Classroom+Environment

= Characteristics of a creative environment: = Full citation of paragraph on intro page: NATIONAL FORUM OF APPLIED EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC VOLUME 19 NUMBER 3, 2006

Dr. M. K. Hamza Associate Professor Lamar University Dr. Kimberly G. Griffith Associate Professor Lamar University
 * //Fostering Problem Solving & Creative Thinking in//**
 * //the Classroom: Cultivating a Creative Mind!//**

"During this study, the researcher observed that those classroom climates that promoted creative thinking and problem solving were: open, comfortable, relaxed, challenging, safe, supportive, trusting, humorous, energized, and collaborative. Such climates rewarded creative behavior and encouraged thinking and exploring processes; students were free to voice opinions through non-threatening, entertaining, and enjoyable methods. The exemplary teachers selected for this study shared many character traits. They were: approachable, personable, creative, caring, flexible, knowledgeable, energetic, interesting, motivating, imaginative, innovative, aesthetic, seekers of possibilities, leaders, insightful, original, and unique. In addition, the researcher noted that the teacher’s ability to manage conflicts and minimize disruptions, to design classroom physical set-up, and to create innovative classroom activities were important to smoothly managed classroom environments. The researcher observed that passion for subject content influenced the manner in which an individual taught the classroom; which, in turn, reflected a strong commitment to student learning and success. Notably, the researcher observed that teachers who enjoyed positive attitudes toward students and subject content stimulated inquisitiveness in their students and a resulting interest in the subject matter."

= = "With the respect to the classroom, students' willingness to take intellectual risks - in the form of sharing novel ideas and insights, raising new questions, and attempting to do and try new things - is no less important. Such behaviors are "risky" because they involve uncertainty (Byrnes, 1998) - and place students at risk of making mistakes, appearing less competent, or feeling inferior to others. These concerns are very real for students (Dweck, 1999) and, in the absence of a supportive classroom environment, can underwrite conforming and risk-avoidant behaviors in the classroom (Creativity in the Classroom - Ronald A. Beghetto in The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity, Kaufman, Sternberg, 2010).

Byrnes - The Nature and Development of Decision Making: A Self-Regulation Model. Hillsdale Competition Free Promotes Risk-Taking Balance between freedom and control

What makes a creative classroom? One that works is: Nickerson, R.S. (1999). "Enhancing Creativity". in ed. Sternberg, R.J.. //Handbook of Creativity//. Cambridge University Press. 1. Establishing purpose and intention 2. Building basic skills 3. Encouraging acquisitions of domain-specific knowledge 4. Stimulating and rewarding curiosity and exploration 5. Building motivation, especially internal motivation 6. Encouraging confidence and a willingness to take risks 7. Focusing on mastery and self-competition 8. Promoting supportable beliefs about creativity 9. Providing opportunities for choice and discovery 10. Developing self-management (metacognitive skills) 11. Teaching techniques and strategies for facilitating creative performance 12. Providing balance

It may be worth our while to define the __VALUES__ (that lead to the creative classroom) and __AESTHETIC__ of creative classrooms as well as each of the categories listed as pages on this wiki.

__Below are aspects of creative classrooms and teachers__

• Is a Tolerant and safe space in which all individuals feel valued and accepted as equally contributing members • Accepts and encourages mistakes within honest attempts at problem solving, focuses on concept and design rather than strictly fact • Highly visual and often makes use of multi-media • Allows for appropriate deviation from specific tasks • Starts with questions and open ended problems that promote divergent thinking and creative habits of mind • Purposefully, intentionally, and explicitly, discusses the creative process • Allows for interaction- recognizes the importance of bouncing ideas off of others • Dismisses the idea of finality in topics and products • Rewards intellectual/emotional/ creative risk taking • Provides time and freedom for exploration, reflection, critique, production, and removal from the task if needed • Encourages and requires students to ask questions • Recognizes that the imagination is essential to creativity-hypothetical thought experiments • Values individuality and the role of students’ individual experiences in creating understanding

Often overlooked is the design and aesthetic of the learning space.

===**“In essence, what works of design and architecture talk to us about is the kind of life that would most appropriately unfold within and around them. They tell us of certain moods that they seek to encourage and sustain in their inhabitance.”** -Author and philosopher, Alain de Botton=== =(from [])=
 * || =__Creating a Creative Climate__=

Motivation
To do anything, people must feel motivated, an internal need to act. The climate of the organization thus must provide the cues and forces that lead people into the deep motivation that is required to push through from idea to end product.

Challenge
People feel challenged, that there is a basic drive to extend their personal boundaries, develop latent talents and explore new possibilities. People who feel challenged emotionally engage in their work. It becomes a part of //them//, not just something they do. They feel the need to get out there and act, not just to sit back and dream or mope.

Fun
Having fun is not always realized as being a productive state. Yet look at little children. Their 'fun' is almost all learning and discovery. We get this beaten out of at an early stage in school, where learning is supposed to be serious. A climate where a certain (child-like, but not childish) playfulness is in the air lets people try things out without knowing what will happen. Another important characteristic of a fun-loving culture is humour. You can see such climates simply through the smiles that people almost always seem to wear on their faces as they tease and joke with one another. Jokes are about unexpected things, as are creative ideas. Making jokes is, in itself, a very creative activity, and develops the 'creative muscle' needed to constantly innovate.

