Neil Cole

PL Events – GaDOE Community

Webinars: Cultivating Creativity Session 1

“Why do we need to cultivate creativity?”

 It’s important to teach core skills to brainstorm so individuals don’t “shut down”
when being faced with a problem.
 It allows individuals to be more solution based when solving problems.
 Give students confidence to be REAL-WORLD PROBLEM SOLVERS.
Habits of Highly Creative Adults
1. Take notes about ideas on a notepad or phone.
2. Ask “What if?”
3. Ask “Why?”
4. Learn about creative people.
5. Practice
6. Take Risks
7. Associate with other creative people.
8. Understand that ideas take time to develop.
9. Acknowledge the creativity in others.
10. Have fun!
The Creativity Crisis
 Decreases since 1990
o Introduction of the Nintendo “Gameboy”
 Instant gratification vs. Unstructured play
o Standardized testing
 Most profound decline in Kinder-6th grade.
What is Creativity?
 Creativity is not necessarily the idea of being artistic, but rather the skills and
strategies of becoming a creative thinker.
 Use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic
work.
 Neil Cole
Four Dimensions to Describe Creativity (J.P. Guilford)
Fluency Flexibility Originality Elaboration
Many ideas Different Unusual ideas Piggyback off an
 Describe, viewpoints and  Creative idea or add details
explain, label, groups of idea thinking  Continuation
name,  Organizing unique to the by adding
predict, list. into groups learner. more details
 Moving quick  How ideas to embellish
with your are ideas.
ideas. categorized