Creating Creative Problem Solvers, MAEA 2013
Curiosity and imagination are essential skills for the 21st century workplace if we are to compete in a new global economy.
Rethinking Curriculum means:
Teach for Creativity First
Stay on the Edge and Pay Attention to What Happens
States of "Being" Creative
Make sure your idea is completely your own.
When in doubt, or stuck, do something!
Invent something that could be of use to someone besides yourself.
Try to inspire others to
- Be Original
- Be Productive
- Be Innovative
- Be Inspiring
- Be Collaborative
- Be Thoughtful
- Be Curious
- Be Playful
- Be Expressive
What I learned the first year of Creative Endeavors
What I've learned so far this year, at one marking period
- When trying to make a change, timing matters.
- Modeling creative behavior is important. Be silly too.
- It's really important to have kids share crazy ideas daily.
- Wrecking things is similar to creating things.
- Starting with wrecked things helps eliminate fear of mistakes.
- A wrecked beginning is different than a messy ground.
- There is a lot of value in playing with materials
- Limitations are helpful, "working with what you are given" is key.
- It's important to learn how to "let go" of what you were planning and let the kid take over..who's project is it anyway?
- I need to remember that I shouldn't be the most creative person in the room.
- Creativity is measurable and skills need to be practiced and assessed regularly if we want to see real growth.
- It actually really works!
- Growth needs to be shared with students so they will identify themselves as creative.
- When students see themselves as creative, they make cooler things.
- Collaboration needs to be an option but not pushed.
- Keeping your mouth shut will lead to better ideas from your kids. (sculptures vs "robots" )
- Make a point to share a lot of contemporary artists work (especially if it doesn't relate exactly to what you are working on). A two minute You Tube can go a long way.
- Craftsmanship = Thoughtfulness: have the kids consult each other by asking "What does this look like to you?" "If it's not easily recognizable by someone from another table, then enough thought was not put in to tell the story you need to tell with your work."
- People are motivated by telling their stories, not always by making nice looking products.
- If you take away the barriers, better ideas and production will emerge.
Fluency, Elaboration, Flexibility and Originality
Things I think I've learned so far....
- We need to change our language
- Our students should teach us
- We should expect them to grow creatively
- Creativity should be the most important thing (all other things naturally grow from it)
- We n
Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.
The beginning
WMU, BA in Art Education with a minor in Industrial Arts/Drafting
Trained in DBAE
Boys and Girls Club of Kalamazoo
Elementary Art Teacher, Vicksburg
High School Art Teacher, Mattawan
The struggle
Middle School Art Teacher, Greenville
Students are not as engaged as I would like them to be.
What really engages middle school kids? What can I do as the teacher to make a difference?
The epiphanies
MICA, MA in Art Education
Elegant Problems/ The Big Idea
"Wow, it's quiet in here, Engaging the Middle School Art Student"
Special Population Studies
Creative Endeavors
(what I've seen so far)
Zero behavior issues (not kidding)
A classroom culture that cares about each other
Proven Success that can be Documented with Data
Advocacy and Parent Support like you Wouldn't Believe
All students grow and most exceed your wildest expectations!
There's something else....putting my finger on it
"I'm not creative".
Creating Creative Problem Solvers
September Buys
Greenville Middle School
septemberbuys@yahoo.com
The Journey
- 2012 National Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year
- NAEA Middle Level Division Director Elect
- Writing Team Member of the Next Generation of National Visual Art Education Standards, work to be complete/released Spring, 2014
Thank you for coming to my session. I would love to hear your ideas!
Please email at:
septemberbuys@yahoo.com
Visit my blog at:
www.creativendeavors.blogspot.com
Alteration and Transformation
Alternative Histories
Collect
images, ideas, inspirations, books, objects, things you love, things that interest you, mementos, sentimental attachments, thoughts, etc
Be Open
Marking Period One, 2012-2013
listen, have a willingness to try, display eagerness, be curious, use positive language (be happy!!!)
Possible themes for future marking periods
Highly creative people have habits that less creative people don't.
In this class you will develop these habits. :)
Highly creative people know that they have to work.
Seek
Travel, be active, seek new challenges, dive deeper into your environment, the more diverse your experiences, the better!
Practice in a discipline is key to ensuring more and better ideas.
Innovation
Challenge
Novel and useful creativity that generates value.
be questioning, self questioning, ask/say the difficult thing, do not be afraid to standout, get out of your comfort zone
Artist : Frank Wu
Highly creative people know that you become more creative by being more creative.
Writing, Painting, Drawing, Singing, Building, Dancing, Cooking, Sculpting, Problem Solving, Acting, Talking, Collaging etc... The more you do it, the more creative you will become!
Highly creative people make up stuff at least twice
Solitude
Once in their head and then to express it in the world
find the ability to be still, quiet, focused within
Creativity
Surround
The imagination applied.
immersion, bring something closer, investigating, move/change your surroundings, notice and change your point of view
Wreck it!
What is expected of my students?
Everyone is creative
To be open minded, think outside the box, to collaborate with others, to look beyond the obvious, to go outside your comfort zone a little, to get a little messy, to develop your own passion, to bring something new (to yourself) into existence...and of course to follow classroom rules! :)
Try this.....
Creativity Journals
Clay Hybrids
Play
Imagination
Find opportunities to be child like and to play
Don't be afraid to make mistakes, play with materials, learn how materials work, make discoveries.
By tables students make lists of animals, appliances/machines, foods, creatures/celebrities.
The lists are cut up and put into a bag
Students draw two or more words from another tables bag and create drawings of the combinations.
Students develop their own combination to make out of clay.
The capacity to conceive of something which is not.
Make a map of everywhere you went in one day
Define in your own words one of the following: eating, sleeping, boredom
Make a door, what's on the other side?
Five Days on
a Theme
Welcome to Creative Endeavors!
Architecture/Place Fantasy
Service Learning Craftsmanship
Relationships Empathy
Environment Structures
Identity Community
Trash to Treasure Conflict
Innovative Design/ IDEO Stereotypes
Game Design/Gamestar Mechanics
Science Fiction
Marking Period One, 2013-2014
Work within a theme, select your own direction for your work, sustain your work for a period of time, reflect upon your meaning making.
Sci-Fi Movies/Posters/Scripts
Brainstorm and Transform
Steam Punk Sculptures
Transforming yourself options
Come up with multiple possibilities, notice how ideas change and evolve, develop something completely original, document your transformation.
Comic book that shows cause and effect of transformation
Stop motion animation (people, clay figures, objects, drawings, etc) that shows cause and effect of transformation.
Drawing of self with transparent overlays documenting transformation.
A physical costume that shows entire body transformation. (not just a mask)
Transformations
Altered Books
Fluency Checkpoints (looking at averages among 5 classes of students)
September 9, 2013 Toothpick
Average of 2 - 3 ideas per two minutes
September 24, 2013 Brick
Average of 5 -6 ideas per two minutes
October 1, 2013 Fork
Average of 9-13 ideas per two minutes
October 18, 2013 Paperclip
Average of 15 - 17 ideas per two minutes
Wreck it, Color it with different media, Sew in it, Fold it, collage in it, make hiding spots, Make pop ups, develop a story, block out words, etc