Be Different, Think Different

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT.

Creative Acts for Curious People is full of creative routines to challenge your thinking and get your students actively engaged. Whether you read it front to back or use the 'Find Your Path' recommended reading lists, you are bound to find an activity you can use in your classroom tomorrow. This post will highlight a few paths and activities that I have used personally or with students.

Make Sense of Your Insights

These activities help your students think critically, uncover connections, interpret information, and form original thoughts. I've used the Unpacking Exercises to unpack observations to prevent me from jumping to the first solution I come up with, which is typically surface level. Write down ten highlights of the observation or interview to share with a peer. Sharing the highlights leads to questions and dialogue that allow you to focus on why the highlights were most impactful. Consider asking yourself the following if they don't come out of the discussion:

• Why did this stand out so much?

• Why is it interesting in light of the challenge I'm trying to address?

• What does this tell me about what this person believes or cares about?

• Why is this highlight important? What does it mean?

• What other types of situations does that make me think of?

• How does this help me see the problem or opportunity in a new way?

This framework provides time and space to synthesize the data collected through conversation.

Come Up with Ideas

This reading list offers six activities to unleash your imagination and generate new ideas. I've used Bisociation (combining ideation with synthesis) with 7th and 8th grade students to expand their thinking. This strategy has the group rapidly cross-pollinating ideas to help free up thinking as they generate new ideas. This is great activity for developing creative solutions without being tied to traditional boundaries. Bisociation generates bolder, more novel ideas when the brainstorming energy starts to slow.

Slow Down and Focus

The seven activities within this reading list will help you cultivate the patience needed do your best work. The I Like, I Wish activity is very powerful in Design Thinking work and was a big part of our research project last year. The authors suggest that this activity is THE ONE change that can have the most impact on your work, your team, and your school. Debriefing after an experience makes most anything better because it activates the learning and improving process. After a shared experience, create a group circle and invite everyone to reflect using the "I like" and "I wish" prompts. This activity highlights the importance of iteration through creative collaboration, and makes openness to change visible.

Put Your Work Out There

If you are looking for new ways to solicit feedback for improving your work this reading list is for you! The Test of Silence activity challenges you to present your work for feedback and remain silent as your peers talk out loud about what they are thinking and feeling as they use/experience your work. This works best when you observe a small group having a conversation about work. Watching others experience your work without any explanation highlights the strengths and weaknesses of your project.

This book is my go to resource for active, student centered routines. I encourage you to explore the other Creative Acts for Curious People reading lists:

• Seeing things in a new way

• Work well with others

• Come up with ideas

• Build something

• Tell a compelling story

• Take control of your own learning

• Locate your own voice

• Get out and discover

• Pick up the pace

• Have fun

• Work toward equity

• Peer into the future

• Tackle a whole project