Gabriela+Larrea+2

Email: glarrea@fcaq.k12.ec

__Pre Assignment__

 * Write a summary of five main points you find compelling from these articles**.

- Working in projects helps creativity development, because students change memorization for really engaging and being part of the learning process. For many reasons students don’t get to work consistently in projects now a days, the schools are not doing creative activities, they are centered in achievement tests and readiness for the next school year, so they don’t have time for creativity development. Some of this reasons are that working on projects need more teacher work, they have to be involved and become coaches, evaluating projects might be harder than evaluating tests, teachers have to deal with team work, and guide the whole process.

- Creativity needs the combination of the divergent thinking and the convergent thinking, in the first one people find as many ideas as possible and in the other people take those ideas to solve a problem.

- Creativity does not have a bad or a right answer, as long as it is useful and original, and it is as important as literacy. The world needs creative people with creative solutions to the many problems that we have in our days children have to be involved in finding the solutions to the problems.

- The T.V., videogames, and all the technology items children have, are stopping them from creating, a bored child will always find something creative to do.

- It is important to teach new skills using multiple intelligences providing students new and fun strategies to learn.

- Creative teachers need creative teachers that support them all the time.

FINE POINTS TO PONDER.

- I nurture creativity by working in learning centers.
 * How you nurture creativity in your students currently. Provide concrete examples.**

- Working consistently in projects and collaborative work.

- We teach new skills using multiple intelligences.

- We work reading comprehension strategies, stimulating students to infer, visualize, make connections, and predictions.

- We dramatize stories and characters. I THINK YOU WILL AGREE THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED MORE WAYS TO NURTURE CREATIVITY BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS COURSE.


 * Three understandings or skills you would like to learn in this course on Creativity.**
 * 1) New strategies to develop creativity in my students.
 * 2) How the brain works in relation to creativity.
 * 3) New methods to increase the creativity in my students.

I THINK THESE GOALS WERE MET BY THE FINE WORK YOU PRODUCED IN THE COURSE. I HOPE YOU AGREE.

__Mini Assignment: Creativity Poster__
Creativity Definition



__Mini assignment: Joshua in a Box__
What happend to Joshua is what people feel very often. We are trying so hard to be different, to "get out of the box", but once we find out what is out of the box, the problems or challenges we have to face, we decide it´s better to go back to the box. What stops us from moving on and taking risks are our creativity blocks. One of my creativity blocks is the enviorment that many times I feel is not supporting me. Which also connects with my internal blocks, because probably if I work in strenghting myself I wouldn´t care what the enviorment thinks or does, I would still follow my ingeunity and take the risk. So we don´t need Joshuas in the world, we need passionate and fearless people. YES, IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO MUSTER THE COURAGE TO TAKE A RISK WHEN YOU HAVE CONSIDERED THE CONSEQUENCES.

__Mini Assignment: Ted talk on creativity__
This was a super interesting video, Isabel Allende was so passionate while she talked that she really kept you interested. She said that what matters is the heart more than luck, which means we all can do things if we decide to. She talked about 4 women who had passionate hearts that would do anything to accomplish their dreams and save their children. She also mentioned that the poorest societies are the ones that put women down, because if women work together they bring prosperity and peace to the world. We concluded that creative women are the ones that made changes for themselves and for humanity. They are flexible and determinded. Necessity makes you a creative person. Group: María Inés Carrion María Teresa Romero Gabriela Larrea2 GREAT INVITATION TO AN EXCITING TED TALK.

