Fueling Creativity in Education

AI and Creativity: Opportunities and Challenges in Education with Dr. James Kaufman

In this double expresso of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome back to the show Dr. James Kaufman, a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut and one of the leading researchers in the field of creativity.
In the first part of this double expresso, Dr. Kaufman discusses the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence (AI). He ponders whether AI will enhance or hinder creativity and questions if it will lead to a more equitable distribution of creative advantages. Dr. Kaufman expresses concerns that those with access to resources and technology may benefit the most, further widening the gap. However, he also sees the potential for AI to be a tool for co-creation and boosting people's creative potential.The conversation expands to include parallels between the advent of the World Wide Web and the potential challenges faced with increased access to information. They discuss the importance of curation in a world flooded with content, where individuals must navigate vast amounts of data to find what is truly valuable.Overall, this episode explores the complex relationship between creativity, AI, access to information, and the role of curation. Dr. Kaufman's insights give listeners a deeper understanding of these topics and the potential consequences and advantages they may have in the field of education.
 
About Dr. James Kaufman:
Dr. Kaufman is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is one of the leading researchers in the field of creativity,  authoring and editing over 50 books. He has published more than 300 papers and three well-known theories of creativity, including the Four-C Model of Creativity with Ron Beghetto, who was on an earlier podcast.  He has co-authored several books for educators, including Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom, Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom, and Being Creative Inside and Outside of the Classroom. His most recent book, The Creativity Advantage, focuses on the benefits of bringing creativity into our lives.
 
Are you eager to bring more creativity into your school district?Check out our sponsor, Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.comDo you want 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!

Breaking Records and Igniting Creativity: Peter Wachtel’s Creative Approach to Education

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett interview Peter Wachtel, a teacher at Adolfo Camarillo High School in California. Peter is an experienced teacher of architecture and product innovation design and has a diverse background in the toy and entertainment industry. He was also the winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Teaching Excellence Prize and the California ACTE CTE Teacher of the Year.
The conversation begins with a discussion about Peter's Guinness World Record for creating the longest charcuterie board in the world. He explains that it was a collaborative project with his students, involving careful planning and logistics. The board was 204 feet, 7.8 inches, and featured various cheeses, meats, and appetizers arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Peter then shares his journey into product design and inventing, recounting his early days of tinkering with bicycles and even turning a lawnmower into a go-kart. He emphasized the importance of curiosity and exploration in education, as well as the value of learning from both good and not-so-great teachers. The episode concludes with Peter discussing how he brings creativity into the classroom. He believes that anything around us can be an opportunity for exploration and discovery. Through projects like the charcuterie board, his students learn teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Peter highlights the importance of involving the community and different entities in these projects, giving students a real-world understanding of how businesses operate.
Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into how creativity can be infused into education and the transformative impact it can have on students' learning experiences.
Mentioned in this Episode:
See the largest charcuterie board that broke the record!
Azhelle Wade's Episode on Toy Design 
Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?
Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.comWhat 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!About Peter Wachtel: Peter Wachtel teaches architecture and product innovation design at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, Calif. He was a 2019 winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Teaching Excellence Prize & 2022 California ACTE CTE Teacher of the Year, 2023 Guinness World Record Holder (Longest Charcuterie Board in the World), taught design at the college level at MIT, Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design and Otis College of Art and Design for more than 20 years. Wachtel, teaching after a 30-year career in the toy & entertainment industry, is the former president of the Southern California Toy Association, a published author of two books and has been a toy and product designer/inventor/ director at companies such as Marvel & Six Flags. 

