Creativity & Brainstorming Foundations of Technology Creativity & Brainstorming © 2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, STEM  Center for Teaching and Learning™ Foundations of Technology Teacher Resource Day 5

Creativity & Brainstorming

 The Purpose of this lesson is to incorporate creativity techniques in the brainstorming process of re- designing a vehiclePURPOSE

 How do geniuses come up with ideas?  Is there a common style of thinking geniuses use?  Is genius linked to intelligence?  Can genius be measured by testing?Creativity

 For years researches have tried to study how the minds of creative geniuses work  There are strategies that we can use to become more creative thinkers  Most people can solve any given problem with the expected outcome  Creative people will solve a problem in several different ways other than the most obviousCreativity

 CREATIVITY IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS WHAT LEADS US TO NEW AND BETTER IDEAS, INNOVATIONS, AND INVENTIONS.  CREATIVITY SIMPLY IS THE ABILITY TO THINK AWAY FROM THE NORM.  IF EVERYONE WHERE TO THINK EXACTLY THE SAME WE WOULD NEVER HAVE ANYTHING NEW AND ALL INVENTIONS WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.Creativity

 What is half of 13? Most common answer  6.5 Creative answers  Thir – teen  1 – 3  XIII = 11 – 2  XIII EXAMPLE OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

 In 1899 the director of the US Patent office suggested that the government close the office because everything that could be invented has been.  Chester Carlson invented xerography in Every corporation laughed at his idea because they said that carbon paper was the best way to copy things. (and no one wants to buy a copier)  Fred Smith a student of Yale, came up with UPS, all of his professors told him that the company would failFACTS

A process used to find a solution to a problem by collecting ideas without regard for feasibility, which occur from a group of people brought together for a specific purpose. Creative Brainstorming

 One conversation at a time.  Stay focused.  Encourage wild ideas.  Defer judgment.  Build on the ideas of others. RULES FOR BRAINSTORMING

1.Try not to judge ideas immediately, allow them to be recorded and build on wild ideas 2.Do not criticize an idea 3.Do not provide negative comments CRITCISM OF IDEAS IS NOT ALLOWED

1.All ideas should be recorded regardless of feasibility and humor 2.The best ideas are often the most off-the-wall 3.Be creative – you are only limited by your imagination ALL IDEAS, NO MATER HOW WILD, ARE ENCOURAGED

1.Build on other people’s ideas 2.Record everything – all ideas / all comments THE MORE IDEAS THE BETTER

1.Focus on the “Big Idea” of the lesson / activity 2.All everyone to participate and share ideas 3.Stay focus on the topic EVERYONE NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE

1.Listen to each group member 2.Refrain from duplicating ideas 3.Allows everyone to participate EVERYONE SHOULD BE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK

 There are several techniques we can use to help use become more creative problem solvers  A Major technique for creative brainstorming is the use of a Mind- Map  This can enable a person to create the best solution to a problem Creativity Techniques

 The human brain is very different from a computer. Whereas a computer works in a linear fashion.  Mind Maps are an effective method of note-taking and useful for the generation of ideas by associations.  To make a mind map, one starts in the center of the page with the main idea, and works outward in all directions, producing a growing and organized structure composed of key words and key images.Mind-Mapping

Mind-Mapping

 The creative potential of a mind map is useful in brainstorming sessions.brainstorming  You only need to start with the basic problem as the center, and generate associations and ideas from it in order to arrive at a large number of different possible approaches.Mind-Mapping

 You have been tasked to re-design a plain little car so that every consumer would want to purchase it.  You must brainstorm several possibilities using one of the creativity techniques that we discussed.  You will sketch Your Design in Your Engineering Journal Activity