Fueling Creativity in Education

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!
 

Making a commitment to Professional Learning with Leon Tynes

In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview AP Computer Science educator, Leon Tynes, about how flipped classrooms have given him time and space to facilitate more meaningful experiences in the classroom. Plus, he speaks on how he prioritizes his own personal growth and development as an educator.
Leon details his approach to navigating changes in technology throughout the school year, as well as his approach to flipped classrooms, offering tips for teachers on having a successful flipped classroom experience. 
He also sheds light on the power of being vulnerable and putting yourself in the midst of your classroom’s chaos, collaborating with your fellow teachers and administrators, and believing in your students.
“The goal is not retirement. The goal is elevating students to be those next professionals or those game changers that basically deal with these issues on the planet that we have going on right now, issues in society. That’s what I want to see.” - Leon Tynes
Leon’s Tips for Teachers:
Assess where you are. If you’re not comfortable, get comfortable, and figure out what you need to do to get there. What type of educator do you want to be or are you done being one?
Decide what steps you need to take regarding your personal development (PD). Every bit helps propel you forward.
Find balance in work and personal life so you can open yourself up to opportunities. Everything has a season, there may be times where your schedule is loaded due to PD, so prepare yourself and your family for those times.
Resources Mentioned:
Weaving Creativity into Every Strand of Your Curriculum by Dr. Cyndi Burnett: https://amzn.to/3AyeSe9 
Unity: www.unity.com/learn/educators
 
About Leon Tynes:
Leon Tynes is the AP Computer Science educator at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. For the past twelve years, Tynes has used a flipped classroom approach to maximize learning in the realms of 3D modeling, digital media, mobile app development, and computer science courses. Dedicated to immersing his students in all aspects of technology, he has successfully integrated science and engineering concepts, which has led to numerous student awards. He has a passion for habitat and climate issues and wishes to develop authentic projects to broaden students’ global awareness in STEM.
 
“My focus has always been in urban education and equity in computer science and technology,” Tynes says. “I have a significant amount of experience with students creating nonfiction media dealing with contemporary social issues. Imploring students to research contemporary issues that directly affect their communities and their potential to explore college and substantive careers is a priority of my pedagogy.”
 
Connect with Leon:
Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/leontynesjr
Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leontynesjr
Follow him on Instagram: www.instagram.com/leontynesjr 
 
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!
 

Leading a Culture of Teacher Creativity with Donna Luther

In this episode of Fueling Creativity, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview arts and creativity educator, Donna Luther, about how she nurtures a culture of creativity and problem solving as Head of Inly School, an all-gender PreK-8 Montessori day school in Massachusetts.
Donna highlights how her students are inspired to act on their ideas, why it’s so impactful to think about a school as a start-up, and how she encourages teachers and students to take risks and be okay with experiencing failure.
She also speaks on the characteristics she looks for in teachers that she hires and what really makes a creative educator, including openness and willingness to evolve and innovate. Plus, Donna tells the incredible story of why she started Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts (spoiler: it was inspired by Britney Spears!). 
“It’s our responsibility, not only to stay current, but actually to stay future focused. Not only what do we need for today, but what do we need for the unknown of tomorrow for our students.” - Donna Luther
Donna’s Tips for Teachers – Montessori Philosophies That Can Be Applied to Any School:
Go beyond the four walls of the classroom. What can you do in your hallways, playground, and your community to explore and help your students discover something new or discover a passion?
Practice saying YES to ideas. Remember, be open!
Always ask yourself: How might we prepare our students for a world that we can’t predict? Learn how to question, problem solve, and to take two very disconnected ideas and find ways they can connect.
 
Resources Mentioned:
Learn more about Inly School: www.inlyschool.org 
 
About Donna Luther:
An arts and creativity educator, Donna Luther is currently Head of Inly School, an all-gender independent, Montessori based day school in Massachusetts for students ages 2 – 14. She is a member of the Leadership Development faculty for the Creative Education Foundation, where she teaches Creativity in the 21st Century Classroom, Advanced Strategies for Educators, Facilitation through the Arts, and Integrating Creativity and Leadership to educators and business professionals worldwide. As an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, she has taught in the national and international M.Ed. program for Creative Arts in Learning. She has presented at conferences throughout the United States and in Brazil, China, South Africa and Israel. Donna is founding director of Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts.
 
