1. The Massachusetts Creativity and Innovation Initiative
ESE Fall Convening
October 2015

2. Today’s Agenda The Essential Questions Introduction and Overview
Grantee Highlights and Discussion
Panel Discussion and Audience Engagement : Focusing on the Rubric

3. Creativity is just connecting things
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.
Steve Jobs, CEO
Apple Computer

4. 2012: the Massachusetts Legislature established a Commission to Develop an Index of Creative and Innovative Education in Public Schools
This Commission was charged with producing a report on ways to strengthen creativity and innovation in schools across the Commonwealth. ESE’s Office of College and Career Readiness continued this work from 2013 to 2015 by developing resources for teachers and by establishing the Massachusetts Creativity and Innovation grant program.

5. College and career readiness means an individual has the requisite knowledge, skills and experiences in the academic, workplace readiness, and personal/social domains to successfully navigate to completion an economically viable career pathway in a 21st century economy.
You have likely seen this icon and will continue to see it as it makes clear the definition of college and career readiness – read def
And isn’t great that we now know this? For me, it led to a couple of questions

6. Grants to Districts
In School year , 11 school districts were awarded relatively small grants to foster students' creativity and capacity for innovation, critical for success in a 21st century economy.
This funding was designated to support the review, design, and implementation of middle and/or high school curricula that promote these essential skills of creativity and innovation while improving students' academic achievement and engagement

7. CURRICULUM PROJECT PRIORITIES
Focus on fostering students’ creativity and innovation
Anchor in definition of College and Career Readiness
Engage students actively in project-based learning aligned to frameworks
Respond to community needs and engage community partners and mentors
Students have active role in documenting project activities and presentations
Students have access to tools and new technologies needed for their work
Use the Creativity Rubric as an INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT to identify the elements addressed

8. THE GRANTEES
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Discover, Design, and Build Science and Technology/Engineering, Arts, English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics
Berkshire Hills Student Design Institute Science and Technology/Engineering, Arts, Mathematics
Boston Day and Evening Academy HipHop Nation: US History History /Social Science, English Language Arts
Brookline Putt Putt: a STEAM-based 9th Grade Project English Language Arts/Literacy, Science and Technology/Engineering, Mathematics
Cambridge Interactive Ecosystems Science and Technology/Engineering, Arts, English Language Arts/Literacy
Georgetown Creativity, Inspiration, and Innovation Science and Technology/Engineering, Mathematics, Arts, English Language Arts/Literacy
Lowell STEM Learning Gardens Science and Technology/Engineering
Milton Mars Rover Design Challenge Science and Technology/Engineering
North Adams Exploring My Career with Real World Math and Physics: Projectile Motion Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering, English Language Arts/Literacy
Woburn Rethinking LEGOs: Robotics Space Challenge Robotics and the 4C’s: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity Science and Technology/Engineering
Worcester Students as Teachers: Reaching Our Community through Innovative Arts Projects
Arts, English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics

9. The Rubric’s five dimensions are:
DEVELOPING A DEFINITION OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN SCHOOLS
Districts developed and refined their curriculum designs using the Massachusetts Rubric for Projects and Units that Foster Creativity and Innovation, which is based on a review of research about how creativity develops and can be strengthened in educational settings.
The Rubric’s five dimensions are:
Alignment with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
Learning Environment
Time and Resources
Classroom, Community, and Career Connections
Reflection and Assessment
Creativity Rubric I.
Disciplinary Expertise
II.
Creative Environments
III
Appropriate Resources
IV. Authentic Communities 5.
Reflection & Assessment
The Massachusetts Creativity/Innovation Rubric was adapted from Achieve, Inc.’s EQuIP Quality Review Rubric for Lessons and Units

