Fueling Creativity in Education

How might a cardboard box help our students be more creative?

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett sit down with Dr. Marci Klein, a pediatrician and founder of 3DuxDesign. Marci sheds light on the pervasive self-centered mindset in society and stresses the need to cultivate empathy and community, both in education and at home. As a champion of project-based learning, she delves into her innovative approach to integrating STEM education with social-emotional development. Marci's unique product—cardboard modeling kits with specially designed hardware connectors—illustrates how creativity and hands-on activities can powerfully engage children, fostering a spirit of collaboration and open-ended play. 

Throughout the conversation, Marci and the hosts explore the broader implications of product design and the necessity of considering unintended consequences, referencing innovation diffusion theory. Klein advocates for creating learning experiences that are passion-driven and flexible, giving students the room to explore their interests. The episode calls on educators to rethink traditional methods, prioritize empathy, and foster environments where creativity can flourish.

About Marci:

Marci Klein, MD, is a pediatrician and founder of 3DuxDesign, a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) that creates innovative STEM education solutions. With over 25 years of experience in early childhood development and education, Dr. Klein integrates her expertise in pediatric growth and development to design engaging, hands-on learning projects that connect play with real-world problem-solving. Her work focuses on empowering educators to implement project-based learning (PBL) that supports academic growth and social-emotional development. Under her leadership, 3DuxDesign has expanded its reach globally, offering educators tools and resources that inspire the next generation of thinkers and changemakers. Dr. Klein is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments and has presented at numerous educational conferences, sharing her insights on the intersection of STEM, SEL, and community-centered design.

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

This is the first debrief episode of Season 9 of the "Fueling Creativity in Education” podcast! Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett dive into their key takeaways from the first three episodes of the season, featuring guests Dr. Ruth Richards, Ann Jacoby, and Neil Bergenroth. Topics range from normalizing feedback in the classroom to blending personal passions with teaching methods. The concept of everyday creativity, its role in fostering a meaningful and joyful educational experience, and the emotional resilience needed to navigate feedback are thoroughly explored. Wrapping up, Cyndi and Matthew reflect on the importance of finding micro-moments of joy and mindfulness in teaching, as well as the value of building authentic connections with students through passion-driven projects. Stay tuned for more enriching episodes and insightful debriefs, and be sure to check out additional content on their website, fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Cyndi Burnett and Matthew Worwood are joined by Neil Bergenroth, an innovative educator and coach passionate about integrating rowing and STEM education. Neil discusses how his programs leverage rowing machines funded by a grant to provide every student with the opportunity to experience and choose rowing as an elective. He shares his emphasis on authenticity, passion, and building confidence in students through the fusion of teaching and technology. Neil's initiative demonstrates a unique method of engaging students in physics principles by using real-time data from rowing machines, thereby creating tactile learning experiences that bridge physical activity and academic concepts.

Neil highlights the importance of nutrition, sleep, and strong relationships for success in both sports and life, aligning these factors with the process of creativity and innovation. The episode concludes with valuable tips for educators on integrating passion, creating safe learning spaces, and bringing authenticity into their teaching practices. 

About Neil Bergenroth

Neil Bergenroth is a life-long educator/rowing coach, award-winning app developer, entrepreneur, and USRowing Level III rowing coach who values community service and developing innovative learning environments. Bergenroth is the Director of the Upper School Technology department and the Pauline McFarlin Walter Upper School Master Teacher Chair at Holland Hall, an Episcopal School in Tulsa, OK. Bergenroth also currently serves as Director of Outreach at Tulsa Youth Rowing Association. Bergenroth has combined his passions and created a curriculum integrating rowing and STEM. He also manages programs that have been established to provide more access to the sport of rowing in under-resourced communities. With over twenty-five years of classroom teaching and coaching experience, Bergenroth aspires to develop student-athletes who strive to impact their communities.

Follow Neil:

www.coachbergenroth.com

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Do you want to weave creativity into your content? 

Check out CreativityandEducation.com

How might we provide feedback to build creative confidence in our students?