Empowerment
Once people are motivated to be creative, they need the environment in which they //can// be creative.

Time
Discovering and developing ideas takes time. They need to incubate in your subconscious for a while, like hatching an egg or a dastardly plan. When people are tightly constrained, working a full nine-to-five (or more) job, then they will not have the ability to go beyond basic ideas, which in their base state are usually not valuable, but would be with a certain amount of developmental effort. When people have a certain amount of unallocated time in their timetables, then if they feel challenged and feel freedom to act, then they will use that time productively to develop those ideas. Some companies deliberately leave a proportion of time, even up to 10% or more (and particularly in some parts of the organization) in which ideas may be developed.

Support
When I have spent time and freedom in working to achieve the challenges I have found, then I will at some time reach the stage when I need further help, for example to allocate additional resources for development or in presenting the idea to people who may not be that ready to change their entrenched viewpoint. In these situations, the person developing the idea needs the gravitas, the authority, the wider capability of more senior managers. In fact the more valuable the idea, the more support it is likely to need, as it may lead to entire changes in direction for the whole company.

Energy
Getting an idea from first notion to final product can be a long and arduous process. This requires a dynamic environment in which people are energized and constantly pushing forward. You can walk into many workplaces and feel the lack of energy and enthusiasm, whilst others have a definite, almost palpable buzz about them. Buzz and energy comes from the leaders of the organization. This includes the formal management and informal social leaders. People look to these leaders for cues in how they behave. If the leader is full of energy and enthusiasm, then this emotion will 'infect' others and the motivation will spread through the organization.

Conflict
Ideas in action almost always bump into other ideas as well as natural conservatism that seeks to preserve the status quo. People attach themselves to idealistic positions and will act to defend them, sometimes by pre-emptively attacking what they see as threats. A climate where conflict is allowed, enables these felt challenges to be voiced and for people to argue their cases. In a creatively supporting climate, the conflict is mostly about the problems of the organization and the viability of ideas, and is most certainly not about personalities and the value of different characters. When conflict turns to personal attack, then ideas and their value go out of the window. Creating healthy conflict requires both an openness to challenge and then a focus on the problem, not the people. A respect for the individual thus is a fundamental element of creative cultures.

Debate
Conflict and debate are very close, and again the basic concern is to focus first on the idea. In debate, the pros and cons of ideas are discussed openly and challenges are welcomed and analyzed to see what additional benefits they may bring. Debates can also go on across boundaries of time and space, and thinking about an idea can engage an entire company.

Experimentation
It is one thing to think up a idea, it is another to put it into practice. Ideas that are not explored and experimented with will either never see the light of day or may well fail on their first outing. An experimenting culture has a strong bias for action in trying things out. It does not expect things to work first time but it does expect to learn through careful trials and subsequent analysis. Experimental companies often extend this culture out into the marketplace. They do many trials with customers. They release many different products to see what sells and what does not.

Trust
Trust is the bedrock of human interaction. If I do not trust others then I will not believe them and will put a lot of my effort into protecting myself from their potential attacks or callous lack of concern. In the development of ideas, trust is needed on both sides of the house. The person with the idea must feel they can speak their minds without fear of criticism or punishment. The person on the other side also needs to trust that the person with the idea has the company's best interests at heart and will not abandon their other work in the sole pursuit of a very shaky idea. Trust thus has to develop across the organization. It is a fragile thing, that when lost through betrayal of trust is not easily restored, and thus needs very careful management.

Risk
Offering ideas and trying out experiments requires the ability and motivation to take risks. Individuals and the entire company need to be able to stick their necks out and 'give it a go'. Personal risk is thus reduced so people can be open and experimental. Rather than blind risks, successful cultures manage these in a way that takes a realistic view of the real exposure of the company. Big risks are mitigated carefully. Small risks are recognized as such and may more easily done as 'blinders' to see what happens. Risk and potential reward are thus balanced and managed carefully as a single unit.

Physical and Visual Characteristics of Creative Environments
Characteristics: Rich in resources- both digital and phyisical Colorful and aesthetically stimulating- visually balanced Flexible- can be changed to allow different movements (classroom management) Efficient- promotes a quick business routine of papers, handouts, giving of directions so that the majority of class can be spent on engagement (classroom management) Openness and naturalism- Fun, Busy, Engaging, Loud, Silent Uncommon, Non-normative Renewal/Transformative- changing over time Cultural- present diversity and

Values, Design, Schools, and the Classroom- Creating learning spaces
Folks, explore the links offered below for some fantastic examples of creative learning environments. This website is a gold mine. School Design/Classroom Design/Learning Space Design __[]__ Click on the tabs to the right for specific design ideas __[]__ Click on the level (elem. middle. high.) and view pictures of some of the projects this firm has been involved with. AMAZING! For creative ideas from workspaces see the following: __[]__ __[]__ Research Article - comparing creativity in 2 middle school art classrooms. . .some interesting conclusions Article Popular media article on unlearning and Clay Shirky, with link to video of his talk Unlearning article Transforming schools - innovative learning environments link to overview - click through for strands etc. Learning by design - research article problem based learning Research article - constructivism case studies in instructional design This may have appeared somewhere else - the architecture of schools link to excerpt from book play environments Article ||