Fueling Creativity in Education

Exploring levels of student engagement with Dr. Heather Lyon

How is creativity connected to engagement in an educational environment? In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Dr. Heather Lyon, author of Engagement is not a Unicorn (It’s a Narwhal) and The BIG Book of Engagement Strategies.
 
Listen in to learn Heather’s unique formula for engagement, the differences between student engagement and adult engagement, and engagement impacts our ability to be successful learners. She details her 4 Levels of Engagement and what causes someone to shift from one level to another, as well as the manifestations of each of these engagement levels.
 
“Compliance is not engagement”- Heather Lyon
 
Heather’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
Teachers are models for students. Students do what they see, so teachers who are engaged and creative have students that are also engaged and creative. Be willing to celebrate both the progress and the struggle.
Compliance is not engagement. Stop being okay with students who are simply doing what they’re told.
Creativity is the fuel for engagement. The more a person has choice, voice, input, and control over what they are doing, the more likely they are to be at least interested, if not absorbed, in the learning.
 
About Heather Lyon:
Heather Lyon is author of Engagement is not a Unicorn (It’s a Narwhal) and The BIG Book of Engagement Strategies.  Heather is a former English teacher and has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and an Ed.M. in Reading from the University at Buffalo. She is an Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology for Lewiston-Porter Central School District in Western New York. Heather has been a staff developer and held various administrative titles, but the professional title she likes best is learner. She is also a proud wife and mother who struggles with but values the importance of boundaries and balance—which are so critical for all of us. Heather lives with her husband and three children, who make her smile and teach her the importance of kindness, respect, and patience.
 
Visit Heather’s website
Follow her on Twitter
Connect with her on LinkedIn
 
 
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to the episodes with Ron Beghetto
Listen to the episode with Dr. James Kaufman
Listen to the episode with Sally Reis
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
 
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!

Learning to think like a Designer with Toy Coach Azhelle Wade

How can toys help develop a child’s imagination and foster design thinking? Can apps and videogames promote creativity? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Azhelle Wade, a toy designer and Founder of The Toy Coach. Through her online Toy Creators Academy course, Azhelle uses her industry knowledge to teach aspiring toy inventors and entrepreneurs how to develop, pitch, and sell their toy ideas.
Tune in to hear Azhelle’s thoughts on why toy design and design thinking should be in school curriculums, her process for teaching toy design, and opportunities for the toy industry to be more creative and innovative. 
You’ll also learn how games and apps can promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as the potential impact iPads and other devices can have on imagination, play, and creativity. Plus, Azhelle shares how to do a toy challenge at home as well as her top 3 recommended toys and games for parents to gift to their kids this year.
“Even inventors that come to me now, I have to bring them back to what you’re teaching your students. Who are you making this for? Why are you making this for them? Why do they need this? ” - Azhelle Wade
 
Azhelle’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
Know your market. Build a community in which you can discuss what you like/don’t like and what you wish you had regarding your kids’ toys.
Get comfortable with foam core and cardboard. Anytime your students/kids have an idea, build mockups. That’s the first step to making something real.
Toy challenges are great for getting kids excited about being creative and innovative.
 
About Azhelle Wade:
Azhelle created thetoycoach.com and the podcast, Making It in The Toy Industry, to help inventors and entrepreneurs develop, pitch, and sell their toy ideas. Her deeply intellectual curiosity coupled with a passion and dedication to making the world a more toyetic place guides her followers to unlock their best ideas yet. Azhelle’s inspirational mantras and industry insights will be your guiding light into the fun, crazy, world of toys.  
 
Resources Mentioned:
Pixicade 
Marmals 
Animoodles 
People of Play Week- Young Inventor Challenge
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
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!
 

Bridging the Gap: Creativity Tips and Gifts for the Holidays

How do you support your children's creativity, and make meaning and connections this holiday season? What gifts should you get your children this year that will help nurture their creativity? We have some ideas! In this special holiday episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood share activities and traditions to promote creative thinking as a family during the holidays. Plus, they share lots of affordable gift ideas that promote creative thinking in children of all ages. 
 
“It’s not about the gifts, it’s about those memories that we want to make with our children and our students.” - Dr. Cyndi Burnett
 
What holiday memories would you like to make with your kids or students this year?
 
Low-Cost Creative Gift Ideas for Kids in 2021:
Bug box 
Foam Tiles 
ZOOB Builderz 
Magna-Tiles 
Outschool classes 
Guess Who Game?  Make your own Guess Who Game.
 
