1. Creating Collaborative Classrooms and using Creative Problem Solving
“Planning and Accommodating Learning Differences”

2. What is the primary function of a Team?
To Solve Problems . . .

3. Yeah BUT . . .

4. “ That’s because you have this spot . . . that you can’t see past “
From the Movie Powder .

5. Let's find out what type of learner you are ...
The Barrel Activity

6. Creative Problem Solving
Osborn-Parnes
An approach to problems that goes beyond admiration toward solution and is based on the following attributes:
A Team of Problem Solvers
Quantity breeds Quality (Brainstorming)
Divergent/Convergent Thinking
Deferring Judgment

7. Stages of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process
Stages of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving Process. (From Giangreco, M.F., Cloninger, C.J., Dennis, R.E., & Edelman, S.W. (1994). Problem-solving methods to facilitate inclusive education. In J.S. Thousand, R.A. villa, & A.I. Nevin (Eds.), Creativity and collaborative learning: A practical guide to empowering students and teachers (pp ). Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.

8. Stage 1: Mess Finding (Objective-Finding)
Divergent: List broad objectives or goals of a program: imagine potential challenges (without judgment, explanation, or discussion)
Convergent: Converge on the best way to state the objective; select the best way to state the challenge

9. Stage 2: Fact Finding Divergent: Convergent:
List as many facts as possible regarding the objective/challenge: facts might concern the student’s needs or the class or activity
Present facts without explanation, judgment , or discussion in a short time period:
Facts can include team members feelings;
Facts can include what people believe to be true about the challenge situation
Facts are recorded and saved for later use (during idea-finding)
Convergent:
Select a subset of relevant facts to assist problem-finding in the next stage.

10. Stage 3: Problem-Finding
Divergent:
Clarify the challenge or problem by considering different ways of viewing it: “in what ways might we . . .?” Repeat the question until the team feels confident that it has teased out the real issue.
Convergent:
Select one of the new challenge statements that the team agrees it most wants to solve. Prompt consensus by asking team members questions such as:
Which of these challenge do we most desperately want to accomplish or solve?
If we could help this student or could resolve one problem right now, what would that be?

11. Stage 4 Idea-Finding Divergent:
Ideas are potential solutions to the challenge statements from stage 3;
Ideas emerge through brainstorming (i.e. a divergent process to stretch beyond the obvious): short time periods; peple speak quickly in short phrases – not sentences; ideas are recorded quickly; aim for quantity; use free-wheeling or round robin
Use techniques and “idea joggers” to jar ideas loose:
Forced relationships/rearrange: Combine two ideas/objects with little apparent relationships in some way to generate a new idea to solve a problem;
Synetics: Make the strange familiar and the familiar strange so things can be seen in new ways (facts about student and challenges).
Incubation: Move away from the challenge for a time to engage in different activities; return to it later.

12. Stage 4 Idea-Finding Divergent (continued): Convergent: Idea Joggers:
Make some fact about the situation smaller or bigger, rearrange it, eliminate it, reverse or turn it upside down or inside out;
Hitch-hiking effect: Build new ideas on ideas of another
Convergent:
Separate out the ideas with the most promise and appeal

13. Stage 5 Solution-Finding
Divergent :
List criteria or ways to evaluate the ideas generated.
Convergent:
Focus on each idea and evaluate it by each criterion; asking whether it meets or fails the criterion. Eliminate all but those judged as acceptable to the team. Combine those ideas to create the solution(s).

14. Stage 6 Acceptance-Finding
Divergent :
Find ways to implement the ideas by asking the following questions: who, what where,. When why, and how?
Convergent:
Develop a plan of action that delineates actions to be taken, by whom, and when.

15. Brainstorming

16. No negative reactions or comments are allowed;
Freewheeling is welcomed, save criticism for later;
Withhold discussion and judgment;
Focus on quantity, not quality;
Set a short time limit; generate ideas quickly.;
Assign a recorder who writes fat and translates ideas into phrases or key words.

17. Six Steps to Creative Problem Solving
Step 1: Identify the Problem
Step 2: Identify the Desired Outcome
Step 3: Generating Alternatives
Step 4: Evaluate Alternatives
Step 5: Select Alternative (Decision Making)
Step 6: Evaluate Results

18. One Tool for Solving Problems (Vermont Model, J. Villa)
SODAS
Situation (define the problem)
Options (possible solutions)
Disadvantages
Advantages
Solution
then Make an Action Plan
SODAS
SITUATION (Define the Problem)
________________________________________
OPTIONS (Possible Solutions)
1._________ __________ __________
DISADVANTAGES
a._________ a.__________ a. __________
b._________ b.__________ b. __________
c._________ c.__________ c. __________
d._________ d.__________ d. __________
ADVANTAGES
SOLUTION

19. Pass the PROBLEM . . .

20. Solution Circles

21. Likelihood-Impact Matrix

22. Using Creative Problem Solving . . .
Identify a problem
Brainstorm Solution
Use the Likelihood – Impact Matrix System
What are the BEST Solutions

23. “Baby elephants are heavily chained to stakes driven deep in the ground. Pull as they might, they remain firmly tethered. Soon, the baby elephant becomes discouraged and stops pulling. It learns to stay put. Over time, the trainer uses lighter and lighter restraints. Eventually, a small rope attached to a stick barely anchored in the earth is sufficient to stop a fully grown elephant from moving.”
Do It! Let’s Get off Our Buts by Peter McWilliams (1991)

24. Literature Review Expert Time