Fueling Creativity in Education
The Fueling Creativity in Education podcast provides listeners with unique insights into the field of creativity research, including best practices for applying this knowledge to a traditional school environment. Thanks to deep dive interviews with renowned creativity scholars, respected practitioners, and passionate educators, every teacher and administrator will walk away with new strategies that inspire and support student and teacher creativity in and out of the classroom.
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Episodes
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Fueling Creativity in Education – 2022 Reflections
Happy New Year! With 52 episodes produced and 29 creativity experts interviewed in this past year, the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast has generated countless insights that are transforming the way we approach creativity in education.
In this special first episode of 2023, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood reflect on five of their favorite insights from 2022 and share their top tips for bringing creativity into your classroom or home in 2023.
Tune in to hear Matt and Cyndi’s top 5 and stay tuned for Season 6!
What is YOUR favorite insight or tip from the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast in 2022?
Let us know! Email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
To keep us growing, give us a rating/review and share the podcast with a friend or colleague if you enjoy it! You can find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean.
Here’s a sneak peek into their top insights of 2022:
Artificial intelligence plays a key role in the future of creativity and we’re coming to a place where anyone and everyone can use AI. AI could likely be as disruptive as the worldwide web and the creation of the personal computer!
Robots and AI can help facilitate better learning experiences for students while supporting educators who need help in unique and various ways.
Whenever we go about something new, we need to first ask questions about the system.
Think about yourself as an ancestor. How can we be better ancestors for our kids and the world at large?
The conversations that develop from the question “What’s your favorite failure?” can be game-changing for children’s learning experiences.
Episodes & Other Resources Mentioned:
Listen to the episode with David Cropley
Listen to Part 1 with Patrícia Alves-OliveiraListen to Part 2 with Patrícia Alves-OliveiraListen to the episode with Michael Hanchett Hanson
Listen to the episode with Jonathan Plucker
Listen to the episode with Dr. Victoria E. Waller
Listen to the episode with Frances Valintine
Listen to the episode with Bea Leiderman
Listen to the episode with Genein Letford
Jasper AI (Jarvis AI)
Grammarly
ChatGPT
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Let’s debrief the second half of Season 5 of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast! In this episode, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood reflect on the last six episodes of Season 5, highlighting the key takeaways and major lessons these discussions have taught us about creativity in education.
Listen in to hear Cyndi and Matt break down the following insights and share what’s in store for Fueling Creativity in Education in 2023!
Major Takeaways from Season 5 Episodes 7-12:
Parents and educators should think more about adding a shadow curriculum to their regular curriculum. To learn more about shadow education systems, listen to the episode with Dr. Alfredo Bautista: https://bit.ly/3Z0GRkq
Allow and enable children to come up with Dream Machines. To learn more about how to integrate Dream Machines into your curriculum, listen to the episode with Piet Grymonprez: https://bit.ly/3CaLjDj
Success is a key aspect of creativity and becoming more creative. When you show children that they can be successful in one area, that empowers them to be successful in other areas. To learn more, listen to the episode with Michael Mino: https://bit.ly/3vn7WAm
Creativity is the engine for change. We don’t talk enough about preparing kids for change. To learn more, listen to the episode with Lola Schnapp: https://bit.ly/3jEqJ7X
We learn from robots and robots learn from us. Utilizing machine learning and collaborating with AI and robots are skills of the future creative. So, how can robots support teachers? To learn more about building robots to support childhood creativity, listen to Part 2 with Patrícia Alves-Oliveira: https://bit.ly/3Ib1T9R
What’s YOUR favorite episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast? Let us know! Email us at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
Episodes Debriefed:
Listen to the episode with Lola Schnapp
Listen to Part 1 with Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Listen to Part 2 with Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Listen to the episode with Piet Grymonprez
Listen to the episode with Dr. Alfredo Bautista
Listen to the episode with Michael Mino
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
You can also find The Fueling Creativity Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Why are MakerSpaces trending? Why is Maker Education so important? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Michael Mino, an Education Development Specialist with over 25 years of experience in K-16 public and private education. Michael is also the founder of numerous innovative student programs and currently serves as the Director of Career and Maker Education at Rancho Del Rey in Monterrey Mexico where he established a MakerSpace to serve underprivileged students.