Mid-Range Cost Creative Gift Ideas for Kids in 2021: 
Boxer robot 
Shattered Glass Ceiling Necklace 
 
Higher-End Creative Gift Ideas for Kids in 2021:
Mindstorms
Dash and Dot 
Toybox 3D Printer 
Telescope 
 
Resources Mentioned:
How to combine two puzzles together.
Tips for Making Holiday Cards on DadsforCreativity.com
Family Game Night Make Your Own Rules Video!
Listen to the episode with Sally Reis
Listen to the episode with Natalie Nixon
Listen to the episode with Scott Barry Kaufman
Listen to the episode with Bryan Alexander 
Listen to the episode with Jonathan Nalder 
 
Please note: After we recorded the episode, a colleague recommended we insert affiliate links to help fund the production of the Fueling Creativity podcast.  Therefore, if you click on the links and make a purchase, you are also helping to support our podcast production!
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 

Tracking Wonder and Creativity with Jeffrey Davis

How are creativity and wonder connected? What happens when we infuse wonder into education? In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Jeffrey Davis, an author, team culture consultant and educator, and CEO of Tracking Wonder Consultancy. For over 25 years, he’s inspired thousands of changemakers, leaders, and creatives to unlock their best ideas through the pursuit of curiosity, innovation, and wonder. 
Listen in as Jeffrey shares his thoughts on the connection between wonder and creativity as well as how educators and parents can create a culture of wonder in the classroom and at home. He offers insightful advice for burnt out teachers and parents on how to use wonder to reignite their sense of purpose and passion for teaching.
Plus, you’ll gain insight into the power of tracking your wonder for professional growth and learning, along with valuable lessons learned from Jeffrey’s book, Tracking Wonder, about the six facets of wonder, like curiosity and bewilderment. 
“Wonder is a heightened state of awareness that’s brought on by something unexpected that can delight us or disorient us or both.” - Jeffrey Davis
 
Jeffrey’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:
Bring your innate wonder back to the motor of human learning. 
Daily recognize the genius in every learner, including yourself and your colleagues.
Champion pragmatic idealism over default cynicism. 
 
Resources Mentioned:
Tracking Wonder by Jeffrey Davis. 
Listen to the episode with Ron Beghetto.
 
About Jeffrey Davis:
Jeffrey Davis equips creatives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to leverage their ideas into expanding their influence with integrity. His work and research with creative innovators, scientists, and social psychologists offers him leading insights on how creatives flourish in times of challenge and change. He has taught at and is a highly sought after speaker for numerous conferences, universities, and centers.
He’s author of the book The Journey from the Center to the Page (Penguin; Monkfish Publishing) the poetry collections City Reservoir (BarnBurner Press) and Coat Thief (Saint Julian Press), and other books. He also writes on the science of creativity as a regular contributor to Psychology Today and The Creativity Post. Davis heads up a renegade team of creatives, as a branding consultant, at the Tracking Wonder Consultancy.
 
Connect with Jeffrey:
Visit his website: www.trackingwonder.com 
Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-davis-875b264 
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
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!
 

The role of Serendipity in Creativity with Dr. Wendy Ross

How does serendipity affect creativity? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Dr. Wendy Ross, a cognitive scientist, senior lecturer in psychology, and Chair of the Serendipity Society. Wendy’s research looks at the role of serendipity in creativity, using everything from experimental methods to ethnographic work.
Listen in as Wendy shares her research findings on the relationship between serendipity and creativity, why serendipity is a disruptive force in learning, and the importance of students building a tolerance to failure and adversity. She also gives powerful advice for educators on implementing this knowledge around serendipity in the classroom.
They also discuss the current debates on whether the pandemic has increased or decreased feelings of serendipity, as well as what teachers can do foster a norm of working through discomfort and mistakes. 
“That’s what makes serendipity a powerful tool, is that it relies on the prepared mind and it relies on this idea of scarcity of wisdom, of using the accidents that come to you and taking advantage of them.” - Dr. Wendy Ross
Wendy’s Tips for Teachers:
Encourage your students to get comfortable with discomfort and failure.
Generate interesting environments with many different moments of inspiration and pathways of creativity.
Most serendipity comes from interactions with people, not with things.
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to the episode with Vlad Glaveanu. 
Listen to the episode with Ron Beghetto. 
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
About Dr. Wendy Ross:
Wendy’s main topic of research is the role of material serendipity in higher cognitive processes such as insight problem solving and creativity. She draws on a range of methods from eye-tracking and experimental psychology to focused cognitive ethnography. She is currently co-editing two collections on serendipity: The Art of Serendipity (Palgrave) and Serendipity Science (Springer). She is Co-Chair of the Serendipity Society and Vice President of the Possibility Studies Network. In 2021, she was awarded the Frank  Barron prize by Division 10 of the APA.
Connect with Wendy:
Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-ross-670487191 
 
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!
 

Bridging the Gap: Lessons Learned from Season Two (Part 1)

What were the biggest lessons learned so far in Season Two of the Fueling Creativity podcast? In this episode, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood sit down and have a debrief to reflect on the first 5 episodes of Season Two, highlighting the key takeaways and major lessons these conversations have taught them about creativity and education.
 
Listen in as Cyndi and Matthew break down the following insights.
 
Major Takeaways from Season Two, Episodes 1-5:
 
Heightening anticipation for students increases engagement and excitement about learning any content. Learn more about creating “hooks” in the classroom, by listening to the episode with Dr. Sally Reis and read about the Torrance Incubation Model.
 
