Participate in The Creativity Workshop's Barcelona experience to build strategies for infusing students' free-exploration center time with creative thought, problem solving, multiple modes of expression, and risk-taking.
During the workshop, I had the unique opportunity to focus on my own journey. At the creativity workshop, I had nothing else to do but explore, experiment, and create. I was able to tap into my own reserves of creativity and learn some concrete activities I can apply in my teaching. I experimented with the role of visualization and collaboration to bolster creativity. By focusing on my own creativity, I better understand how to support creativity in others.
I hope to find more opportunities to recreate that environment in my classroom. There are lots of small actions that help facilitate a creative space: time for collaboration and student critiques, having a space that is open and inviting, the importance of a safe and trusting community, memories as a source of inspiration for creativity, and the element of choice. We are thinking about these elements in the physical set up of the room as well as in the design of our instruction.
Easily the highlight of this workshop was a partner writing activity. The task was to choose 6 words, and then use them to inspire a story, about anything. After doing so, you found a partner, and read your stories to each other. While listening, you chose 6 words from their story, and used them to inspire a new piece of writing. My partner and I had completely different stories. The sharp juxtaposition of the two themes, forced me to write something unlike anything I had written before.
This fellowship has helped me understand techniques that facilitate creativity. This will impact the students by encouraging them to learn from each other, collaborate, and be inspired by someone else’s ideas. I hope my students will be better free thinkers, problem solvers, and team members. I hope they will learn to love talking about each others’ work and sharing with the class. Ultimately, this work could help us become a more collaborative and creative group.
I have already been bringing the learning of this fellowship into my school. I have been designing a Makerspace- a room where students can create, get messy, and design. We have been planning the materials, space and activities for the entire school. Once the space has been designed, I will further collaborate with teachers on implementing the engineering/design model of instruction in the Makerspace. I hope to share as much of my experience from the fellowship as possible.
In the workshop this summer, I learned firsthand the value added by hearing the work of others. Across all subject areas we will safeguard time at the end of nearly every lesson for a share routine. This will build a climate of trust and collaboration, where students can be inspired by each others’ work as well and give feedback for next steps. We will build a safe community for experimentation and growth.
Nowadays, there are lots of pressing environmental and social concerns. Every year, my class does one project to come up with solutions to help with one of these issues. This year, I hope to design every end-of-unit project to have an element of “giving back,” from an environmental or social justice perspective. I want to inspire the change-agents of the future to be kind, compassionate, world-minded individuals. This fellowship has reignited my desire to encourage creative problem solving.
This fellowship has changed me personally. It has shifted my perspective about myself and my own creativity, the things I think I am “good” at, and the types of writing I "can" do. I can replicate the instructional moves of the workshop, so that our work could have a similar effect on the students. I don’t want them to think they “can’t” do things or they “aren’t good at” something. I want them to see the possibilities and to feel the benefits of stretching and trying something new.
FUND FOR TEACHERS ©