Listen in to learn the power of the MakerSpace movement and how MakerSpaces serve students with a lower socioeconomic status in the Digital Age. Michael describes the key differences between traditional education and Maker Education, along with the pros and cons of focusing more on STEM and incorporating digital technology into education.
“A MakerSpace can be a catalyst for deeper academic learning.” – Michael Mino
Then, Michael highlights his first-hand experience of the benefits of combining MakerSpaces with traditional schooling and how success in a MakerSpace can lead to success in the classroom. Plus… Michael highlights the skills students learn in MakerSpaces and how they’re preparing kids for the future.
“Success is part of the key to becoming more creative and becoming more technically competent.” – Michael Mino
Michael’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
You can create a MakerSpace at any budget, so work with what you have. You can always build up your budget later.
Your environment is the third teacher. If you don’t have a dedicated space, again, work with what you have. Try creating a Maker Center within your classroom, your desk, library, workshop, etc.
Start with where you are right now. What type of project are you doing now that could incorporate more making opportunities?
Recommended Resources:
Follow Michael’s MakerSpace, Hacedores Del Rey on Instagram
Duolingo
Google’s “The Future of Education” Report
Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?
Access a variety of creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting our website, www.CreativityandEducation.com.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Michael Mino:
Michael Mino is an education development specialist with over 25 years’ experience in K-16 public and private education and an outstanding track record of innovation in STEM and Maker Education. He is the founder of numerous innovative student programs including the IT Leadership Academy, the Connecticut Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the Connecticut Student Innovation Expo and the Center for 21st Century Skills at Ed Advance. He is currently serving as the Director of Career and Maker Education at Rancho Del Rey in Monterrey Mexico where he established a Maker Space to serve severally underprivileged boys ages 5 to 16. Mino is an “Apple Distinguished Educator” and is also serving as a 21st century STEM and Maker Education Consultant for public, private and nonprofit schools and organizations in the U.S., Mexico and Africa.
Connect with him on LinkedIn
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Should kindergarten be more focused on play or academics? How does education in Hong Kong differ from American/Western education? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Dr. Alfredo Bautista, an Associate Professor & Associate Head of the Department of Early Childhood Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. Alfredo is also Co-Director for the Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences.
Listen in to learn about the current state of education in Hong Kong and how creativity is perceived in the Chinese educational system. Then, Alfredo shares his research on early childhood creativity in Hong Kong kindergarteners, detailing the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western education.
“We are making progress, schools are slowly learning, teachers are slowly improving and getting more and more pedagogical ideas, but there is still a lot of work to do.” – Dr. Alfredo Bautista
Alfredo highlights the roles of structure and freedom in early childhood curriculums and shares his fascinating opinion on whether kindergarten should be play-based or academics-based.
Plus, the trio shines light on the importance of recognizing your values as a parent and being able to decide what type of education your child needs, as they do in Hong Kong - yet in the US, there are barriers to choosing your child’s educational environment. Tune in to learn more!
Alfredo’s Tips for Teachers and Parents (Preschool/Kindergarten):
Creativity emerges when there is some sort of framework. It’s important to learn how to design activities that provide a framework and give children the freedom to complete that framework in different ways.
Design activities that require exploration and experimentation.
Have discussions with colleagues and other parents about what they understand creativity to be.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Dr. Alfredo Bautista:
Dr. Alfredo Bautista is Associate Professor & Associate Head of the Department of Early Childhood Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. He is also Co-Director for the Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences. Alfredo graduated in Psychology and Music in Madrid (Spain). He worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria (Canada) and Tufts University (USA). Subsequently, he joined Singapore's National Institute of Education, where he served as Research Scientist and Assistant Dean of Professional Learning. Currently, Alfredo leads several early childhood education projects focusing on Curriculum, Pedagogy, Teacher Education and Professional Development, teaches courses for pre- and in-service kindergarten teachers (e.g., Music/Arts Education, Curriculum Design, Play), and supervises seven doctoral students. Alfredo is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for the Study of Education and Development and serves as Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member for other peer-reviewed international journals.
