Art Makes Creativity Visible with Dr. Penny Hay
How do we facilitate learning that invites inquiry and makes learning purposeful? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Dr. Penny Hay, an artist, educator, and researcher in the field of culture and creativity. Penny’s doctoral research focused on children’s learning identities as artists. […]
Creativity Blooms Best in Summer
By the time summer rolls around, students are done learning and want nothing more than to spend the next three months doing as little learning as possible. However, when it comes to creativity, summer is actually the best time to be learning. After all, it’s the most sunny of the seasons, and sunnier days support […]
Art as Therapy
In my senior year of college, we hosted a prisoner art exhibit in the campus art gallery. As art therapy students we were eager to guess the crime of the artist as we viewed each piece. We had been trained to look at content, technique, and symbolism in an effort to analyze the artwork. Anger […]
I Practice What I Teach
For 17 years, I’ve observed and taught children, ages six to nine, to appreciate the wonders of the world and to find their unique place within it. Maria Montessori calls this period in child development “The Age of Imagination.” To truly see my students and deepen the connection to each one of them requires immediate […]
Intentional Creative Thinking at Home: Lessons from a Visual Arts Teacher
As indicated in the 2018 Future of Jobs Report, creativity continues to be a desirable skill that is emerging as necessary in the workforce worldwide. Creative thinking, defined as intentionally using our minds to solve complex problems with new solutions, is at the heart of creativity. There are identifiable and teachable creative thinking skills that […]
Supporting Creative Confidence in the Art Room
It was such a treat to share some of my thoughts about Integrating Creativity into the Art Classroom with the dynamic team at Fueling Creativity. As I expressed in the podcast, teaching for creativity in any classroom is a transformative classroom practice. It has the potential to ignite engagement and foster a collaborative learning community. […]
Fail + Learn = Flearn:
8 Ways to Embrace a Creative Mindset
As a parent of teens and an elementary school educator, I can say that this year has been a stressful one for students. Connecting has been more challenging than ever. It is also more essential than ever. It takes a lot of time and effort to create a classroom culture that nurtures a creative mindset. […]
Highlight the Essence: My Quest for Bringing Creativity into my ELA Lessons
January ushers in a much anticipated New Year —a chance to look back and look forward during a dizzying time for all. While there were unspeakable challenges in 2020, there have also been opportunities for creativity, collaboration, and growth. Back in March, when the pandemic hit, I realized that my elementary and middle school students […]
Engage your Students in Virtual Visual Arts: 13 Tips for Teachers
Some takeaways with action items that we can use to improve our instructional practices for our students. 13 tips that have worked for me in virtual teaching.