There is immense value in identifying interests from an early age. It’s important to note that having too many interests may make it difficult to focus on one. Additionally, it may be hard for students to develop interests, so don’t force it. Simply help your children or students explore different areas and see what sparks curiosity.
 
Think about the future, and the skills that your students/children may need.  For more information on this, listen to the episode with Jonathan Nadler.
 
Human-centered education, or personalized learning, focuses on what each individual student needs to be successful, rather than treating everyone as though they have the same needs. To learn more, listen to the episode with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. 
Resources Mentioned:
Read about the Torrance Incubation Model.
20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum
Listen to the episode with Jonathan Nalder 
Listen to the episode with Dr. Sally Reis. 
Listen to the episode with Leon Tynes. 
Listen to the episode with Donna Luther. 
Listen to the episode with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman.  
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
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!
 

Teaching students to think for tomorrow with Jonathan Nalder

What does the future of creativity and innovation look like and how do we get students involved? In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood speak with Jonathan Nalder, a globally awarded innovator in education and Chief Futures Officer at STEM Punks, about the best practices for integrating digital tools and forward thinking in learning environments. 
Listen in as Jonathan shares his thoughts on why future trends are important in education, how STEM is connected to creativity, and the trends you can expect in education in the next 10-15 years.
They also discuss the role of empathy in design thinking, how he and STEM Punks are preparing students to work in collaboration with machines and AI, and the strategies he uses in project-based learning environments to get students thinking about potential human problems of the future. Then, he sheds light on his program, First School on Mars, and how it has grown over the years.
“Instead of going, “How are we going to solve radiation in space?” You know, really hard science… What we do to flip that instead is... “Okay, if humans are going to Mars, they’re going to be away from Earth for 3-4 years minimum. So, what kind of base are you going to design that will mean the humans are happy living away?”” - Jonathan Nalder
 
Jonathan’s Tips for Parents & Teachers:
Make time for exploring in the classroom and give your students agency within that.
Bring physical props into the classroom.  
Think about human relationships in relation to technology.
Visit FutureWe.org and STEMPunks.com.au to gain access to powerful resources and become a part of our community!
 
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to the episode with Bryan Alexander: https://bit.ly/3vQkQqc
Save Tomorrow for the Children by E. Paul Torrance: https://amzn.to/3GG58mC
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
About Jonathan Nalder:
Jonathan has spent 19 years as a creative ideas factory, scaffolder of change, and builder of supportive communities with education and training organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, schools and space professionals. He spends up to 90 minutes every day researching future trends so he can distill this with his experience as a visual story-teller, planner, teacher, and writer so that communities of practice world-wide can benefit.
 
Connect with Jonathan:
Connect with him on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/jonathannalder 
 
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!
 

Talking Talented and Giftedness with Dr. Sally Reis

In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview Dr. Sally Reis, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, about why teachers need to be more aware of gifted and talented students, including 2e students, and why there’s a big focus on creativity in this field of gifted education. She also offers recommendations on how we can continue breaking down the challenges women and young girls face in STEM education and leadership. 
Sally shares her thoughts on why creativity isn’t incorporated into mainstream education curriculums as much as it is for gifted students, as well as her framework for schoolwide enrichment reading and exploration of passions and interests.
We also discuss the beneficial impacts of facilitating creative and productive activities in school, including science fairs and writing books. Then, using the concept of multi-potentiality, Sally addresses parental concerns with navigating their children’s many interests and talents. 
“One of the major goals of many gifted education models and programs is the development of students’ creativity so that we will have the next generation of inventors, producers, painters, artists, engineers, high creatives that are doing good work in our society. This type of education benefits the entire globe.” - Sally Reis
Sally’s Tips for Parents & Teachers:
Exposure, exposure, exposure! Take your kids to museums, watch Tedx talks with them, watch good TV and films, expose them to nature, and so much more.
Help your children develop an interest. Good exposure leads to strong interests. Interests may not last, but their capacity to have interests is critical. Having interests makes life better.
Integrate project-based learning. Doing experiments and hands-on projects helps them nurture their creative fire, develop passions, and have fun while learning.
 
Resources Mentioned:
Schoolwide Enrichment Model: https://gifted.uconn.edu/schoolwide-enrichment-model
Schoolwide Enrichment Model Reading Framework: https://gifted.uconn.edu/semr-about
 
About Sally Reis: Sally Reis is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, and a Teaching Fellow in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. She currently holds the Letitia Neag Chair in Educational Psychology. She was a public school teacher and administrator for 15 years, prior to her work at UConn. She has authored more than 250 articles, books, book chapters, monographs and technical reports. She has traveled extensively across the country conducting workshops and providing professional development for school districts on enrichment programs and gender equity programs. Sally serves on the editorial board of the Gifted Child Quarterly, and is a past-president of The National Association for Gifted Children. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and was named a Distinguished Scholar of the National Association for Gifted Children.
 
Connect with Sally:
Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sally-reis-4304b810 
 
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. 
 
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
 
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!