Fostering CreativityFostering Creativity

Focus on LearningFocus on Learning

20102010

Welcome!Welcome!

• Please select a centre and Please select a centre and indulge your cerebral laterality!indulge your cerebral laterality!

““The human mind is like a The human mind is like a parachute - it functions better parachute - it functions better when it is openwhen it is open””

Coles Rules Coles Rules

Creativity Statistics and Creativity Statistics and QuotesQuotes

• Birth to 5 year olds = 95%Birth to 5 year olds = 95%• Students graduating from college = 25%Students graduating from college = 25%• Most of adult life = 10% creative Most of adult life = 10% creative

(Tony (Tony Buzan)Buzan)

• http://www.cre8ng.com/creativityquotes.htm

FosteringFostering…………..

““There is nothing in a caterpillar There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it is going to be a that tells you it is going to be a butterflybutterfly”” Buckminster Fuller Buckminster Fuller

Why Not? Proceed with Why Not? Proceed with Caution….you might have Caution….you might have

fun!fun!

“ “It is better to have enough ideas for It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at be always right by having no ideas at all”. all”.

Edward De BonoEdward De Bono

Creativity is doing Creativity is doing something differently than something differently than

your habitual way…your habitual way…

““An essential aspect of creativity An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to failis not being afraid to fail””

Dr. Edwin LandDr. Edwin Land

Me…..Creative?Me…..Creative?

• It’s just a process with various It’s just a process with various stages that don’t always occur in stages that don’t always occur in the same order:the same order:

Defining the problemDefining the problem Generation of ideas Generation of ideas

Testing the promising ideasTesting the promising ideas Evaluating the ideaEvaluating the idea

Implementing the ideaImplementing the idea

Functional Fixedness and Functional Fixedness and Blockage!Blockage!

The right answerThe right answerDon’t be foolishDon’t be foolishAvoid AmbiguityAvoid AmbiguityTo err is wrongTo err is wrongI’m not creativeI’m not creative

That’s not logicalThat’s not logicalFollow the rulesFollow the rulesBe practicalBe practicalPlay is FrivolousPlay is FrivolousThat’s not my areaThat’s not my area

Cognition and Problem SolvingCognition and Problem Solving

•

You're out hiking in a remote You're out hiking in a remote area when you are drenched area when you are drenched by a sudden, violent storm. by a sudden, violent storm. You seek shelter in an You seek shelter in an abandoned cabin in which abandoned cabin in which you find a pile of 2X4 lumber you find a pile of 2X4 lumber (each board is 8 feet long), (each board is 8 feet long), some very rusty carpenter's some very rusty carpenter's tools, and some woodworking tools, and some woodworking clamps. You decide to dry out clamps. You decide to dry out your clothing, gear, and your clothing, gear, and yourself by building a fire in yourself by building a fire in the fireplace (your matches the fireplace (your matches are dry).are dry).

It would be good if you It would be good if you could hang up your heavy, could hang up your heavy, soaked overcoat so you soaked overcoat so you decide to build a clothes decide to build a clothes rack to place near the fire. rack to place near the fire. But you can't find any But you can't find any nails, rope, or wire which nails, rope, or wire which you might use to build a you might use to build a sturdy enough structure to sturdy enough structure to hold your wet coat, which hold your wet coat, which must weigh a ton! As a must weigh a ton! As a responsible camper, you responsible camper, you don'tdon't want to damage the want to damage the cabin or its contents. Is cabin or its contents. Is there a solution to your there a solution to your dilemma? dilemma?

• Try this...Try this... Take two 2X4's and place Take two 2X4's and place the clamp where indicated. The ends the clamp where indicated. The ends of the 2x4's should be jammed of the 2x4's should be jammed between the floor and the ceiling of between the floor and the ceiling of the cabin. You can then hang your the cabin. You can then hang your soaked coat on the handle of the soaked coat on the handle of the clamp. clamp.

• What now seems pretty obvious to you What now seems pretty obvious to you probably wasn't only a few seconds probably wasn't only a few seconds ago. The reason is that we are often ago. The reason is that we are often blinded to new, creative uses for blinded to new, creative uses for common objects by something called common objects by something called functional fixednessfunctional fixedness, a mental set in , a mental set in which we think only of the traditional which we think only of the traditional use of objects. In this example, you use of objects. In this example, you probably thought of building probably thought of building something out of the lumber using the something out of the lumber using the tools instead of making a pole out of tools instead of making a pole out of the objects available. the objects available.