Connect with him on LinkedIn
Follow him on Twitter
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
What is your Dream Machine? In this episode of Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Piet Grymonprez, author and Co-Founder and Managing Director of MyMachine. MyMachine is a for-purpose non-profit that has a unique and multi-award-winning methodology that unites students in primary, secondary and higher education to co-create "Dream Machines" invented by children.
Tune in to hear how Piet and his fellow Co-Founders created MyMachine, why they’re asking children to create a “Dream Machine”, and what a Dream Machine is in the first place. Piet explains how MyMachine challenges the creativity of students at every grade level, from primary school to college/university, inspiring them to think big.
“It really ranges from a very personal to a global scope because of the open-ended question that we pose to them at the beginning of our methodology.” – Piet Grymonprez
Piet describes how MyMachine’s methodology adapts to each child’s personality and how it encourages them to be open, take risks, share their ideas, and develop creative confidence. Then, he shares how teachers can collaborate with MyMachine and start their own chapter.
Piet’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
Whatever you want to do with your kids/students, challenge yourself to do it with an open-ended approach.
Don’t make it a competition.
Embrace systems thinking. Explain to yourselves and your students that the world we live in is complicated and that’s okay. That’s how it should be.
Recommended Resources:
Learn more about MyMachine
What Is Your Dream Machine? How Children Change Education Worldwide by Piet Grymonprez
Donate to MyMachine Global Foundation
Listen to the episode with Natalie Nixon
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Piet Grymonprez:
Piet Grymonprez is Co-Founder and Managing Director of MyMachine, a for-purpose non-profit working globally. MyMachine has a unique and multi-award-winning methodology that unites students in primary, secondary and higher education to co-create "Dream Machines" invented by children.
Based out in Belgium, Europe, Piet and his team have grown MyMachine so far to 13 countries on 3 continents.
MyMachine has been widely recognized and endorsed by the likes of United Nations, Harvard, The New York Academy of Sciences, Richard Branson, The Qatar Foundation, The Lego Foundation, Fast Company, and MyMachine was recently inducted into the renowned HundrED Hall of Fame.
Piet is the author of the book "What Is Your Dream Machine? How Children Change Education Worldwide", with a foreword written by Sir Ken Robinson.
He is the founder and co-founder of different industry cross-over networks in his native country. Prior to MyMachine, he worked in higher education for 15 years, establishing research collaborations with companies around the world.
Connect with him on LinkedIn
Follow MyMachine on Instagram
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
In Part 2 of this double espresso interview, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood continue speaking with Dr. Patrícia Alves-Oliveira, a Postdoctoral Researcher who focuses on designing human-robot interaction. Patrícia is interested in leveraging the qualities of social robots to empower human health and education, foster creativity in children, and improve mental health among adolescents.
Tune in to learn how robotics and future technologies can inspire and enhance creativity in young children. Patrícia talks about why she has focused her research on robots and human creativity, the key difference between robotics and artificial intelligence, and the mission behind YOLO, a robot she developed to boost creativity in children.
“There is a lot of influence in our social brain when we interact with a robot compared to when we interact with something that is virtual but still has AI and could even be saying the exact same thing the robot is saying.” – Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
The trio discusses the fascinating role of cobots, or collaborative robots, in the future of education, along with the potential opportunities we have in using robots to support children’s growth and mental health. Patrícia speaks on the problems and solutions she’s encountered in using robots to address mental health issues in teenagers. Then, she details the most effective technological experiences for promoting creative skills in young kids.
“I was never interested in creating robots that are creative themselves, but rather to make robots as tools that we can use that would influence our creativity.” – Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Patrícia’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
Intentionally trigger your inner child. Make it an important mindset for you to be playful, curious, and explorative.
Don’t say “no” immediately.
Keep it simple. You don’t need much, you usually just need the right space and the right time to do things.
Don’t put everything on yourself. Children interact with so many other people that can help promote creativity, so leverage that connection.
Recommended Resources:
Listen to Part 1: link needed
Listen to the episode with David Cropley
Read Patrícia’s research papers
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Patrícia Alves-Oliveira:
Patrícia Alves-Oliveira is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Washington in Seattle. Patrícia received her Ph.D. in Human-Robot Interaction studies in 2020 from the University Institute of Lisbon and spent time at Cornell University as a Visiting Graduate Scholar. Her research focuses on designing human-robot interaction. She is especially interested in leveraging the qualities of social robots to empower human health and education. During her PhD, she studied the application of robots in fostering creativity in children. Now, during her postdoc, she is investigating how robots can demystify and improve mental health among adolescents. Patricia’s interdisciplinary work unifies the fields of robotics, design, and psychology.
