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Fostering Creativity Fostering Creativity in the Science and in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

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Page 1: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Fostering CreativityFostering Creativityin the Science and in the Science and

Mathematics ClassroomMathematics Classroom

Sheila Tobias

Page 2: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

AuthorAuthor

Overcoming Math Anxiety

Succeed with Math

Breaking the Science Barrier

Revitalizing Undergraduate Science

The Hidden Curriculum: Faculty-Made Tests in Science

They’re not Dumb, They’re Different

Rethinking Science as a Career

Page 3: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Why Creativity is ImportantWhy Creativity is Importantto America’s Futureto America’s Future

InnovationInnovation

EducationEducationScienceScience

MathMathCreativityCreativity

NewNewBusinessBusiness

New JobsNew Jobs

EconomyEconomy

Page 4: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Innovation=Bringing an Invention Innovation=Bringing an Invention or a New Idea to Marketor a New Idea to Market

Not enough to generate creative technical people

Have to educate business leaders to understand and appreciate inventiveness

This means: Science and Mathematics for All

Page 5: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Capacity to InnovateCapacity to InnovateWhat the Scholars Tell usWhat the Scholars Tell us

The cognitive ability to produce novel and valuable ideas [Torrance, 1988]

Students who use content in creative ways learn the content well. They also learn strategies for identifying problems, making decisions, and finding solutions both in and out of school. [Starko, 1994]

21st century schools should foster creativity, judgement, the ability to think, and the power of expression [Ogawa, Kuehn-Ebert, Devito, 1991].

Page 6: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

When the Teacher Values When the Teacher Values Creativity Creativity

in the Science/Mathematics in the Science/Mathematics ClassroomClassroom

Modeling Creativity

Stimulating Creativity

Rewarding Creativity

(above all) Not Punishing Creativity

Page 7: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

The Opposite: Rote LearningThe Opposite: Rote Learning

Memorization

Recognition of learned materials

Recitation

Seatwork

Teacher-directed small group discussions

Structured instructions

[Refs: Torrance, 1962,Weistein, 1991 Takahashi, 1993]

Page 8: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Creativity EducationCreativity Educationin General is Fostered byin General is Fostered by

Student-Centered classroom

High-level Interaction with teacher, with other students

Less structured lesson plan

Exposure to various learning strategies; allowing students to choose their own

Active participation (performance)

Self-management

Page 9: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Personality Variables and Personality Variables and General CreativityGeneral Creativity

Passionate, positive, tenacious, and energetic

Has a long attention span

Does not like a biased view or prejudice

Unique and original, divergent thinking

High self esteem

Looks for various solutions, even after a single solution has been found

Page 10: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

But may be Difficult to TeachBut may be Difficult to Teach

Perseverance: sticks to an idea but

Is often impatient

Must finish what he/she starts

Responsible and tenacious but

Indifferent to others’ opinions

Spontaneous, headstrong, even rude

Page 11: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

How do you knowHow do you knowwhat you thinkwhat you think

you know?you know?

What doWhat doyou know?you know?

What would youWhat would youlike to know?like to know?

Do you knowDo you knowwhat you thoughtwhat you thought

you knew?you knew?

What newWhat newinformationinformation

have youhave youlearned?learned?

TopicTopic

Page 12: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Cultivating a Proper Attitude Cultivating a Proper Attitude toward Errorstoward Errors

“I find my mistakes interesting; my confusions even more so. They are windows into my thinking.”

“What is making this problem difficult for me? How can I make it easier for myself?”

Reif’s “extra points” – Distinguish your trivial from nontrivial errors. Describe how you will avoid trivial errors. Discuss your nontrivial errors in some detail.

Page 13: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Question PosingQuestion Posing

Bloom found that >95% of test questions are at Lowest level, recall of information

EvaluationEvaluation

SynthesisSynthesis

AnalysisAnalysis

ApplicationApplication

UnderstandingUnderstanding

RecallRecall

[Bloom, 1956, Himsl and Millar, 1993]

Page 14: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Question Posing 2Question Posing 2

Stage One – Gathering Information

Factual: what? why? how many?

