Inspire creativity.

Do traditional classrooms inspire creativity? Can anyone really inspire creativity?

These questions are what today's blog is all about. Face it. Most schools still use the traditional School room format for instruction. Sure, some schools are different, but for the most part in America it is traditional. Obviously we aren't doing everything identical to the 1930's. I mean we have computers and new class opportunities. Things are different, but still based on the same system. I once read that we should "scrap" the current system and start from scratch building a new education system with no set framework to start with. we should simply say "what do we want kids to learn? and how can we best accomplish that?". Wouldnt that be great. It won't happen anytime soon. So what can we do?

We can help to inspire creativity in our students, ourselves, and our colleges. First, inspiring creativity in other teachers I think is the easiest. All you have to do is show how well something creative you've done is working in the classroom. It will get others thinking. Now some may straight up copy what you have done, but that isnt bad. Hopefully over time they will adjust it to better fit their style and class.

Inspireing students can be much more difficult. One easy thing to do is reward creativity openly. That can be just praise, grades, or perhaps a prize. Sometimes you can simply have a project and give a prize for the most creative even if it isn't the best. You should recognize creativity for all that are creative, not just the most creative. Also we need to talk about creativity and what it means. Teachers like to say "be creative", but what does that mean to them. Give them examples of past creativity within the assignment. It gives them an idea of how others have been creative. You could even do creativity assignments in math class. Say "I want you to use your imagination to think of the most creative way to add the numbers from 1 to 10 together." You might tell them that a past student said "write one number one, two number twos, three threes and so on. then count up all the numbers you have". They may not think that is creative at all and that is great.

In the end I think to inspire creativity you need to be creative and affirm the value of creativity. Maybe someone does something wrong but does it in a very creative way. They should still have the method recognized.

What keeps me Creative?

What inspires me to be creative daily? Weekly? Hmmm....
What a tough question to answer. I suppose I could say my job or the problems I face daily, but I think that would be missing what is actually happening. I think my family and more specifically my wife inspires the majority of my creativity. She is very supportive of me and what I do and always has her mind going like crazy.
She may have dozens of ideas about what we should do and how to do it every day. Believe me when I say that sometimes that gets a little overwhelming. Still, it is those conversations we have where she shares what she wants to do and wants done. It is those that get my mind going. Sometimes I'm thinking about how to avoid doing work. It can take a lot of creativity to keep from having to build a porch or reroof the house. And this is what I do. I begin to think about what we really need accomplished as apposed to what we think we want or need. This is when I can be really creative. Most amazing inventions and creative things of any use were accidents or people trying to make life easier.
My wife and kids do this for me. I want to spend so much time with them, that I have to find ways to limit my time commitments elsewhere. I am really interested to see how others answered this question. I wouldnt be supprised to see answers like: my troll doll, God, my mom, the sunrise, or who knows what else. It is quite interesting when you begin to think about what makes you creative.

Blogging assignment 5

What are some of the blocks and barriers that you see or have begun to see to your own personal creativity? How will you go about addressing them?

Blocks and barriers that I have with my own creativity. First is time. With 2 small children, full time work, and church duties I find I have little time to allow myself to be creative. It frustrates me because usually I can't seem to find 15 uninterupted minutes to practice playing my guitar. How could I possibly be creative with it. Overcoming this block will take planning and decision making. I will have to carefully consider what I am doing with my time. I have to say, "what is most important to me right now?" and then allocate time to the creative process.

Second, is expression. I have good ideas, some of which are creative, but I have difficulty expressing those ideas either to others or in the form of the creative product. For this one, I try to use my wife some or occasionally my friends. Just someone to talk to about it and try and get things to where they can be expressed properly.

Another issue is that talent and creativity don't always line up. For instance, one could be very talented at doing something but not be creative with it. The opposite also can apply. This seems to be my problem. If I have creativity, then I lack the talent to implement it. Or just the opposite happens to me. I'm unsure how to attack this issue. Some things can be practiced and knowledge gained to supplement natural talent, but that may still not make up for the general talent not being there.

BLOG ASSIGNMENT 4

As the principal of a school looking for the ten most unimaginative, rigid thinking, tradtion-oriented, and conforming teachers to teach in my your school, I would probably use a checklist of things to eliminate the most creative and leave the last ten.

First I would remove teachers who routinely use technology to supplement their lessons. Then, I would remove the tecahers that do hands on activities and projects in the class or outside the class. Next, I would probably remove those teachers that attend conferences and educational classes even though they are not mandatory or benefit them financially. Now all tech users, hands on people, and active learners are staying. Hopefully the list would be short by this time but sadly, many teachers may still be on the list. If I had to continue, then next I would remove teachers that are actively collaborating with other teachers and meeting with the principals, librarians, and counselors. Now all that shoudl be left are those teachers that are unimaginative, teach the same year to year, and don't want to change. Honestly if there were still more than ten, then I would pick the eldest ten on the list because they are most likely not to change how they do things.