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!
 

Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman and the New Science of Self-Actualization

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, about his most recent book, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. In this book, he reimagines Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Dr. Kaufman shares his discoveries from diving deep into the psychological theories of Abraham Maslow, highlighting powerful thoughts on how educators can establish a safe environment with students and how feelings of uncertainty and insecurity play a major role in a child’s ability to learn.
Dr. Kaufman also speaks on why exploration is a key driver of creativity as well as how to encourage students to be open to new experiences, be aware of their judgments and biases, and find meaning in life.
You’ll hear a fascinating analogy of how life is like a sailboat and how microconnections can help you establish meaningful relationships with your students and colleagues.
Plus, Dr. Kaufman sheds light on how twice-exceptional students develop different skillsets, along with what educators can do to maximize their potential in the classroom.
Dr. Kaufman’s Tips for Teachers:
Be open to new ports that you might be wanting to sail to throughout your semester.
Encourage respectful dissent in your classroom.
Model openness for your students.
Resources Mentioned:
Love 2.0 by Barbara Frederickson: www.positivityresonance.com
The Bias That Divides Us by Keith Stanovich: www.keithstanovich.com/Site/Books.html
About Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman:
Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist. He is the founder and director of the Center for the Science of Human Potential, and the author of several books, including Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined, Wired to Create, and most recently, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. Scott hosts the #1 psychology podcast in the world - The Psychology Podcast. His research focuses on how to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and self-actualized life.
 
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!
 
 

Season 2: Welcome Back to the Fueling Creativity Podcast

The Fueling Creativity in Education podcast returns for a second season, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood discuss three goals for the second season of the show and share some new formats for interviews and debrief episodes. 
 
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!

Bridging the Gap: 3 Big Lessons Learned from Season 1

In this first-ever debrief episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood review their experience producing the first season and recap the various topics that emerged in their interviews with creativity scholars and academic researchers. Specifically, they discuss the concept of teachers as designers, which is something closely related to Matthew's work in education, the impact of AI on creativity, and contextual factors that impact creativity in education. Cyndi also discusses some of her work developing creativity thinking skills with students. 
 
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!

Dr. James Kaufman shares the latest research in Creativity

In this final episode of Season One, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood interview leading creativity researcher, Dr. James Kaufman, about current trends in creativity research and how they might impact the future of education. Dr. Kaufman shares insight into the relationship between creativity and mental health, positivity, and having meaning in one's life.
 
You’ll learn about the Four-C Model of Creativity, what educators need to know about creativity and mental health, and how creativity can help you improve mood and heal from trauma.
 
Plus, Dr. Kaufman sheds light on the advantages of bringing more creativity into your daily life, how teachers can begin to integrate more creativity in the classroom, how expressive writing can promote a higher quality of life, and more!
 
“Most of what I think about creativity can be summarized in three words: It all counts.”                                                                                                               - Dr. James Kaufman
 
 
About Dr. James Kaufman:
James C. Kaufman is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is the author/editor of more than 50 books, including Creativity 101 (2nd Edition, 2016) and the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (2nd Edition, 2019; with Robert Sternberg). He has published more than 300 papers, including the study that spawned the “Sylvia Plath Effect,” and three well-known theories of creativity, including (with Ron Beghetto) the Four-C Model of Creativity. He is a past president of Division 10 of the American Psychological Association.
 
James has won many awards, including Mensa’s research award, the Torrance Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, and APA’s Berlyne and Farnsworth awards. He co-founded two major journals (Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts and Psychology of Popular Media Culture). He has tested Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s creativity on CNN, appeared in the hit Australia show Redesign Your Brain, and narrated the comic book documentary Independents. He wrote the book and lyrics to Discovering Magenta, which had its NYC premiere in 2015.
 
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!