Fueling Creativity in Education

In the first episode of the Winter 2023 Listen & Learn series, hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett explore the theme of disruption in education, drawing from an interview clip with futurist Bryan Alexander. The clip, recorded in spring 2021, focuses on the impact of generative AI on the future of learning and the potential consequences for educators. As they dissect the interview, Cyndi shares a personal journey, initially fearing self-driving cars but ultimately embracing new technology, emphasizing the importance of gradually embracing change. The hosts offer a tip for educators: start small. Encouraging educators to experiment with generative AI in manageable ways, such as creating new prompts or course titles, they highlight the significance of reducing ambiguity and developing familiarity with the technology. The episode also introduces a special giveaway for listeners, involving uncovering a code word across all the Listen & Learn series episodes during winter 2023 to win a prize.  Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett introduce their second Listen and Learn series, which focuses on generative AI and its future relationship with creativity in education. Throughout the episode, the hosts share their excitement for this new series and reveal the unique feature of the Listen and Learn episodes—the challenge for listeners to decode a special code word by gathering letters shared at the end of each episode. Join them as they launch this very special listen-and-learn series! Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!  

In today's episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, meet our summer Listen and Learn series winners, Laura Winkler and Mark Frank, two creative educators reshaping their classrooms. Laura, a gifted education specialist, brings creativity alive via storytelling and interactive activities. Meanwhile, Mark leaps into the creative sphere by introducing robotics, coding, and Lego-based activities into his lessons.  Matthew and Cyndi dissect strategies for introducing and nurturing creativity within the classroom, reinforcing the idea of small wins and well-timed innovation. Cyndi emphasizes a 360 feedback approach for evaluation while Matthew focuses on fostering a growth mindset through emphasis on the creative process. They kept the dialogue going with tips for other educators, future concerns, and their own questions about fostering creativity in more structured lessons.  Finally, don't miss our teaser about our upcoming listen-and-learn series on the intersection of artificial intelligence, creativity, and education.  Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!  

Welcome to a special Thanksgiving episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast! In this episode, we gather to express our gratitude and appreciation for the things that have fueled our creativity in the classroom. Join hosts Dr. Matthew Werwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett as they welcome special guests Laura Winkler, a gifted and education specialist, and Mark Frank, a STEM educator. They share their stories of gratitude towards their colleagues and innovative practices that have made a difference in their classrooms. From utilizing AI technology to repurposing everyday objects like spoons, these educators show how thinking outside the box can fuel creativity in education. So grab a seat at the table and join us for a heartwarming and inspiring Thanksgiving episode filled with gratitude and creativity. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

Join Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett as they share their top five insights from the last five episodes of the podcast! They celebrate reaching 50,000 downloads of their podcast and express gratitude to their listeners.  Dr. Burnett highlights a thought-provoking insight from Colleen Kelly's episode about not letting one course or skill stop someone from achieving their dreams. She discusses the importance of helping students overcome hurdles and challenges to foster their intrinsic motivation and encourage their pursuit of their passions. This insight sparks a discussion on the connection between artistry and teaching, and the need for teachers to have creative outlets to fuel their artistry in the classroom. Dr. Worwood shares his takeaway from Eric Booth's episode, focusing on the relationship between acting on stage and teaching in the classroom. He reflects on how the novelty and originality that comes with performing for the first time can engage and captivate an audience and relates it to his experience of teaching multiple sections of the same class. He discusses the challenge of maintaining artistry and avoiding staleness when teaching repeated content and suggests the importance of constantly tapping into creativity to bring freshness to the classroom. The hosts also discuss the importance of technology evaluation and innovative teaching, drawing insights from Jim Diamond's episode. They explore the difference between creativity and innovation in the classroom, highlighting the need for creativity as the upfront process and innovation as the implementation and assessment of creative strategies. They touch upon the role of technology as a catalyst for creativity and the need for teachers to constantly reinvent their instructional approaches. The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming episodes, including a Thanksgiving special and a mini listen-and-learn series on AI. The hosts express their excitement for the future of the podcast and invite listeners to join the conversation and share their experiences and insights.

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett dive into the fascinating world of technology tools in education with special guest Dr. Jim Diamond.  One of the key themes discussed is the importance of evaluating tools regularly to support student learning. They explore how the context in which these tools are used can significantly vary from place to place, and what works in one educational setting may not work in another. Additionally, they delve into the need for educators to assess the affordances of these tools and determine if they align with their goals and objectives. Creativity also takes center stage in this episode. They discuss evaluating creativity in tools and techniques that stimulate divergent thinking in students. To recognize and foster creativity in their classrooms, educators are encouraged to define creativity in a specific context and set clear assessment criteria. Finally, the discussion looks at the potential of AI technologies like Chat GPT and the ethical considerations surrounding their use. Jim shares his thoughts on how Chat GPT can facilitate productive dialogue and brainstorming between educators and students while emphasizing the need for critical thinking and evaluation of AI-produced content. Tune in to this thought-provoking episode for valuable insights on evaluating and incorporating technology tools and creative thinking in education. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett interview Eric Booth, a thought leader in teaching artistry.  He shares his experience as a teaching artist, highlighting the crucial role they play in activating learners' artistry and helping them express themselves in various artistic disciplines. Eric also discusses the need to support the artistry of educators and create a classroom culture that encourages creativity. He proposes practical strategies for incorporating regular creative activities and fostering intrinsic motivation in students. He shares his insights on activating our creative capacity as a continuous process, similar to exercising a muscle. Eric also discusses the challenges of replicating discussions in different sections of his teaching, recognizing the need to be flexible and open to new approaches. Overall, this thought-provoking episode explores the intersection of creativity and education, emphasizing the importance of fostering artistry in learners and educators alike. Join us as we dive into the practical strategies, personal experiences, and insightful perspectives shared by Eric Booth. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

