Comments on: A Cheat Sheet to Help Schools Foster Creativity

By: Alicia Arnold

Alicia Arnold — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:33:46 +0000

For another book recommendation, you may want to take a look at Creatively Ever After. It teaches creativity skills and introduces readers to creative problem-solving strategies that get results. In full disclosure, I am the author so I may be a bit biased (LOL!). Check out Amazon to judge for yourself http://amzn.to/p6LfA6

By: David Goldstein

David Goldstein — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:00:58 +0000

An art education truly is the “eggs” holding the cake together through teaching different ways to approach problems and showing there could be more than one correct answer.

Budget cutters must understand their shortsightedness in reducing resources for arts programs. Not every child will become an artist, singer or dancer but everyone benefits when the children who grow up to be doctors, lawyers, researchers or entrepreneurs have learned to employ creative problem solving techniques.

Great summary of current creative thinking!

By: Randy Rieland

Randy Rieland — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:39:03 +0000

Thanks, Cathy, appreciate that. Best of luck with your book!

By: Carhy Davidson

Carhy Davidson — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:03:19 +0000

Thank you for including NOW YOU SEE IT: HOW THE BRAIN SCIENCE OF ATTENTION WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY WE LIVE, WORK, AND LEARN in this marvelously helpful omnibus guide to creativity and innovation in the classroom. I joke sometimes that so many adults on education write as if they were never children. I just love it that, in supplying us with so many helpful resources, you also recall that teacher who set you on to a path of inspired learning, and tell that delightful story from a kids’ perspective. Thank you!

By: Randy Rieland

Randy Rieland — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:16:24 +0000

Thanks, Alicia. Hope your efforts to blend creativity with learning continue to be successful. And thanks, Dave, for the “Dancing About Architecture” recommendation.

By: Alicia Arnold

Alicia Arnold — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:51:43 +0000

Randy, thank you for your thought provoking and insightful article. I am a huge champion of creativity and am hopeful that we are experiencing “creativity’s comeback!”

In addition to modes of instruction and phasing out lectures, it would be great if schools taught creativity (yes, creativity is a teachable skill).

Teaching creativity within core subjects, or as a standalone subject would be an important step in closing the gap between corporate executives looking for creative employees and the role of education in preparing students to fill these positions.

Looking forward to reading your future articles.

By: David Didau (@LearningSpy)

David Didau (@LearningSpy) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:40:38 +0000

Yes – it’s a great shame that any attempts by teachers and schools to be creative is a fight against a hide-bound, outmoded educational paradigm – just look at the unthinking knee-jerk way in which teachers are still harping on about Bloom’s taxonomy for heaven’s sake!

I can recommend Phil Beadle’s wonderful book Dancing About Architecture – this is a real wake call for anyone struggling to approach teaching creatively and inspired the following blog post: http://learningspy.edublogs.org/2011/07/16/hula-hooping-about-literature/