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Design Thinking 2: Design in Curriculum
As more and more schools realize that creativity and problem solving are essential skills, we face a dilemma—how do we manage organize curriculum in ways that do both? One possibility is using design...
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April 15: It’s Not All About Taxes
For most of us in the U.S., our primary association with April 15 is not a happy one: federal income taxes are due. But for 2015, April 15 can have a much more positive association—the beginning of...
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Lego Movie Making Fun
What do you do on Thanksgiving after the pies are eaten and the dishes done? If you are surrounded by adventurous children and have a new (free) app to explore, you make movies! Lego Movie Maker isn’t...
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Celebrate Oops!
A while ago I shared one of my favorite books for supporting students in risk taking, Beautiful Oops. While the book focuses on the beauty that can follow artistic “oops” experiences, it also can spur...
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What do you want to know about….just about anything you can count?
Ever wish for a personal assistant who could instantly answer your questions about just about anything? Enter Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that uses a vast...
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Kenneth Shinozuka, Problem Finder
Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s Disease? If you do, you’ll wish you lived across the street from this remarkable young man. 15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka followed in the footsteps of many great...
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Toys from Trash: Arvind Gupta’s Science
Arvind Gupta is one of those people every educator should know. Wonder why? Take a look. Gupta believes that children learn best by touching, feeling, cutting, sticking — pulling things apart, putting...
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Who You Gotta Meet?
If you could meet anyone in your community, who would you pick? Joe Rhatigan encourages young people to explore that question in his book, People You Gotta Meet Before You Grow Up: Get to Know the...
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Innovation Nation!
It seems I haven’t been watching enough Saturday morning television. If I had, I would not just now be learning about The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, with Mo Rocca. Innovation Nation is billed as...
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Piedaho and Arkanslaw: Creative Combinations for the States
So often, creative thinking entails bringing two different things together. Lists of inventions (and crazy holiday catalogs) are full of combinations, from cat brush mittens to Google Glasses. Other...
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BIg Hero 6: Looking from a New Angle
Recently I had the chance to snuggle down with some of my favorite young people to watch the movie Big Hero 6. I’ll admit I did not have high expectations, given that the hero of the movie bears a...
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Unkind Ravens and Murderous Crows
It is the end of the semester, I’m buried in papers to read, and the Polar Vortex is bringing below-freezing temperatures back to Michigan. I definitely needed something to make me laugh. Then James...
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Food Gathering for a Better Earth Day
It’s Earth Day—time to think about this beautiful planet on which we live. This morning I received an Earth Day message from our local Food Gatherers organization that made me think about creativity....
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Emily’s Oz: Catch the Vision
Every once in a while I see a TV ad so creativity-focued I just can’t resist sharing. Not long ago I loved the General Electric ad on the care and feeding of an idea. Today, I loved Emily’s Oz. It...
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Foodie Dice and Other Exciting Combinations
The last few warm days have given me hope that summer may one day return to Michigan. When that glorious day finally arrives (can you tell it’s been a LONG winter?), many homes will be filled with...
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What Makes Us Happy: From Bhutan to Your School
A few years ago I first learned about the small country of Bhutan’s unique contribution to the process of measuring progress—Gross National Happiness (GNH). Gross National Happiness suggests that there...
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Why Does Popcorn Jump?
For me, it started with popcorn. I discovered The New York Times ScienceTake video explaining the physics behind the glorious dance of the popcorn kernel, and I was entranced. Sadly, I can’t manage to...
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Save the Bees with Creative Problem Solving
One of the best ways to help students experience the power of creative thinking is to involve them in solving real world problems. Sometimes problems appropriate for young problem-solvers are local to...
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International Hummus Day: Creative Persuasion at Work
Recently I saw a notice of National Hummus Day, which made me smile. I mean, I like hummus, but how did it come to have a national day? Then I discovered hummus appears to have two celebrations:...
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SCAMPER Slide the City
How did those of you in the U.S. celebrate the 4th of July? I spent the afternoon going down a 600-foot slip ‘n slide, courtesy of Slide the City Ann Arbor. Despite the long lines, it was glorious fun....
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