AND SO IT CONTINUES…
Creativity is Mutualistic
Creative work occupies a complex creative space; it does not exist in isolation, nor is there only one solution to any creative work. Thus, the evolution of educator practices that support the creative process is neither straightforward nor simple. Creativity is improvisational, and often emerges when errors arise while grappling with familiar concepts; however, improvisation cannot happen when students are in lockstep with standardized directives or when they are focused on the singular goal of finding the one right answer to a problem. Thus, educators who inspire creativity must create an atmosphere within their classrooms that allows creative thought and process to evolve.
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#Unleash Creativity
Want to see some ways to subvert standardized curricula in your classroom and initiate some creative flow? Take a look at our suggestions in this presentation from the MACUL Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Don’t say no . . .go with the (creative) flow!
Marconi Institute for Creativity Presentation
I had the pleasure of presenting at the MIC conference in September, 2025. What a privilege to share the air with creativity greats like Vlad Glaveanu and James Kaufman! I presented a model for Creative Classroom Ecosystems, explained in the paper below. If you don’t feel like reading the paper and want to know more,…
Reimagining Creativity in the Classroom
PODCAST SERIES Reimagining Classroom Creativity Episode 1: Humans Must Be What AI Is Not Join a panel of practicing educators as they discuss that the reason why AI is a problem is also the solution. Humans have to be prepared to step up and be what AI is not: empathetic, intuitive, imaginative. PODCAST SERIES Reimagining…
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Technology isn’t Always the Answer: Unpacking an Ed Tech Ad
Plato has some wise words to be explored in the context of educational technology: “Will a man, if he picks up a shield or any other weapon or tool of war, on that very day be an adequate combatant in a battle of heavy-armed soldiers, or any other kind of battle in war, even though…
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Rules of Engagement: The Battle Against Ennui
This is my last major assignment of my first semester in my journey toward a PhD. The project was designed to be an individual project to give students a reason to practice synthesizing information and written communication. We were to engage in self-reflection on the topic of “motivation and engagement in blended and online learning”…
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Three Initial Research Questions
Recording: Three Initial Research Questions The essay below is a transcript of this recording, which outlines three initial research questions that, at the moment, seem like good choices moving forward. It will be interesting to revisit these topics at the end of each semester to see if these questions are still intriguing. My research interests…
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Multimodal Assessment in Higher Ed: An Annotation
According to Ross & Bell (2020), multimodal assignments are increasing in frequency across the higher ed landscape. However, they claim that many of the rubrics are rooted in “print-based culture” and don’t “always address the richness and complexity of multimodal work” (Ross & Bell, 2020, p. 3). The nature of multimodal texts means that students…
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Mistaking Interest for Ability: An Annotation
Steinkuelher (2010) makes a case for increasing student choice in the classroom. Steinkuelher prefaces this summary of an extended research project with the observation that secondary students exist in a “complex information ecology,” and that video games are a small part of that larger picture. Gaming is first described as a “narrative space that the…
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Usable Assumptions for EdTech Research: An Annotation
According to Dede (2011), reliable and valid research on educational games should be based on five assumptions: usable knowledge, collective research, what works when and for whom, an expansion beyond comparing traditional practice to game implementation and scalability. Dede states that in addition to building theories, researchers should share the new knowledge in a way…
Cultivating Creative Thought 