Beyond Steps: Nurturing Empathy, Reflection, and Co-Design in Education with Morgan Vien

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett sit down with guest Morgan Vien, Co-Founder and CEO of Design for Emergence, to explore the power of design thinking and liberatory design in education. They dive deep into the principles of design thinking, emphasizing the importance of problem finding, generative solutions, and understanding human needs. Morgan shares insights on the emergence strategy approach to change, highlighting the significance of setting conditions for emergence and reflecting on system goals.The conversation delves into the challenges of implementing design thinking in the classroom, with Morgan discussing the limitations of solely teaching procedural steps and the importance of empathy, reflection, and co-design. She also shares her experiences working on projects with the Mira Fellowship, focusing on cultivating conditions for Stoke - a feeling of anticipation and capacity. The conversation broadens to explore the concepts of liberation and liberatory design, stressing the need for self-awareness, addressing inequities, and co-defining collective liberation and power dynamics.Throughout the episode, Morgan provides practical examples and insights on how to apply design thinking and liberatory design in education, whether it's redesigning high schools or creating collaborative spaces. They also discuss the importance of conducting user research, deep empathy work, and actively listening to those impacted by the problem. Overall, this episode offers valuable perspectives on fueling creativity and driving change in the education system through the power of design thinking and liberatory design.
 
Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.comWhat 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!
 
About Morgan Vien
Morgan Vien is the co-founder and CEO of Design for Emergence (D4E). She is a systems change designer and facilitator who brings catalytic energy to her work. Morgan has a vision of the world as a place of equity and humanity. She hosts opportunities for people to gather in discovery and design so that they can navigate complexity and create collective ways forward. Using emergent and liberatory practices, she holds space for people to step into their power and exercise radical imagination in making sustainable change. Beyond Design for Emergence, Morgan is a designer with the Stanford d.school and Liberatory Design Faculty at the National Equity Project. She has coached and designed with the Teachers Guild x School Retool at IDEO, been a Deeper Learning Coach with Envision Learning Partners, and incubated ideas with the Mira Fellowship. Morgan was the principal of an arts-integration, expeditionary learning school, a founding teacher in Oakland’s New Small Autonomous Schools movement, and is a member of the board of trustees at Design Tech High School.

Building a Playful Classroom: Learning through Improvisation and Humor with Izzy Gesell

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, hosts Cyndi Burnett and Matthew Worwood welcome Izzy Gesell, an organizational alchemist and expert in humor, creativity, improv, and education. Izzy shares his insights on the connections and differences between improvisation, creativity, and humor. He explains that humor is a mindset that creates joy, while improv is a process that fosters creativity through restrictions. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing personal blocks and fears in order to cultivate playfulness and humor in the classroom.Matthew and Cyndi discuss the role of constraints in the classroom environment and how improvisation can help teachers embrace and navigate these constraints with laughter and flexibility. They also touch on the fear and resistance that some teachers may have towards incorporating humor and improvisation in their teaching. Izzy offers recommendations for teachers, including practicing improv, recognizing personal blocks, and understanding that humor is about creating a positive environment rather than telling jokes.The episode highlights the parallels between teaching and performing arts, both requiring energy, movement, and storytelling skills. The hosts and guest discuss the power of storytelling in engaging students and making curriculum more relevant. Overall, this episode offers practical insights and strategies for infusing humor, creativity, and improvisation into the classroom, giving teachers the tools and confidence to create a more playful and enjoyable learning environment.
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!
About Izzy Gesell:
Izzy Gesell is an “organizational alchemist” He was a special education teacher in NYC before becoming a standup comedian and improvisor and then a professional speaker and facilitator. Through keynotes, breakouts, coaching and facilitated sessions, Izzy offers imaginative, intuitive and immediately useful insights and programs. He delivers meaningful material in an enjoyable way. Among the first to use Improv Theater concepts as tools for personal and organizational learning, he is the author of Playing Along: Group Learning Activities Borrowed From Improvisation Theater & Instructional Moments: Facilitating with Applied Improv. His video course for LinkedIn Learning, “Leading With Applied Improv,” was their first on the topic . His other LinkedIn courses “Humor in the Workplace” and “Building Your Team.” He has a BA in Psychology, an MS in Education and a P… that’s 1/3 of a PhD and now lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Twitter: @improvizzy FB: Humorology LinkedIN: IzzyGesell