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett dive into an engaging conversation with Anne Jacoby, founder of the culture consultancy Spring Street. The discussion centers on the importance of effective feedback in promoting creative thinking within the classroom environment. Anne elaborates on her unique approach to cultivating creativity in professional spaces through cultural assessments, leadership programs, and coaching.

Anne shares her educational journey, reflecting on how her experiences in creative and arts-intensive environments, including the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, fostered her own creative confidence. She emphasizes the importance of providing students with specific, immediate feedback, drawing parallels between her experiences in the arts and her observations in the corporate world. The conversation highlights how environments that support creativity contribute to lifelong skills of accepting and utilizing constructive criticism.

The speakers delve into the idea of "passing notes" as a method for providing effective feedback. They focus on creating a culture where feedback is integral to the learning process rather than a critiquing mechanism that induces defensiveness. Anne recounts how receiving notes in a public setting within theater and dance classes fosters a norm of continuous improvement and collaborative growth. lenges and benefits of this feedback method.

Anne shares creativity boosters from her book "Born to Create" to provide listeners with actionable strategies. The hosts challenge each other with a playful activity using clay to create awards for their colleagues, demonstrating a practical way for educators to engage students in creative thinking. This episode provides insights into effective feedback and tangible methods for educators to incorporate creative thinking into their teaching practices.

Check out Fueling Creativity in Education Website!

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Do you want to infuse creative thinking into your classroom? Check out CreativityandEducation.com

Have we lost our everyday creativity?

In the latest episode of the "Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast," hosts Cyndi Burnett and Matthew Worwood engage in a thought-provoking conversation with esteemed guest Dr. Ruth Richards, an expert on everyday creativity. The trio delves into the concept of emergence, highlighting its unpredictable nature and its parallels to learning, growth, and societal development. Dr. Richards challenges the traditional reliance on IQ testing as the sole measure of creativity, referencing the historical context provided by psychologist Abraham Maslow and his collaboration with Thorndike on the idea of self-actualization. This conversation emphasizes the importance of nurturing individual strengths and interests to foster a more inclusive and creative educational environment.

The episode also touches on practical ways to integrate creativity into the classroom. Dr. Richards suggests three actionable tips for educators: ask questions to provoke thought, explore the creativity inherent in nature, and cultivate a mindful state of creativity. These methods aim to encourage a new normal in education—one that embraces diversity, individuality, and dynamic change.

Learn more about Ruth Richards here!

Book: Everyday Creativity and the Healthy Mind

Check out our Fueling Creativity in Education website!

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

What is everyday creativity, and how does it contribute to well-being and resilience in the classroom?

Welcome to Season Nine of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast! In this Double Expresso of the "Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast," hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett welcome educational psychologist and board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Ruth Richards to discuss the profound concept of everyday creativity. Dr. Richards, known for her extensive work in creativity studies and mental health, delves into how creativity manifests in daily life through various activities, from cooking to landscaping, and its critical role in promoting mental well-being. The conversation underscores the significance of mindfulness and authenticity in the classroom and explores practical ways that educators can integrate everyday creativity into their teaching practices. With examples of hands-on discovery lessons and personal anecdotes, the hosts and Dr. Richards emphasize the joy and engagement students experience when they are allowed to explore and create, highlighting the delicate balance between structured curriculum and creative freedom.

Additionally, the episode tackles the challenges educators face in fostering creativity within the constraints of traditional education systems. Dr. Richards and the hosts discuss the potential healing aspects of creativity, especially in individuals with mental health issues, elucidating how everyday creativity can serve as a therapeutic tool. The episode also touches on the role of teachers’ creative approaches and the importance of recognizing and valuing creative expressions in all forms. Sponsored by Curiosity to Create, this insightful discussion prompts educators to rethink their approach to teaching and consider the broader impacts of nurturing a creative mindset in their students. Be sure to tune in for a rich conversation and stay tuned for a special follow-up episode to further explore the dynamics of everyday creativity in educational settings.

Learn more about Ruth Richards here!