__Mini Assignment: Math Problem__
**How many tourists does he need to guide in a week to earn US126?** **He charges US13 per hour. Since it is a large group he usually offers a 10% discount.** **Finally he needs to know how much he will earn in shillings. The currency change at the moment is 85,23 shillings are equal to US1.**
 * Masato is a tourist guide on his spare time. He receives a call from some tourists. They need a guide for three groups of twenty three tourists that come from different countries. They wish to visit Masai.**

**Group:** **Maria Ines Carrion** **Gabriela Larrea 2** **Paulina Lucero** **Valeria Izquierdo** **Maria Tereesa Romero** **Soledad Robalino** **Gabriela Bustamente** **Maria Elena Cobo** **Maria del Carmen Elsitdie** WELL DONE-- FINE PROBLEM FINDING, ORIGINALITY, AND ELABORATION.

__Assignment 2:__
** Application of Creative Strategies ** ** Gabriela Larrea2 ** ** Paulina Lucero **
 * __LESSON 1__ **

**1.****Discipline and Topic:** Language

**2.****Strategy:** Brainstorming/Morphological synthesis

**3.****Objectives:**

- Classify different animals and their habitats. - Create a story using different animal characters found on tales. - Brainstorm ideas about different animals. - Generate ideas for the morphological matrix to create a story**.**

**4.****Description of the strategy**

- One group will generate ideas about the different animals based on the prior knowledge they have about animals in tales. WHAT IS THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTION THAT WILL STIMULATE THE BRAINSTORMING. THIS SEEMS LIKE A MORE CONVERGENT TASK. THE SAME WITH THE PROMPT BELOW. - The other group will generate ideas about the different habitats where animals live. When the brainstorming is finished we will make a chart to classify animals according to their habitats. Classification Chart NO CREATIVITY HERE EITHER. Morphological Matrix NOT SO SURE WHY THEY NEED TO LIMIT THEIR STORY TO THE CATEGORY OF LEAST EXAMPLES BECAUSE ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE SELECT SIMILAR ANIMALS? **5.****Implementing the Activity:**
 * For brainstorming we will divide the class in to two groups:
 * Farm Animals || Jungle Animals || Sea Animals || Dessert Animals ||
 * For the morphological matrix, children will choose only two classifications of animals, by looking which category has more animals and which one has less. After that, they will combine the ideas using the matrix in order to create a story. They will have to generate some ideas about the difficulties of being part of the animal kingdom. (Deforestation, endangered animals). And also they have to come out with solutions.
 * For the morphological matrix, children will choose only two classifications of animals, by looking which category has more animals and which one has less. After that, they will combine the ideas using the matrix in order to create a story. They will have to generate some ideas about the difficulties of being part of the animal kingdom. (Deforestation, endangered animals). And also they have to come out with solutions.
 * For the morphological matrix, children will choose only two classifications of animals, by looking which category has more animals and which one has less. After that, they will combine the ideas using the matrix in order to create a story. They will have to generate some ideas about the difficulties of being part of the animal kingdom. (Deforestation, endangered animals). And also they have to come out with solutions.
 * For the morphological matrix, children will choose only two classifications of animals, by looking which category has more animals and which one has less. After that, they will combine the ideas using the matrix in order to create a story. They will have to generate some ideas about the difficulties of being part of the animal kingdom. (Deforestation, endangered animals). And also they have to come out with solutions.
 * For the morphological matrix, children will choose only two classifications of animals, by looking which category has more animals and which one has less. After that, they will combine the ideas using the matrix in order to create a story. They will have to generate some ideas about the difficulties of being part of the animal kingdom. (Deforestation, endangered animals). And also they have to come out with solutions.
 * Hero || Opportunity || Problem || Solution ||

We will use this morphological matrix as a project to close “Animals” unit. This is an activity that integrates all the different learning areas, helping students create and reinforce their knowledge. Kids will edit the book, about the story they created using the morphological matrix. They will be divided in learning centers to make the front cover of the book, the back cover, and the story pictures.

**6.****Assessment:**

We will assess the knowledge of animals and habitats during the process of the creation of the brainstorm, and matrix. Finally kids will present their story to kids to students in other classes. THIS HAS GREAT POTENTIAL BUT DO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR DIVERGENT NOT CONVERGENT THINKING.


