Give Your Instruction a of Creativity!

Benjamin OberdickInformation Literacy Librarian

Michigan State University

BOOST

Results from Youth Poll

Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

Results from Youth Poll

Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

Results from Youth Poll

Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

Results from Youth Poll

Scheer, M.R. “Life Would Be Boring Without It”: What Do Kids Really Think About the Arts? National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). December 5, 2003.

What happens when we grow up?

Why do many people stop thinking of themselves as creative?

Creativity Poll of AdultsFindings:

56% of Americans under age 30 think Americans have more creativity today, compared to 44% of seniors who think that.

College graduates are less positive; just 29% say the Americans are more creative today compared to 40 years ago.

CBS News Poll: “Where America Stands: Creativity.” December 17-22, 2009

Creativity Poll of AdultsCREATIVITY: BORN WITH IT OR CAN IT BE TAUGHT?

CBS News Poll: “Where America Stands: Creativity.” December 17-22, 2009

• Born with 53%• Can be taught 35%• Both 7%

Everyone can learn to be creative…

- BUT –

…it can take hard work.

Why are some people more creative?

• Brains function similarly in most people• Brains process things at similar speeds• Determining factor is uncommitted attention

Agenda• Definitions• Barriers to creativity• Characteristics of creativity• Becoming more creative• Creativity in the classroom• Importance of observation

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/ac3f/

Definitions

• Creativity can be defined many ways:– A mental activity performed in situations where

there is no prior correct solution or answer – A process of developing new, uncommon, or

unique ideas– An experience of thinking characterized by a high

degree of innovation and originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking

– The generation of novel, useful ideas

http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

Creativity vs. creativity

C: culture-changing product of a genius like Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, or Steve Jobs.

c: everyday creativity, a process in which many can and do participate.

http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

Barriers to creativity

• Exhaustion• Distraction• Laziness• Lack of focus

http://redriverpak.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/mr-nightstick-and-donna-summer/

How can I become more creative?

Cultivate your curiosity and interests

• Be surprised every day• Surprise someone else every day• Record surprises• Follow a spark of interest

http://astronlogia.com/2011/01/19/qualities-of-number-1/

Cultivate flow in everyday life

• Wake up with a specific goal• Do what you enjoy (you’ll do it well)• Increase complexity of tasks

http://smithfamilylowdown.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

Toothbrush Activity

How can you make aneveryday activity more fun, interesting, or exciting?

Example: brushing your teeth

Share your ideas with aneighbor.

Typical activities include walking, showering, swimming, driving, gardening, weaving…..

How do you facilitate flow?

Protect your creative energy

• Routinize daily life• Take charge of your schedule• Reflection & Relaxation• Shape your space• Do what you love

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2455278328/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Einstein

Spending 2 minutes a daydeciding what to wear =

730 minutes a year (12+ hrs.)

How much time do you “waste” doing routine things?

Internalize Supporting Structures

• Develop what you lack• Openness to closure• Aim for complexity

http://sueczech.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/happy-4th-birthday-peanut/number-4-shaped-pinata/

Know Thyself• Identify your most obvious characteristic– How would your best friend describe you?

• What is the opposite of that central trait?• How could you strengthen your opposite trait?

What’s really important?Step 1: Close your eyes and spend 5 minutes making a mental movie of your ideal class, course, lesson, or meeting?

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/pollock/

Step 2: Open your eyes and describe your movie to a neighbor

Application of Creative Energy

• Express what moves you• Multiple viewpoints• Implications of a problem• Implementing solutions

http://offtherecord-radio.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

Selective Exposure Theory

• People tend to avoid information inconsistent with one’s beliefs and attitudes

• People tend to watch/listen to things that reinforce their already formed beliefs

Divergent Thinking

• Multiple ideas• Different ideas• Unlikely ideas

http://partysticks.co.uk/cakelesscakes/index.php?inc=30&id=7

Keyword Activity

Spend 2 minutes coming up with as many words related to the concept of “cyber bullying” Note: Don’t edit yourself, just write

Personal Creativity

• Discover your own creativity• Experiment and be open• Dangers– Addiction– Superficiality

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MO-7.svg

What could happen….

http://pool-site.com/2011/08/12/swimming-in-pool-2/

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kamsani/1/1266943249/tpod.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

http://www.ski-rent.net/sky-diving/sky-diving

Importance of Observation

Spend 10 seconds memorizing the pictures on the next slide.

http://learnwordlist.com/blog/an-easy-way-to-remember-some-tough-gre-words-i/2009/08/gre-word-list-test-blog-barrons-vocabulary

List as many of the pictures from the previous slide as you can.

How many did you remember?

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/08/21/quick-housekeeping-issue/question-mark-7/

Answer Sheet

1. Television2. Mousetrap3. Comb4. Present5. Target/Arrow6. Mouse7. Scissors

8. Elephant9. Deer/Buck10. Lobster11. Chair12. Clown13. Doughnuts14. Fishbowl

15. Cow16. Cake 17. Top hat18. Bed19. Milk jug20. Bear

Cultivate your observation skills

• Blindfold yourself and observe an instruction session by only listening

• Record the audio from your instruction session

Thank you for coming!

• Questions???

• Contact Information:(517) 884-0895oberdic1@msu.edu

References• Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Iowa State University. (2012, August 12). Creativity.

Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/homepage.html.

• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers.

• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding flow: the psychology of engagement with everyday life. New York : BasicBooks.

• Schank, R. C. (1988). The creative attitude: Learning to ask and answer the right questions. New York: Macmillan.

• Sternberg, R. J. & Williams, W. M. (2012, August 10). Teaching for creativity: Two dozen tips. Retrieved from http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/teaching_creativity.php.

Credits• http://www.vertexauto.com/ShowItem/4503%20Porsche%20Turbo%20Wastegate%20%20Boost%20Spring.aspx

• http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/08/21/quick-housekeeping-issue/question-mark-8/

• http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/POLL_DEC08B_SUNMO_Creativity.pdf?tag=contentMain;contentBody

• http://matherconsulting.com/adhd/

• http://kidmin360.com/2012/07/09/how-have-healthy-childrens-ministry/

• http://www.atr.com.my/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_13_91&products_id=163

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain