Launched a New Website

Check out today's PS way down below.  It's one of the fun collaborations I was working on last week.  Now, onto today's post.....

The time has come.  I need something more than Upcycled Education.  This is one of the secret projects I've been working on, though I did ask a few innocent bystanders for feedback.  Thank you - if you were one of them.

Don't get me wrong, I love this blog.  But, my skill set has grown over the past decade.  My web presence needs to grow, too.  Thus, I launched jenlara.com.

To develop the website, I crowdsourced which website builders were the most helpful and easy to use.  Though many people recommend Weebly's free option or purchasing a template off Etsy, I decided to use the website builder available at GoDaddy.  Since I use GoDaddy to buy my URLs, I thought, why not keep it easy and use their website builder for jenlara.com.  Plus, I couldn't beat the price - $1/month for the first year.  $5.99/month every year after.  The builder is so easy to use and manipulate.  In fact, Lil O is learning how to build a website on GoDaddy's website builder right now as she and I have a special, mama-daughter project coming this fall.

And because I continue to be in love with PicMonkey, I had to alter my photo.  I call this Pirate Jen.

And this one is titled, Cindy Crawford Jen. See my new beauty mark?  

I'm having too much fun DIYing myself.

When you get chance, go check out jenlara.com.  I'd love to hear your feedback.

xo,

Jen

PS - I'm chatting today about creativity with Elise Cripe on her podcast Elise Gets Crafty.  You can download the podcast here and visit her blog here.  If you aren't familiar with Elise, treat yourself.  She is bright, lovely, and creative, which I know for sure, because I gave her the TTCT - the Torrance Test for Creative Thinking.  We talk about her scores in the podcast and how to grow creativity.  I'm blushing as she calls me a creativity coach!  Too much fun.

Arts, Crafts, and STEM, Hurrah!

I just finished a three-day {life} coaching training.  While I get my thoughts in order, here's something to sink your teeth into....

I think a dream just came true.  Real life evidence that all this crafting, broadway show going, and Lil O's dance lessons correlate positively to the fields of STEM - science, technology, engineering and math.

Mr. UpCyclist likes to tease Lil O and I about our crafting adventures.  And since he is an engineer, wait until he sees these amazing findings from the lovely Michigan State University.  Evidence that the more we craft, dance, and embrace the arts, the more likely we will launch a business or generate US patents.

Notice the "we."  This study's conclusions are for children, but I am not missing this ride.

Here's to more, and more, and MORE crafting!

Pinch me,

Jen

Workshop and Weekend

I am off to a three-day coaching training this weekend.  You know how I totally, totally love those.

In the meantime, how about you sign up to join me for a creative thinking workshop I'm leading at Greenberries, yes?  The workshop is aimed at parents, educators, and assorted allies.  If you attend, I can squeeze you in person and we can talk all about creativity, coaching, Colorado and whatever else we can muster up that starts with the letter "C."

Come, ok?  The workshop is May 8th at 7:oopm.  The fee is a simple $10.

Can't wait to see you in person,
Jen

Invite Me!

Days before I left for the summer, I gave my first keynote on creativity.  Though, I plan to cut it down to under an hour (it was 90 minutes!), I left feeling energized and heard, via email from some of the participants, they enjoyed it, too.

Woot!

Since I've been researching creativity since 2006, I'd love to come out and share my collection of expertise with you. 

Invite me to come speak - to your staff, your parents, your students, your colleagues.

I promise it won't be one of those boring keynotes.  I promise to bring my A-game and energy.  I promise this keynote will be interactive, memorable and completely practical.

What do you think? Email me at jen@upcyclededucation.com for rates and dates.

My best,

Jen, lover of all things related to creative thinking

Lil O's First Job Offer

UPDATE:  Look at this shout-on on REI's tweet.  Love. This. Company.

UPDATE II:  This story was featured in REI's internal employee newsletter, January 2013.  

Thanks, REI and REI awesome employees for reading it and caring.

-----------

Lil O's first job offer came today.  REI.  Not bad, wouldn't you say?

She was way happy about it as you can see from her grin below.  And by the way, she is home sick today. Although, she doesn't look that sick in this photo.  Hmm......

The quick back story of her job offer goes something like this.  We are all - Mr. UpCyclist, Lil O and I - taking Stanford's free online creativity class.  It started about four weeks ago and we are now in the last few weeks of the class.  I think Mr. UpCyclist has lost interest, but Lil O and I are in it until the lovely end.  

For one of our homework assignments, we had to choose a store and answer three pages of questions about it.  Questions like:  Was the door open to the store or closed?  How did you feel about it?  What were the salespeople like?  Did they greet you?  Was their noise in the store?  If yes, where was it coming from?  And the questions went on......

After answering the questions, the second part of the assignment was to look for opportunities and insights.  Evidently, creative thinkers do this regularly; they observe and look for opportunities.

(Sick-at-home supplies) 

Lil O picked two stores - REI and Peak-a-Boo Toys in Breckenridge.  We had just been at REI that day, so her observations were fresh.  I scribed for her while she answered the three pages of questions.  Then, I asked what opportunities and insights she had for REI.  Her answer, "So many."

What?  I love REI and I don't have "so many" insights for them.  Could she?

Lil O went on to list about 15 things she liked about REI and opportunities for REI to improve.  I won't rehash her entire list, but some of my favorites include:

• You can tell what REI sells by the look of the store and the salespeople 
• REI needs a bigger toy section
• REI doesn't offer that much merchandise for teens.  They need sporty shoes and more jewelry 
• REI should allow dogs in the store.  It is an outdoor store, after all, and dogs love the outdoors.  (By the way, Puppy Jedi is "that" dog outside our local REI who is secured to the bicycle rack.  Thankfully, many REI customers pet him while he waits for us to shop.  Sweet puppy.)

Our family then submitted our creativity class homework and off we went.  Ironically, the next day, I received an email survey about our REI visit the day before.  Since I adore feedback myself and I adore REI, I took the time to answer the survey questions. Many of the questions were related to Lil O's observations, so I made certain to include her insights.  I even typed in the narrative box at the end of the survey that our family had just completed a homework assignment for a class and REI was part of that assignment. I also mentioned many of the responses I included in the survey were from a 7-year old's perspective.

This post is getting long....

Let me cut to the chase.....

1) I answer the REI survey via email and include Lil O's ideas

2) A week later I get an email from the assistant manager at our local REI; he had read the survey comments and wanted to know more.  He asked if Lil O would share her thoughts with him.

3) Lil O agrees; I then email her ideas to him.

4) He likes them and thanks her via email.

5) AND BECAUSE REI AND THIS LOVELY MANAGER ARE A CLASS ACT (how's that for emphasis), he sends Lil O a handwritten thank you note, a new REI water bottle (see above; Lil O loves it) and writes, "Keep doing A+ assignments and call us in 11 years if you're looking for a job."

Ha!

Lil O gets her first job offer and a lesson that thinking creatively has its absolute merits in the real world.

Go get 'em, my-creative-smart-loving-wonderfully-fantastic Lil O.  I sure am proud of you.

Love,

Mom

PS - Big thank you to Mr. S from REI for valuing Lil O's feedback and for sending me an REI coupon.  Woot, woot!

TED talks and School Reform

After my breakfast with the California family, I was reminded how much I adore TED Talks and how little I use them in my classroom.

Times are a changin'.

This talk from Sir Ken Robinson linked above combines so many of my interests and those of my college students:  school reform, standardization, ADHD and creativity.

Plus, raise your hand if you appreciate a RSA Animate video?

(My hand is raising and waving wildly).

Enjoy this,
Jen

Elaboration {part of the Be Creative Series}

To solve a problem creatively, an idea must be developed and details considered before an idea is executed and implemented. This attention to detail is called "elaboration." Elaboration is another characteristic - like fluency and originality - that creative thinkers possess.  You (and your students) need strong elaboration skills.  Got it?

