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China, Creativity and the Dangers of Flash
My visit to Chinese schools has left me with amazing memories and a sense of scale that has changed forever my sense of “big.” The train stations were enormous. The cities were enormous. The schools...
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Moving Beyond the One Right Answer Trap
A few weeks ago I had the interesting opportunity to be interviewed for BAM Radio, an internet radio station that addresses all manner of important issues in education. I was part of a conversation...
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Of Testing and Teaching, Carts and Horses
It would not come as any surprise to any teacher I know, that the United States’ current obsession with high stakes testing may not be the best thing for student learning—to say nothing of student...
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Traveling for Creativity
Want to be more creative? Take a trip! Maybe. When I think about “highlight memories” of my life thus far, many of them revolve around travel. When I was a teenager, I had the chance to live in...
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Creative Crèches
For many years, one of the favorite Ann Arbor Christmas traditions was a large crèche (nativity scene) display, with examples from all corners of the world. That particular display is no longer...
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Sing We Now of Christmas
As this is posted, I will be somewhere on the probably-snowy roads, visiting my in-laws for the holidays. I know many of you will be equally busy so, for today, here’s some lovely Christmas music,...
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Have a Creative New Year!
One of the great gifts of a career that runs on a school calendar is that we can claim at least two “New Years” each year. We start the school year (whenever it begins) with resolutions to be our best...
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The Silk Road Project: Creative Synergy Across Cultures
Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to hear a performance of The Silk Road Ensemble, an extraordinary group of musicians based in the Silk Road Project. As described by their website: The Silk...
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International Changes: Multicultural Experiences Just a Click Away
This is the time of year when I vacillate between being grateful to see the semester wind down and thinking about all the things I hope to do better next term. In case you, too, are in the mood for...
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What’s in a Name? Maybe Creative Judgments
A recent article in the Creativity Research Journal had an intriguing title, beginning, “Tell Me Your Name and I’ll Tell You How Creative Your Work Is.” The article looked at how a creator’s name and...
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What’s Creativity in Your World?
What does creativity look like? What makes individuals creative? What might hold them back? Interestingly, your answers to those questions may be different, depending on where you live. In one recent...
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Travel, Creativity, and the Wonder of it All
I’m back from an amazing 40th anniversary trip to Mainland China and Tibet (yes, obviously, we were married as babes!) On one hand, it was a blissful opportunity to leave everything work-related...
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Creative Crèches
In just a few days, it will be Christmas. I’m still grading papers, I haven’t baked my usual cookies, and my house doesn’t remotely resemble anything on Pinterest. And yet it doesn’t matter. Really. It...
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What Makes Us Happy: From Bhutan to Your School
A few years ago I first learned about the small country of Bhutan’s unique contribution to the process of measuring progress—Gross National Happiness (GNH). Gross National Happiness suggests that there...
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Vacation=More Creativity? Maybe
Take a vacation and increase your creativity! Sound too good to be true? Perhaps not. I had to smile reading an article by researchers from The Netherlands, Finland, and Germany in which they examined...
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Gerbil Uncurled: When the Rules Don’t Work
In our family, road trips mean exploring bookstores. So, naturally, our holiday travels meant time to discover new resources for children of all ages. I know many of the books I share with you are...
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Making Learning Matter: Powerful Supports
Strategies that support students in their creativity also support their learning. I have been repeating this mantra for more than 20 years, and the more I learn, the truer it becomes. It makes me think...
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Travel, Creativity, and Challenging Days
What would you do if you wanted to decorate a new restaurant or bar? Where would you go for inspiration or materials? In Budapest, you might look to Szimpla Kert, the original “ruin bar.” While ruin...
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The Power of Play: We Need It Now
When I look back at the times I’ve written about play (for example here, and here), it seems I come back to that theme when life gets hard. Life feels hard in the U.S. this week. When my parents and...
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Food Photography Tricks and Creative Options
I’ll admit that one of my guilty pleasures is watching TV food shows. At this time of year (between the mountain of papers to grade), it is fun to watch the holiday bakers creating all manner of tasty...
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