10. The Creativity and Innovation Rubric ©Mass. Dept
The Creativity and Innovation Rubric ©Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education
I. Alignment with MA Curriculum Frameworks
II. Learning Environment
III. Time and Resources
IV. Classroom, Community, and Career Connections
V. Reflection and Assessment
Challenging grade-level work
 Students engage in challenging, in-depth work, based on grade level standards.
 Projects and units introduce new material and/or build upon learned concepts and skills.
Development of critical and analytical thinking skills
 Students develop analytical and critical thinking skills, such as how to develop an open-ended research question, gather and analyze data, evaluate sources of information, construct an argument supported by evidence, explain a difficult concept, or solve a complex problem. Students develop and practice good questioning skills.
Connections across disciplines
 Students apply knowledge and techniques, drawing on skills developed through writing, reading, oral communication and through the study of math, the arts, literature, languages, history, science, engineering, technology and/or other areas.
Enriched learning experiences
 Students understand that their learning creates a foundation for creative and innovative work across disciplines and in endeavors throughout their lives - inside and outside of school.
Environment that supports initiative, risk-taking, and persistence
 Students show initiative and imagination, take risks, demonstrate persistence, and make and learn from mistakes in an environment that welcomes trial and error as well as success.
 Students and teachers collaborate in the development of project plans and students have an active role in shaping the direction of their creative work.
 Students work collaboratively and productively with others during some phase of the project/unit and develop and demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills and learn to show respect for others’ ideas.
 Students consider unfamiliar and new ideas and perspectives other than their own.
Creative thinking skills and problem solving
 Students develop creative thinking skills: imagination fueled by curiosity, fluency (many ideas), flexibility (adaptability to changes; varied ideas), originality (new, unusual or unique ideas), and elaboration (add/expand details to ideas) and apply these skills to problem solve and innovate new solutions and/or products.
Time and resources for in-depth work
 Students have the opportunity to imagine, tinker, and innovate or create something new through multiple drafts or revisions.
 Students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and pursue an in-depth study with adequate time allotted for their work.
 Students select and use resources needed to pursue and produce their creative work, and have access to in-school and out-of-school resources, such as a mentor/expert; visits to a business, lab, or gallery.
 Students have the opportunity to access and use various media, technologies and modes of expression.
Variety of tools and techniques for showing work
 Students are encouraged to show what they have learned in many ways, such as using graphics, images, and symbols, building models, creating simulations, and presenting performances and exhibits.
Exploration of classroom, personal, community and career/workplace-related interests
 Students have opportunities to develop, explore and pursue classroom, personal, community, and career/workplace-related interests.
 Students have opportunities to build technical skills relevant to their creative work and practice appropriate use of tools and materials.
 Students identify and solve a problem that could have multiple solutions that range from imaginary to concrete and practical in a process that uses critical and creative thinking to hone insight into innovation.
Communication and presentation of creative work to a variety of audiences
 Students create work that has artistic value or provides a creative and positive contribution to society (to their community, business, workplace, or the world).
 Students communicate their ideas and products orally and in writing, adjusting their presentation to a variety of audiences and situations, including peers, adults, employers, and others outside the classroom.
Evaluation of both the creative process and the product
 Students are regularly assessed (using various modes of curriculum-embedded assessments that may include pre-, formative, summative and self-assessment measures) for mastery of concepts and skills and for progress toward creating a product that has value.
 Students and teachers evaluate the student’s learning at various stages of the project or unit, including learning from dealing with obstacles and failures along the way. Assess-ments define success based on both the quality of the creative process and the quality of the final product.
 Student learning is supported by clear evaluation and scoring guidelines.
Assessment by variety of evaluators
 The assessment strategy identifies who will evaluate the final product, e.g. peers, teacher and student, customers/ consumers of a product or service, job/internship super-visors, business partners or mentors, a panel of judges, or other options.
Reflection on the creative experience
 Assessments and reflections give students the opportunity to define and describe the skills, techniques, and processes used in their creative and innovative work.
Rating

11. The Contextual Learning Portal provides an informal database of
projects submitted by teachers, after‐school program leaders and others from around the state

12. The Creativity & Innovation Forum includes:
Discussions – please join in…
Resources – add links to resources and readings you like…
Projects – submit creativity-focused curriculum units and projects

13. Creativity is contagious, pass it on
Creativity is contagious, pass it on. The only sure way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.
Albert Einstein