Creative Schools

At a time when standardized testing businesses are raking in huge profits, when many schools are struggling, and students and educators everywhere are suffering under the strain, Ken Robinson argues for an end to our outmoded industrial educational system. He proposes instead a highly personalized, organic approach that draws on today's unprecedented technological and professional resources to engage all students, develop their love of learning, and enable them to face the real challenges of the twenty-first century. Filled with anecdotes, observations, and recommendations from professionals on the front line of transformative education, case histories, and groundbreaking research, Creative Schools aims to inspire teachers, parents, and policy makers alike to rethink the real nature and purpose of education.

How do we encourage children to think deeply about the world in which they live? Research-based and highly practical, this book provides guidance on how to develop creative and critical thinking through your classroom teaching. Key coverage includes: · Classroom-ready ideas to stimulate high-order thinking · How to think critically and creatively across all areas of the curriculum · Case studies from primary, secondary and special schools · Philosophical approaches that give pupils the space to think and enquire This is essential reading for anyone on university-led and schools-based primary and secondary initial teacher education courses including undergraduate (BEd, BA QTS), postgraduate (PGCE, SCITT), School Direct, Teach First and employment-based routes and also anyone training to work in early years settings.

Developing Creativity in the Classroom applies the most current theory and research on creativity to support the design of teaching and learning. Creative thinking and problem solving are at the heart of learning and application as students prepare for innovation-driven careers. This text debunks myths about creativity and teaching and, instead, illustrates productive conceptions of creative thinking and innovation, including a constructivist learning approach in which creative thinking enhances and strengthens conceptual understanding of the curriculum. Through models of teaching that support creativity and problem solving, this book extends the idea of a creative pedagogy to the four core curriculum domains. Developing Creativity in the Classroom focuses on explanations and examples of how creative thinking and deep learning merge to support engaging learning environments, rising to the challenge of developing 21st-century competencies.

An essential book for parents to help their children get the education they need to live happy, productive lives from The New York Times bestselling author of The Element and Creative Schools Parents everywhere are deeply concerned about the education of their children, especially now, when education has become a minefield of politics and controversy. One of the world’s most influential educators, Robinson has had countless conversations with parents about the dilemmas they face. As a parent, what should you look for in your children’s education? How can you tell if their school is right for them and what can you do if it isn’t? In this important new book, he offers clear principles and practical advice on how to support your child through the K-12 education system, or outside it if you choose to homeschool or un-school. Dispelling many myths and tackling critical schooling options and controversies, You, Your Child, and School is a key book for parents to learn about the kind of education their children really need and what they can do to make sure they get it.

The fourth edition of this well-known text continues the mission of its predecessors âe" to help teachers link creativity research and theory to the everyday activities of classroom teaching. Part I (chs 1-5) includes information on models and theories of creativity, characteristics of creative people, and talent development. Part II (chapters 6-10) includes strategies explicitly designed to teach creative thinking, to weave creative thinking into content area instruction, and to organize basic classroom activities (grouping, lesson planning, assessment, motivation and classroom organization) in ways that support studentsâe(tm) creativity. Changes in this Edition: Improved Organization -- This edition has been reorganized from 8 to 10 chapters allowing the presentation of theoretical material in clearer, more manageable chunks. New Material âe" In addition to general updating, there are more examples involving middle and secondary school teaching, more examples linking creativity to technology, new information on the misdiagnosis of creative students as ADHD, and more material on cross-cultural concepts of creativity, collaborative creativity, and linking creativity to state standards. Pedagogy & Design âe" Chapter-opening vignettes, within-chapter reflection questions and activities, sample lesson ideas from real teachers, and end-of-chapter journaling activities help readers adapt content to their own teaching situations. Also, a larger trim makes the layout more open and appealing and a single end-of-book reference section makes referencing easier. Targeted specifically to educators (but useful to others), this book is suitable for any course that deals wholly or partly with creativity in teaching, teaching the gifted and talented, or teaching thinking and problem solving. Such courses are variously found in departments of special education, early childhood education, curriculum and instruction, or educational psychology.

"If you are determined to encourage creativity and provide a collaborative environment that will bring out the best in people, you will want this book by your side at all times." —Bill Moggridge, Director of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum "Make Space is an articulate account about the importance of space; how we think about it, build it and thrive in it." —James P. Hackett, President and CEO, Steelcase An inspiring guidebook filled with ways to alter space to fuel creative work and foster collaboration. Based on the work at the Stanford University d.school and its Environments Collaborative Initiative, Make Space is a tool that shows how space can be intentionally manipulated to ignite creativity. Appropriate for designers charged with creating new spaces or anyone interested in revamping an existing space, this guide offers novel and non-obvious strategies for changing surroundings specifically to enhance the ways in which teams and individuals communicate, work, play--and innovate. Inside are: Tools--tips on how to build everything from furniture, to wall treatments, and rigging Situations--scenarios, and layouts for sparking creative activities Insights--bite-sized lessons designed to shortcut your learning curve Space Studies--candid stories with lessons on creating spaces for making, learning, imagining, and connecting Design Template--a framework for understanding, planning, and building collaborative environments Make Space is a new and dynamic resource for activating creativity, communication and innovation across institutions, corporations, teams, and schools alike. Filled with tips and instructions that can be approached from a wide variety of angles, Make Space is a ready resource for empowering anyone to take control of an environment.

Have you ever dreamed of an entire school reading your book? Would you like to double (or more!) your writing income? With advice and insights that are adaptable to getting your book in front of audiences ranging from middle grade to high school to college, and even to corporations, this book is for you!

Growing clamour to reintroduce creativity back into classrooms - internationally Synthesises practice, policy and research in one place Suggests practical ways of taking forward pupils' creative development Relevant for teachers who work with pupils from 3-18 Anna Craft is uniquely placed to write this book and spent time researching this issue with Professor Howard Gardner at Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA

WINNER OF THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • “A delightful, compelling book that offers a dazzling array of practical, thoughtful exercises designed to spark creativity, help solve problems, foster connection, and make our lives better.”—Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Happier podcast In an era of ambiguous, messy problems—as well as extraordinary opportunities for positive change—it’s vital to have both an inquisitive mind and the ability to act with intention. Creative Acts for Curious People is filled with ways to build those skills with resilience, care, and confidence. At Stanford University’s world-renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, aka “the d.school,” students and faculty, experts and seekers bring together diverse perspectives to tackle ambitious projects; this book contains the experiences designed to help them do it. A provocative and highly visual companion, it’s a definitive resource for people who aim to draw on their curiosity and creativity in the face of uncertainty. Teeming with ideas about discovery, learning, and leading the way through unknown creative territory, Creative Acts for Curious People includes memorable stories and more than eighty innovative exercises. Curated by executive director Sarah Stein Greenberg, after being honed in the classrooms of the d.school, these exercises originated in some of the world’s most inventive and unconventional minds, including those of d.school and IDEO founder David M. Kelley, ReadyMade magazine founder Grace Hawthorne, innovative choreographer Aleta Hayes, Google chief innovation evangelist Frederik G. Pferdt, and many more. To bring fresh approaches to any challenge–world changing or close to home–you can draw on exercises such as Expert Eyes to hone observation skills, How to Talk to Strangers to foster understanding, and Designing Tools for Teams to build creative leadership. The activities are at once lighthearted, surprising, tough, and impactful–and reveal how the hidden dynamics of design can drive more vibrant ways of making, feeling, exploring, experimenting, and collaborating at work and in life. This book will help you develop the behaviors and deepen the mindsets that can turn your curiosity into ideas, and your ideas into action.