#1 Reason to Just do it!#1 Reason to Just do it!

Q W E RQ W E R T T Y Y U I O PU I O P

DNA and the MillennialDNA and the Millennial

““Knowledge is created by the Knowledge is created by the learner, not given by the learner, not given by the teacherteacher”” unknown unknown

((Sesame Street and the 20 Sesame Street and the 20 minute ruleminute rule!)!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9ov=dGCJ46vyR9o

Cerebral LateralityCerebral LateralityWhy is your brain like a pizza?Why is your brain like a pizza?http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_01/d_01_cr/d_01_cr_ana/http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_01/d_01_cr/d_01_cr_ana/

d_01_cr_ana.htmld_01_cr_ana.html

Right Brain / Left Brain Right Brain / Left Brain Preference Preference

Testing….testing……..Testing….testing……..

Key Functions of Left and Key Functions of Left and Right HemisphereRight Hemisphere

Left:parsingSuccessive or sequentialLogical expressionFocal perceptionAnalyticalAggressiveSense of timeLiteralLinguistic/symbolicVerbal intelligenceMathematical calculationConscious thoughtLogical analysisOuter awarenessUse of languageMethods, rules

Right:holisticSimultaneousGestalt expressionSyntheticPassivePresent-mindednessMetaphoricalConfigurationalPractical intelligenceRecognition of patternsSubconscious thoughtEmotional reactionInner awarenessUse of intuitionCreativity

Sensation and Perception – Sensation and Perception – Connecting to MemoryConnecting to Memory

• SensationSensation• VisionVision• PerceptionPerception• HearingHearing• Taste and SmellTaste and Smell

““We do not see the world as it is, we see it We do not see the world as it is, we see it as we are”as we are”

unknownunknown

SensationSensation

The process The process through which the through which the senses pick up senses pick up visual, auditory visual, auditory and other sensory and other sensory stimuli and stimuli and transmit them to transmit them to the brainthe brain

PerceptionPerception

The process The process through which through which sensory sensory information is information is actively organized actively organized and interpreted by and interpreted by the brainthe brain

What do we see?What do we see?• A cartoonist named W.E. Hill in A cartoonist named W.E. Hill in

1915 first published this 1915 first published this drawing. It's hard to see what drawing. It's hard to see what it's supposed to be. Is it a it's supposed to be. Is it a drawing of a pretty young girl drawing of a pretty young girl looking away from us? Or is it looking away from us? Or is it an older woman looking down an older woman looking down at the floor? at the floor?

• Well, it's both. The key is Well, it's both. The key is perception and what you expect perception and what you expect

toto see. see. • Here's a hint: The young girl's Here's a hint: The young girl's

necklace is the older woman's necklace is the older woman's mouth. The young girl's chin mouth. The young girl's chin and jaw are the older woman's and jaw are the older woman's nose. nose.

Perception within Perception within contextcontext

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.htmlAR2007040401721.html

• the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days million dollars.  Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100Boston where the seats averaged $100

Multiple IntelligencesMultiple Intelligences

• LinguisticLinguistic• Logical / MathematicalLogical / Mathematical• MusicalMusical• SpatialSpatial• NaturalisticNaturalistic• Body / KinaestheticBody / Kinaesthetic• InterpersonalInterpersonal• IntrapersonalIntrapersonal

StorytellingStorytelling

Once upon a time…..Once upon a time…..

dereweretreebearsdereweretreebears

5 random objects…..make a story-the 5 random objects…..make a story-the more outrageous, the better – so more outrageous, the better – so memory serves!memory serves!

There’s more than one way to There’s more than one way to think!think!