(chalk drawing by Prof. KP and her lovely daughter, G)

Here are some tricks and tips to help you develop elaboration skills for yourself and others.....

• Experience an activity by incorporating more senses.  What does the setting in a book smell like?   What taste does E=MC² have?  What tactile feeling does a favorite song possess?
• Visualize what is read or seen by creating a drawing, flowchart, or sequencing of sounds or movements.
• Find the balance between having enough details and too many details; too many details can become overwhelming. 
• Learn the “Rules for Converging” - not now, but in the future.  Converging is what happens once brainstorming has taken place.  I think I will blog about convergence soon.
• For parents and educators, consider what tools you encourage your children or students to use to  manage details and plan ahead (e.g.: To-do lists, checklists, iPad apps, etc.). What tools does your child see you using? 
• Like all creative attributes, a nurturing, non-rushed environment that encourages attention to detail and careful planning is preferred, especially in a demanding and busy 21st century.

Did you know elaborative thinking has consistently correlated higher to student achievement (like grades) more than any of the other creative attributes.  This makes sense as learning requires attention to detail and planning. 

Happy elaborating,

Jen

Did you miss part of the Be Creative Series?  Click on each link below to catch up.

Seek Originality {part of the Be Creative Series}

Originality in terms of creativity means ideas or solutions that are statistically infrequent or in other words, unique or unusual.  I used to swear I had not an original idea to my name (instead I was always borrowing an idea from another person and modifying it).  However, I've learned that I am an original thinker on many occasions and that using the tips below, I find I can be even more original.

Quick tips to increase original thinking:

• Original thinking typically requires longer amounts of time.  This time is called “incubation.”  Be sure to allot yourself plenty of time when creative problem solving. 
• Heightened emotional arousal is important in generating original ideas.  Think of the real-life application and importance of the problem being solved.  .  If there is strong emotional connection, more original ideas are likely to be produced.
• Original thinkers must be comfortable with being different in order to produce such original ideas. 
• Instead of judging others ideas, try using the Praise-Question-Polish model when working with children and other adults:

1. Praise – Find something genuinely to praise related to the efforts of the problem-solver, the child or adult.
2. Question – Ask open-ended questions to help the child or adult clarify an idea, generate alternative solutions (if necessary) or elaborate on an idea.  Examples of questions include:  “Tell me more about….” OR “What made you decide to do…..” OR “How would you improve…..”
3. Polish – Encourage the child or adult to amplify their idea or solution.  At this stage, the child or adult can refine, restate, redefine or rethink their idea or solution in hopes to “polish” or improve it.

• The best friend of originality is fluency.  Remember the post on fluency here?  Practicing fluency is a great way to get increase original thinking.  Believe me!

Onward original Upcyclists!

Jen

Want to start at the beginning of the Be Creative Series?  Click here.

References:

• Chavez-Eakle, R. (2006). Creativity graduate course. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University.
• Miller, B., Vehar, J. and Firestein, R (1999). Creativity Unbound: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving. Williamsville, NY: Innovation Systems Group.
• Torrance, P. and Safter, T (2009). Making the Creative Leap Beyond. Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation Press

Nurturing Fluency {part of the Be Creative Series}

As you know, for the next few months, Upcycled Education is addressing Creativity in the Be Creative Series.  Today, we will discuss one of the five main attributes of creativity, fluency.

Fluency measures the number of ideas a person can generate. The more ideas (or solutions) generated or considered, the more likely there will be success in solving a problem and thinking creatively. Think of the employees at Google. When they are sitting around a table brainstorming new product ideas, do you think they come up with just 1-2 new ideas or a whole list of crazy, off-the-wall, possibly useful ideas? I'm guessing you agree with what I've read about Google, many, many, many ideas are generated on Google's campus.