Nurturing Creative and Critical Thinking in Education with Katie Trowbridge

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett are joined by special guest Katie Trowbridge. Katie is a highly experienced educator and the President and CEO of Curiosity to Create, a nonprofit organization dedicated to incorporating creative and critical thinking strategies into education.
Throughout the episode, Katie emphasizes the importance of putting things into context and reflecting on the impact of teaching strategies. She discusses the need for teachers to help students make connections and highlights the power of deep reflections to demonstrate these connections. 
The episode explores the vital role of creativity and critical thinking in education and the importance of teachers modeling the process of learning from failure and mistakes. Katie emphasizes the need to build a community around creative and critical thinking, involving both educators and parents. Critical thinking is particularly essential in today's world, where students often seek answers without engaging in deeper analysis.
Finally, the episode encourages teachers to take risks and try new approaches in the classroom, allowing for reflection, mistakes, and growth. Katie highlights the significance of creative metacognition, which involves both critical and creative thinking, in developing knowledge and understanding of creativity. 
About Katie:
Katie Trowbridge has over two decades of experience as a teacher and mentor. She is President and CEO of Curiosity 2 CREATE, a nonprofit organization focused on helping educators incorporate creative and critical thinking strategies into their existing curricula and build creative classroom environments. Katie has won several Teacher of Excellence and Outstanding Educator awards, has a Master’s in Teaching and a Master’s in Education Administration, and is pursuing her ED.D at Northeastern University in Boston. 
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!

SEASON 7: A new academic year

We are back with Season Seven of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast!
 
Join Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood as they share what is in store for Season Seven and announce a new podcast sponsor.  
 
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!

LISTEN & LEARN: Teach Failure

In the final episode of the Listen & Learn Summer Series, Cyndi and Matt discuss "Teach Failure" - one of ten actions they've highlighted for classroom creativity during their 60+ podcast interviews with creativity researchers, practitioners, and talented educators. 
 
During the conversation, Cyndi and Matt revisited advice shared by creativity researchers Ron Begehetto and Wendy Ross, who highlight the importance and challenges of teaching students how to fail, particularly when dealing with powerful emotions. 
 
Featured Episodes
Ron Beghetto and Lisa McBain, My Favorite Failure
Wendy Ross, The Role of Serendipity in Creativity
 
The Listen & Learn Summer Series offers teachers and educators a collection of short episodes to support professional learning around creativity in education. Cyndi and Matt have created an online resource to help educators who want to engage in the learning experience actively. You can learn more about this series on WorwoodClassroom.com or visit CreativeThinkingNetwork.com to join online discussions on each tip with Dr. Cyndi Burnett.
 
Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom? 
Access various creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting www.CreativityandEducation.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!

LISTEN & LEARN: Model Creative Behavior

In this ninth episode of the Listen & Learn Summer Series, Cyndi and Matt discuss "Modeling for Creativity" - one of ten actions they've highlighted for classroom creativity during their 60+ podcast interviews with creativity researchers, practitioners, and talented educators. 
 
During the conversation, Cyndi and Matt revisited advice shared by renowned creativity researcher Jonathan Plucker and professional designer KC Lathrop, who highlighted the value of modeling creativity behavior, including seeking out opportunities to bring students into the problem-solving process faced in a teaching and learning environment. 
 
Featured Episodes
Jonathan Plucker, Discussing Excellence Gaps
KC Lathrop, Teachers as Designer
 
The Listen & Learn Summer Series offers teachers and educators a collection of short episodes to support professional learning around creativity in education. Cyndi and Matt have created an online resource to help educators who want to engage in the learning experience actively. You can learn more about this series on WorwoodClassroom.com or visit CreativeThinkingNetwork.com to join online discussions on each tip with Dr. Cyndi Burnett.
 
Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom? 
Access various creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting www.CreativityandEducation.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!