Procedural: information as to how something happened

Stage Two – Organizing Information:

Higher level “why” questions including “why not” questions

Stage Three – Extending Information

Hypothetical questions: what might happen next? What else might have happened?

Speculative questions: creating new knowledge

Himsl and Millar (1993)

Page 15: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Teaching TechniquesTeaching Techniques

Mosteller’s Minute Paper:

1. What was the theme of this unit?

2.What would you like to learn more about?

3. What was the muddiest issue?

Page 16: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Divided Page ExerciseDivided Page Exercise

Thoughts

Feelings

Speculations

What if Questions

Solution in a logical sequential form

Page 17: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Three part Math ExamThree part Math Exam

One-third credit for the correct answer

One-third credit for finding MORE than one way to solve the problem

One-third credit for writing a paragraph-long essay on what makes the problem mathematically interesting

(This could be done for science, as well)

Page 18: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Making Use of Other People’s Making Use of Other People’s ResearchResearch

Crux issues in experimental research

Stories around research breakthroughs

Description of current unsolved problems

Page 19: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Vary Approach: Howard Gardner’s Multiple Vary Approach: Howard Gardner’s Multiple IntelligencesIntelligences(1983, 1999)(1983, 1999)

VerbalVerbal

InterpersonalInterpersonal

NaturalistNaturalist

ExistentialExistential

VisualVisual

MathMath

LogicLogic

MusicalMusical

KinestheticKinesthetic

Page 20: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Inquiry-Based LearningInquiry-Based Learning

Change in Emphasis from “What we Know” to “How we come to know.”

Development of inquiry skills

Nurturing of inquiring attitudes, habits of mind

Going from known to unknown to generating new knowledge

Becoming not an “all-knower” but an “expert learner”

Arons: Introduction to Teaching of Physics

MacDermott

Page 21: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

ConstructivismConstructivism

Theory:

Learners are active creators of their own knowledge by asking questions, exploring subject, and constantly assessing what and how they know.

Each new knowledge must be reconciled with prior understanding; else false models (previous knowledge/paradigms) continue to prevail

Teaching through pupil-generated experiments, real-world problem solving, discussion, debate

Role of Teacher:

Coach

Page 22: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Developing Expert LearnerDeveloping Expert Learner

Expert sees patterns and meaning not apparent to novices

Experts have in-depth knowledge of their fields, structured so that it is most useful

Facts in experts’ memory are accessible, transferable, and applicable to a variety of situations

Experts can easily retrieve their knowledge and learn new information in their fields with little effort.

Page 23: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

Concept MappingConcept Mapping

Teacher use:

To communicate complex ideas

Student use:

To explicitly integrate new and old knowledge

Assessment use:

To assess understanding or diagnose misunderstanding

[Ausubel, Novak, U.S. Buzan, U.K.]

Page 24: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

The Latest Word on The Latest Word on “Learning Styles”“Learning Styles”

Abuse: “Don’t expect me to take notes teacher. I’m an auditory learner.”

Facts: Most professionals use more than one learning style, choose most suitable to

problem/situationOur goal as educators is to “e-ducare” lead one out of

one’s comfort zone into new methods of learning

Page 25: Fostering Creativity in the Science and Mathematics Classroom Sheila Tobias

ReferencesReferences

www.sheilatobias.com

www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/month6/

www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.html

Journal of Creative Behavior

Ai-Girl, Tan, “Singaporean Teachers’ Perception of Activities Useful for Fostering Creativity” (2001)

Norko Srek, Xitro Fan, Lani Van Dusen,“A Comparative Study of Creative Thinking of American and Japanese College Students” (2001).

Howard Gardner, “Frames of Mind” (1983), “The Disciplined Mind” (1999), “Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligence for the 21st Century” (1999).

National Science Resources Center www.nsrconline.org

J.D. Novak,, “Clarify with Concept maps (1991), How do we learn our lesson? (1993)

M.J. Lawson “Concept Mapping,” 1994

T. Buzan “The MindMap book”, 1995.

Richard Felder, Learning Styles