Creativity in the Classroom in Theory and Practice

creativity

Preparation:

Course organisers will send to the participants list of materials related to the course topic they can read in order to prepare for the course. Organisers will assist the participants if they need information related to the accommodation, flight tickets or any detail necessary in organising the course.

Course description

This course offers plenty of options of how to make your lessons more creative; teachers of any subject can increase the level of creativity and make their lessons more dynamic, interesting and memorable. Creativity in 21st century classrooms is something of absolute necessity, when teacher has to be maximally engaged to make student interested. The course is structured into training modules, each of which focuses upon a particular area related to creative thinking and its development in education. Each module incorporates both the current theory of creativity in psychology and cognitive science, and its application for teachers of all subjects through innovative teaching methods. The course provides a platform for development of teaching materials and tools as well as for discussions, reflection and feedback. The teachers will get direct experience with activities that develop critical and creative thinking.

 Methodology:

The methodological approach implicates:

  • Ice – Breaking and Warm – Up Sessions
  • Team – Building Sessions
  • Group Discussions
  • Debates
  • Creation of individual learning pathway for the learners;
  • Problem – Solving Activities
  • Project – Solving Activities
  • Lateral Thinking
  • Questioning
  • Goal – Setting sessions
  • Decision – Making Sessions
  • Action – Based Strategies
  • Brainstorming
  • Star bursting
  • Planning an Structuring
  • Negotiation and Persuasion
  • Self – Motivation Sessions
  • Questionnaires

Objectives

  • Improving creative thinking skills of both teachers and their students.
  • Developing tools and techniques for innovative problem solving.
  • Provoking responses to untypical problems; Lateral thinking;
  • Encouraging students to question as a tool of learning.
  • Fostering imagination and enjoyment through creative thinking.
  • Exchanging experiences and cross cultural practices in creativity and innovation.

Modules

  • Introduction to Creative Thinking Skills
  • Outline of Neurobiology and the Creative Process / Assessment
  • Teaching Creative Thinking
  • Mental Blocks
  • Types of Intelligences, Learning Styles
  • Cultivating Culture Awareness
  • Drama Activities
  • The Importance of Dispositions and Metacognition
  • Bloom’s taxonomy and designing creative tasks
  • Creativity through Inquiry – Based Learning
  • Project workshop and presentations

Learning Outcomes

  • Learning how to draw students' attention through learner-based approach
  • Making your lessons more creative
  • Learning how to apply lateral thinking in the classroom
  • Improved creative thinking skills of both teachers and their students
  • Development of tools and techniques for innovative problem solving
  • Learning how to approach the student considering multiple intelligence theory
  • Improvement of language and communication skills
  • Increased capacity to cooperate on international level
  • Getting practical ideas for applying in classroom
  • Enhanced intercultural awareness
  • Internationalisation at the level of education
  • Acquisition of practical language to be used in the classroom, of new techniques, ideas

Follow-up

Trainees will be given soft and hard copies of all lesson materials, which they presenting to their colleagues at their own organizations to generate interest in 21st-century teaching methods with creative thinking. In addition, a mailing list of participants will be created in order to exchange ideas/experiences. Self-evaluation materials will be provided. At the end of the course the participants will accomplish a questionnaire in order to get a detailed feedback for the effectiveness of the training event.

Programme of training activities day-by-day:

Day 1 – MONDAY

Welcome and registration
Introduction to the Concept of Creativity
Creative Thinking Skills
Teacher's centred Approach vs. Student's Centred Approach – Comparison
How creative is 21st Century Educator?

Day 2 – TUESDAY

Practical Ways to Motivate Students
Lateral Thinking – How to Think Outside the Box
Multiple Intelligence Theory
What is Your Learning Style

Day 3 – WEDNESDAY

Introduction to the Concept of Inquiry – Based Learning
How to Be Creative with Your Students through Inquiry – Based  Learning
Mental Blocks – Obstacles to our Creativity
Creation and Cooperation: Are We More Creative When We Work Together

Day 4 – THURSDAY     

Bloom's Taxonomy and Designing Various Creative Tasks
Application of Creative Tasks in Different School Subjects: from Math to History
Problem and Project – Based Teaching
Things You Can Do To Promote Creativity in Classroom;

Day 5 – FRIDAY

Creativity through Drama Activities
Examples of  Different Teaching Practices: Montessori Method
Feedback, Course Evaluation and Dissemination Focus

Days 6/7 – SATURDAY and SUNDAY Workshops and Cultural/Sightseeing Activities

Day 8 – MONDAY

How to Arrange Creative Environment; Team Work
Open – Ended Projects; Creativity Has no Boundaries;
Brainstorming Techniques; Every Idea Works

Day 9 – TUESDAY

Creative Writing; How to Write Web Blogs;
How to Explore New Inspiration Sources
Benefits of Using Creativity in the Classroom

Day 10 – WEDNESDAY

Begin The 100 Day Project: Do Something Creative Every Day
How Creativity Can Help to Tackle Discipline
Together We are More Creative: Making Creative Project


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