C RE 8 IVITY While you wait, warm up your brain by trying to solve the following brain teasers. (There might be more than one solution!) 1) 26 L. of the A 2) 7 W. of the W. 3) 1,001 A. N. 4) 12 S. of the Z. 5) 100 C. in a D. 6) 12 M. in a Y. 7) 1 D. at a T.

W HAT IS C REATIVITY ? C AN IT BE ENHANCED ? Ms. Ann Scott Hanks Ocee Elementary School November 7, 2013

A N EDUCATED P ERSON Past: know lots of facts Present: problem-solve for the future Why? access to information via the internet

A CADEMICALLY C HALLENGING E NVIRONMENT In an academically challenging environment, teachers promote thinking that goes beyond recalling information and performing procedures. They create learning experiences that require students to create their own meaning and integrate knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems, even when the “correct” answer is unclear.

D EFINITION Creativity is: What you do when confronted with a problem for which you have no learned or practiced solution. It’s an ability, an attitude, and a process. Can I teach you to “be creative”? Probably not. But I CAN teach you the steps and types of creative thinking. Creativity is NOT limited to the fine arts. Creativity is what is used to design a science experiment, to prove a math theorem, to write a lesson/presentation, build a company, etc.

T HERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENTS LEARNING HOW TO LEARN Students who are the most successful academically are those who don’t just ask “What do I know?” but also ask “How did I get to know this?” They care about process of problem- solving, not just solution.

MINDSET Fixed mindset vs growth mindset Fixed = Intelligence is static Growth = Intelligence can be developed Growth mindset leads to increased achievement, motivation, self- concept Praise process not intelligence o8JycfeoVzg&feature=youtu.be o8JycfeoVzg&feature=youtu.be

L EARNER ’ S C REED I believe in myself and my ability to be successful. Today I will listen. I will see. I will feel. I will think. I will reason. I will read. I will write. I will do all these things with one purpose in mind: to do my best and not waste this day, for this day will not come again.

T RAITS OF A CREATIVE PERSON Risk-taking (Bill Gates) Curiosity (Leonardo DaVinci) Humor (Lucille Ball) Idealist (MLK, Jr) Alone Time (Oprah) Perceptive (Einstein) Attracted to the novel (Walt Disney) Adventurous Tolerance for Ambiguity Aesthetic Interests (correlation)

D OES YOUR HOME HAVE ? these characteristics that support creativity: challenge and involvement freedom trust/openness idea time playfulness/humor conflict idea support (openness to ideas is valued) debate risk taking (it’s ok to make mistakes) parents modeling their creative interests

H OW TO THINK LIKE L EONARDO DA V INCI Curiosity Want to try/Learn from experience Use ALL of the senses to observe Tolerate ambiguity/”Confusion Endurance” Use science to study art (and VV) Balance mind and body Connect across disciplines

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : ASKING INSIGHTFUL Q UESTIONS “Much of what we know about intelligence and achievement show that the power of what individuals know depends in very large part not on the information they control but on the SCOPE and ORIGINALITY of the questions they ask.” Pat Wolfe, 2002 “Discovery is not answering the question; it is questioning the answer.”

A “ GOOD ” QUESTION ( ASKED BY BOTH ADULTS AND STUDENTS ) Can have more than one answer Can be asked in different ways Makes you want to know more Is not simple or quick; is not a one word answer Will need you to use your experiences Makes you go “hmmm…” Your answer can change over time

Q UESTION S TARTERS Why…? What does this make me think of? What would happen if…? I wonder…? I’m asking myself…? If…? What could happen…? If it were possible…? What would it take to…? Why is it that…? Is it possible to…? How could it…?

C REATIVE T HINKING SKILL : F LUENCY NUMBER OF IDEAS (LOTS, LOTS, LOTS!) Sample activity: In five minutes, how many ways can you think of to…?

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : FLEXIBILITY CHANGE TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT, ADAPT Sample activity: This is the Sun Sample activity: SCAMPER (substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, reverse)

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : E LABORATION DETAILS, EMBELLISHMENT Sample activity: “Great start! I can see you have complete sentences. Now, please add 5 more adjectives.” “Nice job with choosing descriptive adjectives. Now, please add 3 more adverbs.” “Good word choice with adverbs that really describe how things are happening! Now, please replace two of your verbs with verbs that are more interesting.”

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : ORIGINALITY NEW, CLEVER, UNIQUE

C REATIVE T HINKING S KILL : A SSOCIATE MAKE CONNECTIONS between content areas/facts/lesson/personal experience/etc Sample activity: Analogies Direct: How is multiplication like a wave? concrete to abstract then abstract to abstract Personal: If I were a triangle… Comparison: Lever: Seesaw ; Pulley: ____

I N WRITING Analyzing Lincoln’s Words ”… I do not expect the Union to be dissolved---I do not expect the house to fall---but I do expect it will cease to be divided. '' Lincoln is using a “house” as a metaphor for _____________. Why?______________________________________

I N THE ARTS Holst Suite The Planets : How does the music relate to the planet? If you were in this painting, what would you smell? What would you hear? Etc Poetry

I N NATURE A tomato has four chambers and is red. The human heart has four chambers and is red. Research shows tomatoes have lycopine which is good for the heart and blood.

G OLDEN R ATIO

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : N ONLINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION Sample activity: low level: draw a picture of vocabulary word Sample activity: middle level: draw your spelling word (drawing of the word must show it’s meaning) Sample activity: high level: What color is addition?

C REATIVE T HINKING S KILL : I NTERPRET BECOME something to know it’s TONE Sample activity: Imaginary Dialogue divisor and dividend whole pentagon and one of its angles

C REATIVE THINKING SKILL : PROBLEM - SOLVING Steps: Fact Finding---Analyze what is known (needs to be a “mess”) Questioning---Identify any missing information/questions Problem-Finding---Identify problems, considering several points of view; then choose the biggest/root problem Write Problem Question: “How might (noun: who) (verb: action) so that (why/reason)?” Idea-Finding---Generate many possible solutions Solution-Finding---Choose alternatives with the greatest potential for solving the problem (use criteria to evaluate solution options) During each step, students are encouraged to follow the “Rules of Brainstorming”: record all ideas, wild and crazy ideas are okay, go for quantity, and piggybacking on another idea is good. At each step, students use both divergent thinking (make lots) and convergent thinking (choose one).

VISIBLE THINKING ROUTINES See, Think, Wonder Color, Symbol, Image Creative Hunt Creative Questions

HANDOUTS Companies/Publishers list What to look for when choosing activities Extending Thinking Skills lists Things to think about/write about/talk about Response to Literature

F INAL T HOUGHTS ON T HINKING S KILLS If you can Google the answer, then you aren’t asking the right question. Do the “eye” test.