view
Different uses for things
Trying/thinking of strategies different from what we’re used to – what’s another way we could approach this?
Originality & Elaboration
Exercising Originality and Elaboration in the Classroom:
Writing children’s stories based on facts and concepts from content area
Example: periodic table of elements stories
Creating political cartoons based on a well-known story
Example: Three Little Pigs/Political Parties
Students work with a partner or small group to write collaboratively online
Using Titanpad.com for collaborative writing www.grabbabeast.com
How can you encourage Originality and Elaboration with your child?
New ideas – inventions
Asking for details – why do you think that?
Putting two things together to make something new
Putting it all together
Fluency Flexibility
Originality Elaboration
Exercising all aspects of creativity in the classroom: See-Think-Wonder
Project Zero Visible & Artful Thinking Routines
Examples: artwork, photographs related to curriculum, artifacts and objects, worksheets
Using Improvisational Theatre in the Classroom
Expert Explanation
I am a tree…
Improvisation Activity: Expert ExplanationGoals –To communicate verbally and non-verbally who your partner isTo listen To use questions appropriately To explain your topicHonesty/openness
Directions - Two person scene (Person 1 is an “expert” on something, Person 2 is a scene partner)Person 1 should establish (in her mind) who the partner is in relationship to her and talk about her topicPerson 2 should listen to Person 1 and try to determine the relationship and respond accordingly
Improvisation Activity: I Am a TreeGoals - To act quickly (jump in!)To be physical – use own body, use others’ bodies To participate in team work To “yes, and…”To create an environment
Directions - One person starts with “I am a…”Second person adds to the scene with “I am a…”Third person adds more to the scene with “I am a…”First person taps one of the others, those two leave the sceneLast person left, repeats line “I am a…”New person joins
Content – Related Elaboration – Use I am a Tree as a starting point - Create an Environment and have a scene – related to the curriculum
Rules: no blocking (denying established reality), yes and, don’t ask a lot of questions
How can you encourage your child to think visibly and improvise? Really look at things – the parts, pieces, functions
Make up stories, songs, role play
Word association – Clover; one word at a time stories
Lateral thinking, brainteasers that require thinking in new ways or from different perspectives (Nathan Levy – March 5th)
Resources www.pzweb.harvard.edu www.titanpad.com www.grabbabeast.com Improvisation: Use what you know – make up
what you don’t by Brad Newton Theater Games for the Classroom by Viola Spolin [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]