 * __ LESSON 2 __**


 * 1. Discipline/ area: ** Language
 * 2. Strategies: ** Brainstorm and morphological matrix.
 * 3. Level: ** Kinder
 * 4. Objectives: **

-Identify vocabulary about community helpers and more professionals.

-Recognize the importance of community helper’s and professionals’ jobs.

-Brainstorm ideas to complete the morphological matrix.

-Select specific ideas to fill the morphological matrix about community helpers and professionals.

-Draw and write the ideas and present the project to the class.


 * 5. Description of the Strategy: **

** BRAINSTORM: **

1.- The children will share ideas about different types of community helpers and professions.

2.- The children will share ideas about the possible problems that community helpers and professionals can help to solve.

*The class will be divided in two groups to do these 2 brainstorms.

3.- The children will classify in three columns the following categories: community helpers, professions and problem solving situations.

**// *Chart of classification: //**


 * ** COMMUNITY HELPERS ** || ** MORE PROFESSIONS ** || ** PROBLEM/SOLVING SITUATIONS ** ||

** MORPHOLOGICAL MATRIX: **

1.-The children will choose community helpers and other professions to fill the categories in the morphological matrix.

2.-The children will choose the problem/ solving situations that they want to connect with each community helper and professional.

3.- The children will have to combine the three categories: community helpers, more professionals and problem/ solving situations.

4.-They children will talk about the connection between community helpers /professionals and the problem that they can help to solve.

5.- The children will draw and write the idea on big papers to present in front of the class.

*The children will work in groups for this activity. AGAIN I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE CREATIVITY IS THAT SHOULD RESULT FROM THESE STRATEGIES? YOU SEEM TO BE USING THE STRATEGIES TO BUILD UNDERSTANDING, WHICH IS A FINE GOAL. BUT MY GOAL FOR THESE STRATEGIES IS TO UNCOVER CREATIVE THINKING.

**// Example of the Morphological Matrix about Community Helpers and Professions: //**

DOES THIS MEAN THE POLICE AND TEACHERS WILL HELP TO CONTROL TRAFFIC? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OR PROCEDURE.
 * ** Community Helpers ** ||  ** More Professionals **  ||  ** Problem **  ||  ** Solution **  ||
 * Police officer ||  Teachers  ||  Traffic  ||  ?  ||


 * 6. Implementing Activity: **

We will use this activity to review the content of the Unit: Community Helpers. The children will work in groups.


 * 7. Assessment: **

The teacher will assess the activity during the process. The teacher will considerate the process of the creation of the brainstorm, the morphological matrix, the drawing and writing. Finally, the teacher will considerate the presentation of the groups in front of the class. WHAT ARE THEY PRESENTING? IF THEY CAN COMBINE A TEACHER WITH A POLICE OFFICER WHAT JOBS WOULD THAT PERSON HAVE?

Socratic Seminar: Questions
1. Do you believe creativity comes from peoples necessities? 2. Is creativity transforming things out of something that already exists? 3. How can we assess the use of creativity in a certain project? 4. If we try to be very original, do we block our creativity? 5. How do we deal with creative blocks? WHAT ARTICLES OR TED TALK STIMULATED THESE QUESTIONS?

Scavenger Hunt
When we were asked to do a Scavenger Hunt, at first I wasn´t very enthusiastic about it. But once we got in the car to start finding this creative pieces, I realized I was having so much fun, laughing so much and enjoying it very much. On the way to the place we have chosen we started observing things we pass by every day buy never took the time to actually "observe". We stopped the car many times to take lots of different pictures. Then the biggest risk was taken when we crossed the streets running to get an interview with a juggler. We were doing many things we usually don´t do. Finally we got to Guapulo, a very nice neighborhood here in Quito, and we started taking so much pictures that it was difficult for us to select just the right picture for each item. I learned that creativity is everywhere, only that before this course I didn´t see it.