18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently This list has been expanded into the new book, “Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind,” by Carolyn Gregoire and Scott Barry Kaufman. Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process. Neuroscience paints a complicated picture of creativity. As scientists now understand it, creativity is far more complex than the right-left brain distinction would have us think (the theory being that left brain = rational and analytical, right brain = creative and emotional). While there’s no “typical” creative type, there are some tell-tale characteristics and behaviors of highly creative people. They daydream. They “fail up.”
Mix It Up! Authentic Activities for the World Language Classroom Do you ever feel stuck in a rut while planning your language classes? Perhaps you spend a lot of time lecturing at the white board, use the same activities with different vocabulary for every unit, or rely on teaching students grammar because that's how you were taught. No matter your "go to" activity, we are all much more engaging when we vary our activities and make them relatable. When dreaming up new activities, our main focus should always be authenticity. In a previous Edutopia post, I outlined how to best shape a unit around communication. Interpretive Mode Read children’s stories. Interpersonal Mode Engage your students in these activities: Sign a contract on the first day of school promising to use only the target language within your classroom walls. Presentational Mode Have students do these: Create a comic strip. 5 Rules for the 3 Modes In order to help students better master the units we teach, remember these rules when selecting activities: They must be authentic.
9 Great Online Art Classes for Kids: Painting, Drawing, Crafting & More School has started all across the country, but for those who are looking for some extracurriculars, like painting classes for kids or other online art classes for kids, or those trying to fill those last weeks of summer, you’ve come to the right place. Great, affordable art classes for kids and toddlers are, luckily, not that hard to find, and you’ve come to the right place for some great art classes for kids that are on the computer. This list of online art classes for kids includes drawing classes for kids, painting classes for kids, and so much more. These classes are everywhere online, at low or no cost to you. These largely free online art classes for kids are for children of a variety of ages and provide instruction on everything from simple craft projects and beginner drawings to intermediate activities like watercolor painting and portraiture, using drawing videos, and creating classes that involve art for kids they’ll actually like. Skillshare Online Art Classes for Kids Udemy
Works That Work — Magazine of Unexpected Creativity A Global View: The Adventure of Kid-Friendly Foreign Films Image credit: iStockphoto For many of us, Oscar week can serve as the annual reminder of how many great grown-up films we have yet to see, and how many kids' movies we've already seen -- over and over and over. Next time you're faced with indoor recess or a snow day, movie night or a free period before a holiday, resist the temptation to pop in Finding Nemo or Shrek (though I love these, too), and use the opportunity to take a journey around the world. The Benefits of Active Viewing First and foremost, a good movie draws us in, and we simply enjoy the experience. Pre-screen movie trailers or short clips, easily accessible through YouTube or Vimeo, and archive your favorites to fill a gap on a rainy day or to weave into literature, social studies, music, art or science lessons. Don't shy away from subtitles, either. 6 Foreign Films for Every Classroom Ponyo (all ages) My Neighbor Totoro (all ages) Like Stars on Earth ("Taare Zameen Par") (all ages) The Red Balloon (all ages)
Top 10 Free Sites for Creating Digital Art | Tech & Learning These free digital art creation sites range from simple web apps for preschoolers to sophisticated software for advanced students, educators, and professionals. While some can serve as essential digital tools for in-classroom or online art curricula, all are fun to explore and experiment with. Get the latest edtech news delivered to your inbox here: Bomomo Simple and incredibly fun drawing site. These free digital art creation sites range from simple web apps for preschoolers to sophisticated software for advanced students, educators, and professionals. Get the latest edtech news delivered to your inbox here: Bomomo Simple and incredibly fun drawing site.
Editorial by Peter Biľak (Works That Work magazine) The Mona Lisa (or La Gioconda) by Leonardo da Vinci is probably the bestknown, most visited, most written about and most parodied work of art in the world. The painting is said to be ‘priceless’, but based on its insur ance value some estimate it to be worth over €2 billion. (Photo: Theresa Scarbrough) Creativity often challenges generally accepted assumptions and standards. Gallery: What inequality means to me Inequality is a complicated term. It can be applied to so many factors, for one thing. There’s income inequality, asset inequality, gender inequality, social, class, political … you name it, someone, somewhere likely feels (and is) hard done by. And, for all the focus that Thomas Piketty has gained for his analysis of a new, ever-diverging global class of the superrich, inequality is still personal. Photograph: Ryan Lobo. Ryan Lobo, photographer, India “Here is a photograph I made of a little boy who lives in a slum outside one of India’s most successful IT companies, the Infosys building in Bangalore. India has very unequal patterns of development, and though the economy has benefited, most of India’s 1.28 billion people remain deeply disadvantaged. I would like to see more fairness with regard to opportunities to increase the quality of existence on this planet for all beings, animal, plant and human. Photograph: Monika Bulaj. Monika Bulaj, artist, Italy “‘Did you sleep well?’
15 Things You Might Not Know About American Gothic Few paintings are as iconic as Grant Wood's American Gothic. The piece's staging is so embedded into American culture that even its countless parodies and homages are instantly recognizable. While this deceptively simple portrait has clearly captured the imagination of the nation, the story behind its creation and rise to fame makes it all the more compelling. 1. It was instantly a big hit. American Gothic was submitted to the 1930 annual exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, where it won a bronze medal and a $300 prize. 2. Before this breakthrough, Wood was an unknown 39-year-old aspiring artist, living in the attic of a funeral-home carriage house that he shared with his mother and sister. 3. In the summer of 1930, Wood was visiting Eldon, Iowa to attend an art exhibition. 4. 5. Seeking a model for the male in American Gothic, Wood asked a favor of his dentist, 62-year-old Byron McKeeby. 6. The artist's first choice for a female model was his mother, Hattie. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Jama Software The 6 Most Common Innovation Mistakes Companies Make Because innovation is a system-level problem, a point solution – trying to drive widespread change by doing a single thing – is wholly ineffective. It is equivalent to attempting to turnaround a failing school plagued by disinterested students, overwhelmed teachers, and crumbling infrastructure by painting the walls blue. Soothing, perhaps, but unlikely to have any real impact. Here are the six most common innovation mistakes to avoid. You Need an Innovation Strategy Why is it so hard to build and maintain the capacity to innovate? Without such a strategy, companies will have a hard time weighing the trade-offs of various practices—such as crowdsourcing and customer co-creation—and so may end up with a grab bag of approaches. Is Innovation More About People or Process? The Discipline of Business Experimentation The data you already have can’t tell you how customers will react to innovations.
Roar – Katy Perry – ESL lesson plan | Anna Edu The song “Roar” perfectly fits the topic of gender roles/stereotypes, feminism. Besides, it’s a great source of idioms, set expressions and phrasal verbs. That’s how I would use it in class. 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. in ESL lesson plans by Anna