Book: Everyday Creativity and the Healthy Mind

Have you seen our new website? Fuelingcreativitypodcast.com

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Welcome back to another exciting academic year of the "Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast"! In this special episode, hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett kick off Season 9 with new features designed to enrich the dialogue around creativity in education. This season, they introduce Emerging Scholar in Residence Jimmy Wilson, who's a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut. Jimmy brings invaluable insights into neurodiverse learners' creativity, aiming to provide both research-backed and practical strategies for educators. The team has also expanded their multi-platform presence, including debrief videos available on their YouTube channel, ensuring a richer, comprehensive engagement with the audience.

This episode also revisits the recently concluded "Listen and Learn" series focused on classical creativity literature, encouraging listeners to explore these short, insightful episodes and participate in the ongoing interactive contest. Don't miss next week’s engaging episode with Dr. Ruth Richards, promising to deliver innovative exercises that intersect mental health and creativity for the classroom.

Check out our website: FuelingCreativityPodcast.com

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Teacher Roundtables: Teaching during the Pandemic" offers a deep dive into the challenges and triumphs of six educators during the pandemic.

In this episode Matt and Cyndi introduce a documentary film, titled Teaching During the Pandemic. The film unfolds through a roundtable discussion that facilitates personal anecdotes about the emotional and professional hurdles teachers faced as they worked to connect and engage with their students during the initial lockdown and the personal toll of navigating their health and well-being once schools returned the following year.

The story showcases the remarkable ways teachers went above and beyond to support their students and the innovative strategies that emerged from the experience.

In this final episode of the 2024 Listen and Learn series, hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood conclude their exploration of classic literature in the field of creativity. They discuss the importance of studying these foundational works to gain a historical perspective and bridge connections between research and creative teaching and learning environments. 

Together, they dive into the Creative Studies Project, a research study conducted by Sid Parnes and Ruth Noller in 1972 at Buffalo State University. The project aimed to determine if the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process could be taught and its impact on creativity, academics, and life. The study involved 350 students divided into experimental and control groups, with notable figures such as J.P. Guilford, E. Paul Torrance, and Don MacKinnon serving on the research board.

The results of the two-year Creative Studies Project showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in their ability to cope with real-life situations, produce and evaluate new ideas, and engage in productive, creative behavior. The findings also revealed that 90% of the students believed they would apply what they learned in the program to their future lives and found it valuable compared to other college courses. The hosts emphasize the importance of teaching creativity and its potential to foster psychological health and well-being.

To conclude the episode, Cyndi Burnett leads an activity from the original Creative Studies Project curriculum, challenging listeners to generate impossible ideas for improving something and then modify them to make them work. The hosts encourage listeners to submit their solutions along with the final code word for the Listen-and-Learn series to [email protected]

Check out our website at fuelingcreativitypodcast.com

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?

Can we teach students to think creatively?

In the latest episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Worwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett delve into the work of E. Paul Torrance,the father of creativity in education. This fourth installment of the Listen and Learn series continues the exploration of classic literature in the field of creativity, providing a historical perspective that bridges the gap between research and teaching practices. Beginning with Torrance's groundbreaking paper, "Can We Teach Children to Think Creatively?" published in 1972, Cyndi and Matthew discuss the evolution of creativity studies from Guilford's pioneering speech in 1950 to Torrance's influential theories and tests. Cyndi emphasizes Torrance's vulnerability and the qualitative evidence he presented, while Matthew shares his personal journey into creativity, inspired by Sir Ken Robinson and furthered through applying Torrance's principles in his own classroom.

The episode also spotlights the variety of strategies and modalities Torrance examined for teaching creativity, from creative problem-solving to motivation and environmental factors. Cyndi reflects on her own transformative experience with Dr. Roger Firestein's course and the profound impact it had on her life. Meanwhile, Matthew recounts his early career challenges and eventual discovery of the importance of originality in student projects, leading to a dedicated focus on teaching creative thinking skills. 

Check out our Fueling Creativity in Education Website!

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district?