In this episode of the "Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast," Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett are joined by Dr. Colleen Kelley, creator and founder of Kids Chemical Solutions, a comic book-based curriculum for ages 8 to 108. Dr. Kelley shares her unique approach to teaching chemistry, emphasizing the importance of incorporating characters and imagination into the classroom. She believes that without these elements, chemistry remains invisible to students, leading to memorization rather than true understanding. Dr. Kelley highlights the need to nurture students' imagination as an essential skill in science education. She helps students visualize and comprehend complex concepts like molecules by using drawings and characters. She also emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the teacher's level of understanding may not align with their students and provides strategies for creating an "onboarding ramp" to bridge the gap. Furthermore, Dr. Kelley explores the early introduction of chemistry in education and how it can better prepare students for future pursuits. She discusses the intergenerational aspect of learning and encourages parents to engage in creative activities with their children to foster curiosity and understanding of the world around them. Lastly, Dr. Kelley shares her experience developing her comic book curriculum and its impact on students and parents. She emphasizes the power of creativity in addressing instructional challenges and encourages educators to explore different disciplines to stimulate their own creativity. Using storytelling and imaginative approaches, she aims to make chemistry more accessible and enjoyable for learners of all ages. Molecular Literacy Packet Free Audio Books Dr. Colleen Kelley Dr. Colleen Kelley is the Creator and Founder of Kids’ Chemical Solutions (www.kidschemicalsolutions.com), which is a comic-book-based curriculum for kids ages 8 – 108. Her journey as a chemist began at The University of Richmond, where she received her B.S. in Chemistry. She fell in love with the world of discovery and research and wanted to continue to explore more chemistry, so she completed her Ph.D. in chemistry at Penn State University at the age of 24. Fast forward 30 years later to the tail-end of her career teaching chemistry at the University of Arizona, Colleen finds herself captivated by the question, “Why do my students think chemistry is SO hard?” She has discovered that learning chemistry is very much like learning how to read, and she created the term Molecular Literacy to describe how chemistry is best understood. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!  

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett have the pleasure of speaking with Anne Rizza, an experienced and dedicated High School English teacher with an impressive 24-year tenure.   Anne attended the Teacher's Innovation Studio, where she learned how to put her creativity into action to help identify a challenge in her classroom. At the time, Anne's students were using Google Slides, but they were simply filling the slides with text, leading to a lack of engagement. Anne decided to introduce Canva to her students and teach them how to use it effectively to captivate their audience.Anne explains that it took small steps to get her students to remove excessive text from their presentations, resulting in a significant improvement in their engagement levels. By the third semester, she noticed that the only text on the screen was the film title and perhaps a term, allowing the students' presentations to focus on visual storytelling rather than relying on written information. Learn more about Teachers Innovation Studio at Workspace CT, at www.teachersinnovationstudio.org.   Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett are joined by Dr. Camille McKayle, who shares her insights on developing creativity in the higher education system at the University of Virgin Islands in her role as Provost. Camille discusses the importance of teaching Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and promoting a growth mindset to foster creative thinking among students. She highlights the positive impact of these approaches, with students who go through the program achieving higher GPAs in subsequent semesters. Camille also emphasizes the significance of appointing Igniters, individuals who are resourceful and eager to engage with new ideas. The Igniters receive training in Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and offer guidance to units in their problem-solving efforts. She reveals that the university president has shown support for the Creativity Lab, utilizing its services for sessions and involving the CPS process in the development of an innovative building. Throughout the episode, Camille delves into her own journey with creativity, from her fascination with number theory and the thinking process of mathematicians to her realization that everyone has the capacity to be creative. She describes the Boost program at the University of the Virgin Islands, which targets students with a GPA of 2.5 or below and focuses on creative problem solving, growth mindset, and entrepreneurial skills. Overall, this episode delves into the importance of creative thinking in education and how it can empower students to believe in their abilities. The ideas discussed here are not only applicable within the UVI community but also offer valuable insights for educators and institutions worldwide.   About Dr. Camille McKayle: Dr. Camille A. McKayle is Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). As Provost, she led the development of UVI’s first PhD program in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change, which graduated its first PhD recipients in 2018. She has also been instrumental in starting a Creativity Lab at UVI, which serves to train faculty, staff and students in creative problem solving, as well as facilitate planning and visioning through a creative approach. Dr. McKayle received her Ph.D. in Mathematics, from Lehigh University. Additionally, she completed a Master’s Certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State College’s International Center for Creativity Studies. Her current research interests are in the areas of Creativity Studies, Creativity and Leadership, HBCU Leadership, STEM Education and STEM Leadership. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?  Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!