Elastic Education: Teaching & Learning for Creativity

Yesterday’s release of the OECD Education and Skills PISA Volume III results: Creative Minds, Creative Schools gives us so much to think about. This first ever large scale Creative Thinking test of 15-year-olds across more than 60 countries offers powerful insights into the creative capacities of our young people. Australia - one of the few countries with Creative and Critical Thinking written into its curriculum - performed strongly (fourth behind Singapore, Korea and Canada). This should prompt feelings of pride here, but not complacency. As Todd Lubart put it, this should be “the beginning of a new period of exploration.” We need to start thinking how we can begin to respond to the global results which show: -A gender gap with girls showing a greater creative thinking capability than boys  -Disadvantaged students performing significantly less well in Creative Thinking than advantaged students -A big variation within schools in creative thinking capability Andreas Schleicher , OECD Director of Education and Skills, pointed out the greatest challenge:   “The challenge is not in curriculum design. The challenge is in curriculum implementation.” This is absolutely the challenge we're grappling with - what needs to happen on the ground:  How can educators develop and foster creative thinking in ALL young people EVERYWHERE? Sessions from the OECD conference continue today: https://lnkd.in/dYekrJGx

How do we make creative thinking a habit? We think and talk a lot about how to teach for creativity and how to support other teachers to do it too. One constant barrier for teachers is lack of time - there's no time to make big changes or take a risk on an untested idea. So, we thought, start with a small change, a super-low risk. We have put together a set of quick prompts designed for mini-whiteboards: Whiteboard Wonders. They require zero prep and slot easily into existing classroom routines, adding a regular opportunity for a creative workout. We would love to hear how these work in other classrooms so get your download here and let us know what you and your students think. https://lnkd.in/dnts7Xxe

“We feel, therefore we learn,” says Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD A former teacher, now neuroscientific researcher, her work is so powerful and it is changing what we do in the classroom. What does this mean for you? Comment below! This quote comes from the first chapter of Emotions, Learning and the Brain, co-authored by Antonio R. Demasio (2016, p. 40). To hear Mary Helen Immordino-Yang talking about her work, check out these podcasts: Rethinking Podcast hosted by Dr James Mannion https://lnkd.in/gr3FAUks Future Learning Design Podcast hosted by Tim Logan https://lnkd.in/gKAuqaFk

SO MUCH in these few sentences. May we all whistle and walk and think like Leo Matienne. (I am late to the party, but I have fallen hard for Kate DiCamillo's storytelling since reading The Beatryce Prophecy a couple of months ago. Love The Magician's Elephant.)

Wooooah! What a jam-packed day to kick off FORM - Building A State of Creativity's Creative Schools WA program for 2024 by the beautiful Derbal Yerrigan! We began new working relationships between teachers and Creative Practitioners, learned, played, imagined, chatted… As we looked forward to the eventful weeks ahead, we were challenged to represent the program metaphorically. Groups drew on everything from George Michael’s Faith to a Slinky (“flexible, always moving”) to capture what might unfold. There was a super colourful “Frankenstein’s Moth” emerging from its chrysalis all asymmetrical and gorgeously wonky, someone swinging from a branch (“you have to go down before you go up”) and another group plummeting over a waterfall… “and then there’s a wizard that suddenly offers us a motorboat”. So far, so creative. Thanks so much for all your hard work bringing us together and piloting us Vanessa Bradley and to Mathilda Joubert, PhD for an invigorating and inspiring workout to send us on our way. Two terms of learning without limits ahead.

This is such a brilliant listen from BBC Woman's Hour for entrepreneurs and those involved in entrepreneurship education! The discussion was held in Doncaster, UK, but the challenges and the brilliant points made are true everywhere. I loved hearing Rachel Stockey of King's Entrepreneurship Institute describing her framework for breaking down entrepreneurial mindset into 7 key skills: Compel Disrupt Think Lean Validate Commit to Growth Build Teams Get it Done https://lnkd.in/g49APmcE

We need WONDER! This supremely powerful sentence from GK Chesterton came to my attention via Frank Cotterell Boyce and Katherine Rundell talking on the Island of Brilliant podcast (a totally gorgeous listen btw, where Frank, Nadia Shireen and guests talk about the most brilliant children’s books). Children are naturals at wonder.  How can we keep our sense of wonder as we grow?  How can educators help? This is mission critical! Share your ideas below! 

How can we make our learning spaces feel truly inclusive? On the blog this week, Shona writes how reading books that celebrate neurodiversity is shaping her community of learners and inspiring lots of positive talk. ‘I have ADHA and autism and it means I can hear really well.’ Check out her recommendations for sharing: Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding Some Brains by Nelly Thomas illustrated by Cat Macinnis Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison illustrated by Daniel Wiseman Different Thinkers: ADHD by Katia Frederickson and Yael Rothman illustrated by Jennifer Ball-Cordero @jenballkidlit The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart illustrated by Daniel Wiseman Check out the full blog at https://lnkd.in/g_yxXiwD