Putting creativity back in education - my new project
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 05:15AM
Choose projects that improve your personal value no matter how the project itself does. Scott Adams
I'm excited. Find below the working outline for my new book project about creativity, technology, and education. I'm on a mission to return creativity to the classroom - for the good of kids. In my dotage, I've decided to only write about things that intrigue me and that I have have fun writing about. I will be learning a great deal during this process myself.
Send me readings with ideas I need to share and your ideas!
(At the end of this post, a list of writings about creativity I've already published.)
Computing Outside the Lines: Developing the creativity in every learner (working title)
Winter/Spring 2014, Target length 35-50,000 words
Table of Contents
Introduction: How did Vasco da Gama spark my interest in creativity in education?
Concerns about creativity in today’s schools
Concern 1: Creativity isn't just about art.
Concern 2: Creativity must be accompanied by craft and discipline.
Concern 3: The world is not really interested in your creativity, but that's OK.
Concern 4: If we ask students to demonstrate creativity or innovation, we need some tools to determine whether they have done so.
Concern 5: Creativity is viewed as the antithesis of good test scores.
Chapter One: The Rise of Creative Class(room): Why is creativity is no longer a “nice extra” in education?
How does Apple make its money?
The creative class, right brain skills, and Luddites
Where are the jobs going and why?
What do national standards say?
How are schools doing in creating creative students?
Chapter Two: I Can’t Define It, But I Know It When I See It: What is creativity anyway and what does research say about it?
The 120 definitions of creativity - and one good one
Putting ADD students in blue rooms and letting them daydream - what neuroscientists say
Measuring creativity as an innate talent
Chapter Three: Let the Art Teacher Worry About Creativity: Why are schools are failing to create creative graduates?
First Grade Takes a Test
Extrinsic motivation and a fear of taking risks
Myths of creativity
Only academically “gifted” children are creative.
Creativity does not belong in core courses like math, science, social studies, English.
Creativity is fluff.
Creativity does not require learning or discipline.
Technology automatically develops creativity.
Teachers themselves do not need to display creativity.
Chapter Four: The Chupacabra Ate My Homework: What is Johnson’s Theory of Multiple Creative Abilities?
Csikszentmihalyi’s Big C and little c
Johnson’s Multiple Creative Abilities
Writing/Presenting/Storytelling
Numeric problem-solving
Graphic artistic (drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, designing)
Athletic/movement (Sports, dance)
Musically artistic
Humor
Team-building
Problem-solving
Inventing
Leading
Organizing
Motivating/inspiring
Excuse-making
Chapter Five: My Report on Vasco da Gama: Can students demonstrate creativity outside the arts?
All creativity starts with a problem
Personalized learning and creativity
Chapter Six: List Three Right Answers: What some simple ways teachers can promote creative thinking
Chapter Seven: Just Because It’s Pretty Doesn’t Mean It’s Creative: How can technology encourage creativity?
Technology and the Illusion of Creativity
Show a kid a movie, and you'll entertain her for an hour; give her a camera, and you'll engage her for a lifetime.
Chapter Eight: Not Everything That Counts Can Be Measured: Can - or should - teachers assess creativity?
Chapter Nine: I Stole the Idea From the Internet: Do educators need to be creative in order to produce creative students?
Chapter Ten: Change is Good, You Go First: Why do we love creativity but hate creative people?
Think Different ad
Overcoming our dislike and fear of creativity
Accepting the challenge of truly creative students and peers
Does your school culture embrace creativity - or stifle it?
Chapter Eleven: This is Just a Teaser: What are some other really good things people are doing with technology to enhance creativity?
Projects that promote creativity
Organizations that promote creativity
Resources
OK, that's it. Wish me luck and send me ideas.
Here's some stuff already published:
- "10 Ways to Encourage Creativity in Your Library ” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, October, 2012
- “Developing Creativity in Every Learner“ Library Media Connection, October, 2012
- Concerns About Creativity, Blue Skunk Blog, Oct 3, 2007
- Engage or Entertain?, EducationWorld
- A Father-Son Chat (using CreativeCommons licenses with students), LMC, Nov 2007
- The Gift of Creativity, Blue Skunk Blog, December 26, 2005
- Teaching for Subservience, Blue Skunk Blog, June 20, 2013
- "Just because it's pretty doesn't mean it's creative" Blue Skunk blog, January 12, 2014
- "Assessing creativity" Blue Skunk, November 18, 2012
- "The Second Half of Creativity," Blue Skunk, March 2012
- "Not if but how a person is creative" Blue Skunk, February 25, 2010
- "7 ways to sell a creative idea" Blue Skunk, December 11, 2013
- "A creativity rubric by Ric Nudell" Blue Skunk, February 21, 2013.
- "Creativity without purpose? Experimentation without control?" Blue Skunk, April 9, 2006
- "You can't evaluate creativity using a standardized test" Blue Skunk, February 15, 2013
Reader Comments (4)
Doug,
I love this project. The outline looks fantastic, can't wait to see it.
Thanks, Kelly. Me either!
Doug
I'm so excited about this! I've been thinking a lot about how to bring creativity back through my library programming - I can't wait to see what you have to write about it. I'll be looking through those links for sure.
Thanks, Diana. I'm sure you'll be seeing a number of blog posts related to creativity as I do research and write as well. I appreciate the comment.
Doug