Visit Patrícia’s website
Follow her on Twitter
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Read her research papers
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
In Part 1 of this Double Espresso episode, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Dr. Patrícia Alves-Oliveira, a Postdoctoral Researcher who focuses on designing human-robot interaction. Patrícia is especially interested in leveraging the qualities of social robots to empower human health and education, foster creativity in children, and improve mental health among adolescents.
Listen in to this episode to learn the impact of creativity interventions for children, how teachers can assess children to see if those interventions are working, and why it’s not always important to measure the outcomes, but to critique them.
“There is so much around the process that can impact other ways of education. For example, even during the teaching of history or math or biology, could there be a space in the formal curriculum where teachers open a creativity thought process?” – Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Patrícia shares her best advice for improving your interventions to promote creativity in young children, the power of not having expectations of your students, and how to introduce more fun, playful activities in your classroom.
“We tend to forget this, but the physical world wasn’t born. We created it. So, change it. Change it to whatever you need to make the activity you want to bring in reflected in the environment, too.” – Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Stay tuned for Part 2 for a discussion on using robots to foster creativity in kids + Patrícia’s Tips for Teachers and Parents!
“I don’t believe that children always need to be doing something to be creative. Sometimes, it happens in the closet of their minds and then it comes out unexpectedly.”
– Patrícia Alves-Oliveira
Recommended Resources:
Read Patrícia’s research papers
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Patrícia Alves-Oliveira:
Patrícia Alves-Oliveira is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Washington in Seattle. Patrícia received her Ph.D. in Human-Robot Interaction studies in 2020 from the University Institute of Lisbon and spent time at Cornell University as a Visiting Graduate Scholar. Her research focuses on designing human-robot interaction. She is especially interested in leveraging the qualities of social robots to empower human health and education. During her PhD, she studied the application of robots in fostering creativity in children. Now, during her postdoc, she is investigating how robots can demystify and improve mental health among adolescents. Patricia’s interdisciplinary work unifies the fields of robotics, design, and psychology.
Visit Patrícia’s website
Follow her on Twitter
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Read her research papers
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Lola Schnapp, a creativity and education advocate from Chile. Along with Cyndi, Lola is also the co-author of 20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum. Her passion is to share the power of creativity as an engine for change and growth in education.
Tune in to learn what it means to be deliberate about creativity in education, the powerful role of digital technology in creative development, and Lola’s recommendations on how teachers can deliberately add creativity into their lesson plans. Her insights emphasize the importance of thinking about the affordances that exist in our environments, such as technology tools, and how we’re using these tools to nurture creativity.
“In order to transform schools into innovative cultures, we need to be deliberate about creativity, since it is what starts the innovation process. Without creativity, we don’t have innovation.” – Lola Schnapp
She and Cyndi also talk about the creative process behind their book, 20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum.
“You need to embody what you want to see in students.” – Lola Schnapp
Lola’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
See yourself as a creative person.
Have fun, enjoy it! Don’t be too serious about your work.
Don’t do it alone. Find your kindred group to help you come up with those “crazy” ideas.
Recommended Resources:
20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum by Lola Schnapp & Dr. Cyndi Burnett
Blog Post – “Copying for Creativity”
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Listen to the episode with Dr. Vlad Glaveanu
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
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 learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.
Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at questions@fuelingcreativitypodcast.com!
You can also find The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and PodBean! Make sure to rate, review, and share the podcast if you enjoy it!
About Lola Schnapp:
Lola Schnapp is a creativity and education advocate, especially for the Hispanic community. Her passion is to share the power of creativity as an engine for change and growth in education. She finds creativity to be the missing link in education, since it helps to achieve great work by having fun and being motivated. She is the co-author of 20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum available in English and Spanish. She has worked as a primary school teacher and technology integration specialist, coaching teachers to integrate technology and new methodologies into their classrooms. Currently works in Chile helping to transform schools into innovation communities and cultures through consultancy and training.
Follow Lola on Instagram
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Learn more about Be Spark