Divergent thinking Divergent thinking

is the intellectual ability to think of is the intellectual ability to think of manymany, , originaloriginal, , diversediverse and and elaborateelaborate

ideasideas

Convergent thinking Convergent thinking

is the intellectual ability to is the intellectual ability to logically logically evaluateevaluate, , critiquecritique and and choosechoose the best the best

idea from a selection of idea from a selection of ideasideas

There’s more than one way There’s more than one way to thinkto think

• Divergent Thinking GuidelinesDivergent Thinking Guidelines (Putting it all out there)(Putting it all out there)

• Defer JudgementDefer Judgement• Combine and Build on IdeasCombine and Build on Ideas• Seek wild ideasSeek wild ideas• Go for quantityGo for quantity

Divergent ToolsDivergent Tools

• Mind mappingMind mapping• BrainstormingBrainstorming• Brain writingBrain writing• Forced ConnectionsForced Connections• Visual ConnectionsVisual Connections• Ladder of AbstractionLadder of Abstraction• ScamperScamper

Thinking Hats – De BonoThinking Hats – De Bono (A Whack and a Kick)(A Whack and a Kick)

• White hat – knowledge possessed as White hat – knowledge possessed as neededneeded

• Blue – type of thinking being usedBlue – type of thinking being used• Black – risks, drawbacks, criticismsBlack – risks, drawbacks, criticisms• Green – opportunities, possibilities, Green – opportunities, possibilities,

alternativesalternatives• Yellow – advantages, benefitsYellow – advantages, benefits• Red – feelings, intuitionRed – feelings, intuition

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Debono_Diagram.JPGhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Debono_Diagram.JPG

Using your whole brain…Using your whole brain…And adding on….And adding on….

Using the “Creative No” = Yes And ….Using the “Creative No” = Yes And ….

Humour - fun and in service (surprise,Humour - fun and in service (surprise,exaggeration, nuance, juxtaposition, exaggeration, nuance, juxtaposition,

reversal, release and timingreversal, release and timinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=zse4LJK8OZ0v=zse4LJK8OZ0

It’s Inspirational!!!!! A love letter?It’s Inspirational!!!!! A love letter?

Convergent ThinkingConvergent Thinking

(Pulling it all together)(Pulling it all together)

• Be DeliberateBe Deliberate• Check your ObjectivesCheck your Objectives• Improve your IdeasImprove your Ideas• Be AffirmativeBe Affirmative

Convergent ToolsConvergent Tools(Putting it together)(Putting it together)

• Card SortCard Sort• Evaluation MatrixEvaluation Matrix• HighlightingHighlighting• Pluses / Potentials / ConcernsPluses / Potentials / Concerns• PowerPower• Let’s ThinkLet’s Think

TIPS AND TECHNIQUESTIPS AND TECHNIQUES

• Expect the unexpected and be prepared to be Expect the unexpected and be prepared to be different different –– it it’’s all about perspective!s all about perspective!

• Use music, auditory and visual stimulationUse music, auditory and visual stimulation• DonDon’’t forget to doodle!t forget to doodle!• Always diverge before converging and do so at Always diverge before converging and do so at

every step!every step!• Use StorytellingUse Storytelling• Just keep being curiousJust keep being curious• Turn it upside down, inside out and backwardsTurn it upside down, inside out and backwards

More….More….

• The classroom is the best place to fail – for students, The classroom is the best place to fail – for students, too!too!

• http://www.mycoted.com/http://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_TechniquesCategory:Creativity_Techniques

• Use something different : YouTube -Use blogging as a Use something different : YouTube -Use blogging as a summary technique - Use invoicing for markssummary technique - Use invoicing for marks

• If it’s not the right answer, change the question – the If it’s not the right answer, change the question – the answer changes automaticallyanswer changes automatically

• Jeopardy or circle discovery for ReviewJeopardy or circle discovery for Review• Soft and Hard Thinking Got a hunch? Use a Soft and Hard Thinking Got a hunch? Use a

metaphormetaphor……....• Create or Recreate a game Create or Recreate a game ……YouYou’’ll regret being ll regret being

boring moreboring more……• youyou’’re right, trust yourself! Do a little bit at a time re right, trust yourself! Do a little bit at a time ––

youyou’’re in charge!re in charge!

Go forth…foster!Go forth…foster!

• Enjoy! Create!Enjoy! Create!• Use your resources, ask and Use your resources, ask and

don’t be afraid to fail!don’t be afraid to fail!

Thanks for being here - I’m always Thanks for being here - I’m always happy to help happy to help kenneyc@algonquincollege.comkenneyc@algonquincollege.com