Educators (and parents), we want “fluent” students and children –  Kids who can come up with not just one idea, but many ideas or solutions!

In order to nurture fluency, adults can do this:

• Learn the “tenets” of brainstorming, honor them, then teach the tenets to kids.  The tenets are:

1. Defer judgment: Go with whatever ideas come to mind!  Censor ideas later.
2. Strive for quantity:  The more ideas generated the better.  Plus, it increases the likelihood that a great idea or solution will be found.
3. Seek wild and unusual ideas: It is easier to pull back a wild idea than invigorate a weak one. Let your mind be free!
4. Build on other ideas: Let one idea snowball into another idea. 

• Take on another perspective when brainstorming. For example, what ideas would a grandparent produce?  A tween?  A running shoe?
• A supportive, nurturing environment is essential to creative thinking and fluency.  Refrain from judgment and negativity when generating ideas or solutions (or encouraging others to do so).
• Not all the needs of a child can be met at home or in school. Studies have shown the positive impact of mentoring on creative achievement. Consider finding a trusted and appropriate mentor (even a student mentor) for a student or child. 
• Research shows most people require incubation - time to think - and that best ideas are generated lastly not firstly.  Thus, give yourself (and your students or children) time to “warm up” when brainstorming.

Do you have other ideas to nurture fluency?  I'd love to hear them in the comments section below.

If you missed the first part of the Be Creative Series, check out the latest and greatest creativity research here.

My creative best,
Jen

References:

• Chavez-Eakle, R. (2006).  Creativity graduate course.  Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University.
• Miller, B., Vehar, J. and Firestein, R (1999).  Creativity Unbound: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving. Williamsville, NY: Innovation Systems Group.
• Torrance, P. and Safter, T (2009).  Making the Creative Leap Beyond.  Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation Press

Be Creative Series {Launch}

Every since finishing a masters degree at Johns Hopkins University several years ago, I have been in love with creativity.  Let me be more exact.  I am in love with creativity research.  I had no idea, before my degree, that people made it their life's work to study creativity.  What?  I could have majored in Creativity?  Are you kidding me?

Thus, today starts a series to share my favorite research, tidbits, tricks, hints, and strategies to nurture creativity.  After all, a person's creative thinking ability can be improved.  Yep, isn't that awesome?  See below.....

• Creativity has been identified as the #1 leadership competency of the future (Bronson and Merryman, 2010).
• Highly creative people tend to be flexible in their thinking, original, persistent, and open to new ideas (Torrance and Safter, 1999).
• Highly creative people tend to have higher self-confidence and higher school & adult creative achievement (Torrance and Safter, 1999; Torrance and Sisk, 2001).
• The highest gains in creativity development happen in childhood or through training in creative thinking strategies (Torrance and Safter, 1999).  Thank goodness, there is hope for me.
• Creativity measures in the US are on the decline for children and adults. (Kim, 2010). Boo!  Time to rally the creative troops.
• The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking is considered the "gold standard" in creativity assessment for children (ages four years and older) and adults (Staff, New York Times, 2010).  I just finished my training to adminster and score this!
• Research shows creativity can be improved (Torrance and Safter, 1999).  I am sooo on this for me, Mr. UpCyclist, Lil O, and my college students.
• There are five main attributes that contribute to creative thinking:  fluency, originality, elaboration, abstractness and resistance to closure (in other words, keeping an open mind) (Torrance and Safter, 1999).

What do you think, Upcyclists?  Shall we dedicate a blog post to each? 

Indeed!  And so is born, the newest Upcycled Education series, B.CR8TIV.


(I want my license plate to look just like that).

Yay!

Jen

 

References:

• Chavez-Eakle, R. (2006). Creativity graduate course. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University.
• Miller, B., Vehar, J. and Firestein, R (1999). Creativity Unbound: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving. Williamsville, NY: Innovation Systems Group.
• Torrance, P. and Safter, T (2009). Making the Creative Leap Beyond. Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation Press