As a parent, 5 reason I want a teacher that is unimaginative, rigid thinking, tradtion-oriented, and conforming to teach my children.
1. I know my kids will learn the basic facts and knowledge
2. My kids will learn to work hard and complete things even if they aren't fun (like in the real world.)
3. Imagination and play time is for recess and home. I send them to school to learn.
4. Traditional teachers give students a better sense of morality.
5. I don't want my kids learning to "rock the boat" and take too many chances.

Blog #3 WHY?

Why do you think some people are more creative than others?
I think creativity has a maximum and minimum threshold given to each person at birth. This is similar to running speed. From the day a person is born they will only be able to achieve a certain speed no matter how hard they train and no matter how little they train they will always have a minimum speed (assuming no paralysis or loss of limb). Creativity is similiar. I look at creativity not as something that enhances talen, but as a Talent. It is just like some people are good at math, communicating, running, leading, or anything esle, some have the talent of creativity.

But like any talent it still has degrees of effect. I may have been born with a creativity rating of between 30-60 from a scale of 0-100. Einstein may have had a 50-95. Where we land may be effected by our environment and if we use our creativity. It seems rather obvious that creativity grows over time when used and fades if neglected. So I may currently have a 45 creativity rating but if I cultivate it I might get it up to a 55 or 60. But left unused it may drop down to a 30. Still I believe that most people are somewhat creative and have minimums well above a zero. On the other hand, most people are not hypercreative and have maximums well below 100. Remember this has nothing to do with talent.

Talents such as communication and music may be enhanced when used together. Also those talents may be enhanced when used with a talent such as creativity. Our creativity allows some of our other talents to become great and not just good. It seems that most things are only "good" without creativity but are "great" if that good talent also has creativity attached.

Blog #2 Being Creative

Did I recently do anything creative? Hmmm. Yes, I suppose I have. Recently I took over as the Sunday Night Youth leader at my church. So I am responsible to teaching 10-20 kids age 12-18 something about God everyweek. When I took the job it was typically set up as 3 steps. Watch a Christian music video, talk about it and scripture, then pray. I did this for 2 weeks and decided that something needed to be done. Being a "real" teacher I knew that change and new stuff was needed for kids and doing the same thing every Sunday had to be boring. So I have slowly changed things up. Now sometimes we watch videos I have and not the ones we are given. Sometimes I have them watch an MTV video and discuss what is wrong with it. SOmetimes we dont watch anything. Sometimes we read something, sometimes we color or draw. Sometimes we give out food and candy, sometimes we pray 2 or 3 times. Anyway you get the picture. My goal has been to keep things just a little different. Maybe not crazy different, but at least not "hey it's 6:50 we need to pray now." I'm looking forward to having them do other things too and I'm staying open to possible activities.

OPENING BLOG CREATIVITY

My first blog is to address some questions my professor asked us about creativity.

What mystifies YOU about creativity?
Originally what 'mystified' me about creativity was why so many that seemed to have it were so messed up and had sad lives. I would think about extrememly talented people and how their creativity was amazing at a craft but how so often they were unsuccessful at leading a healthy life. It frustrated me that I didnt have that kind of creative talent b/c I didnt think I would waste it away like they did. I guess now that I'm older I can see that talent, popularity, money, and power don't give people successful and healthy lives. Im not convinced that those things help at all at having a truly successful life. Now I can see that creativity isnt all about writing a hit song or directing a billion dollar blockbuster movie. Creativity is about living life and not just repeating the same day over and over.

What would be two implications FOR YOU on being high in self-actualized creativity?
If I was high in self-actualized creativity that would probably mean me and my wife would argue less and communicate more. I would be more open to what she had to say and respond in a more appropriate manner. Another implication would be that I would be more successful at my chosen profession. It wouldnt matter what I was doing, but I would be doing it better and be more satisfied with what I was doing.

What would be two implications FOR YOU on being high in special-talent creativity?
I actually fear this kind of creativity now. I think one implication of having special-talent creativity would be monentary success and fame, both of which I fear obtaining. I fear that I would become obsessed with the talent and what it could bring me and lose the reason I was actually using it. BUt an alternate implication could be that I could use it for the good of man. Perhaps I could reduce world hunger, help cure a medical condition, or spread the message of hope found in the Gospels. I dont know, but no matter what I think approaching special talent with a fear for what it can do is a good thing.