Imagination Sparks Creativity - An Insight into the role Tech has to play
Date: 11th April 2019/Thursday
An interesting blog post inspired by my brief conversation with my psychologist about creating fantasies - something I believe has more to do with imagination and creativity. Imagination actually fueling creativity. In other words imagining realities that do not exist but in my opinion they pave the way for a more extra ordinary, innovative and a dynamic future. My blogpost tries to explore links between imagination and creativity and the role education technology can play to build and enhance creative thinking skills in children and adults both.
So lets begin by exploring what is actually imagination and creativity. As per definition that I looked up on an online dictionary (1) imagination is the process of creating images that do not actually exist and your senses might not adhere too. Creativity on the other hand is the process of generating ideas that are both original and valuable. Creative imagination than means recombining old experiences to create new images targeted towards a specific goal or achievement. What we understand from this is that creativity relies on imagination.
Date: 11th April 2019/Thursday
An interesting blog post inspired by my brief conversation with my psychologist about creating fantasies - something I believe has more to do with imagination and creativity. Imagination actually fueling creativity. In other words imagining realities that do not exist but in my opinion they pave the way for a more extra ordinary, innovative and a dynamic future. My blogpost tries to explore links between imagination and creativity and the role education technology can play to build and enhance creative thinking skills in children and adults both.So lets begin by exploring what is actually imagination and creativity. As per definition that I looked up on an online dictionary (1) imagination is the process of creating images that do not actually exist and your senses might not adhere too. Creativity on the other hand is the process of generating ideas that are both original and valuable. Creative imagination than means recombining old experiences to create new images targeted towards a specific goal or achievement. What we understand from this is that creativity relies on imagination.
Creativity uses imagination to transform original and valuable ideas into real applicable models. It brings imagination to life. Its like adding colors to a white canvas. Its plain and simple and you can draw from a small dot to a whole new world, use the colors you want. People who are intrinsically motivated tend to be more creative, they do not look for extrinsic rewards (3). That is one of the reasons they are thoroughly involved and engaged in the work they do. Our lives would be dull and boring without creativity and imagination. Imagine all kids in all schools making the same models, structures , coming up with similar designs? its like manufacturing milk packets in a factory with the same labels and designs. On the other hand, imagine giving a group of kids some Lego blocks or any tangrams or any other blocks that can be used to create structures. I am sure each one of them will come up with unique designs because each thinks differently.
Steve Jobs on an occasion had said creativity is all about connecting things, when you ask people how they have done it, they would feel guilty because they have no idea how they have actually done it, they saw something, it was obvious after a while. There are a more than a 100 ways to connect two dots on a blank piece of paper. Try doing this for yourself , I just did and its simply amazing. My findings are I can draw a straight line between two dots, use several other dots to connect them (stones to connect two sides of a river), draw curvy, long, circular line to connect dots, use the new dots or lines in the middle to connect to the dot, draw patterns of lines to connect, the whole blank page is yours to explore and look think of ways to connect the dots, the list is endless.
I want you think of kids with such diverse minds. Would using a standardized instruction method yield the results we look forward too. It will no way help in awakening the inner genius of a child. That's one of the reasons our intelligent brains often fail in standardized tests because their brains are not structured to perform well in such traditional exams.
But what we know from history and as Steve Jobs says and I quote "its the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do".
While skimming through an article on line about how to use technology to boost creative thinking, the author had stated that the creative thinking will be among the three skills that will be highly valued in the 21st century and according to world economic survey forum, it will be among the top 3 skills employers will be looking for in 2020. In a another survey by IBM 60% CEOs believe it is the most important leadership quality.
The question now is how do you use technology to build or enhance creative thinking skills among leaders or even kids. One way is to use technology to generate and create ideas. While skimming an article online about boosting creativity (4) I came across some interesting apps that could be used to nurture creativity. One of them that I really liked , tried and tested is the Creativity App (8) (compatible with all devices). The app uses multiple tools and techniques to help you generate and work on new ideas, there 10 colors each shares a technique or tool, for example you can use Debono's 6 Thinking Hats for making decisions (9), looking at all perspectives and opening doors for creativity within decision making. It has 6 different hats each of a different color associated with different levels of complexity, looks at facts, information, pros and cons of an idea, alternative possibilities, risks associated, emotions, feelings and so on. You could use Brainstorming to generate ideas, using Attributes and Improvements you can analyze an object and discover more details, using Random Words you could come up with new words for example think of creating a new chocolate flavor and its name using and 2 or 3 flavors.
Another interesting app was the Brainsparker App which I really liked. It works with Apple devices only but you can use the online prompt cards to get ideas (7). It has over 250 prompts creativity prompts, tap over and start jotting down ideas. You can pick up a card, see the insights the card gives you, followed by writing your ideas in a online journal or notebook. Its a great tool for innovator, designers, bloggers, leaders, manager, teachers, students, coaches anyone who sees things differently and wants to make a dig in the world just like Steve Jobs did.
Whenever you have an idea and your thinking about it ask yourself questions that help you dig more into the idea Explore possibilities through questions of how this can be implemented. You could think of using tools like bubbl.us, Popplet, Mindmeister, Coggle to list down ideas, questions, answers and add more detail and clarity to your ideas (11). You can share these mind maps or concept maps with friends, colleagues, students and they can add into your ideas, creating space for collaboration instead of competition. I remember using bubbl.us with kids at the school where I work voluntarily with kids , generating ideas for a car that would use Artificial Intelligence to identify areas with waste dumped in cities , send alerts and collect it and recycle it. Kids could come up with unique features about the cars and the brainstorming actually helped build a rough model of the car. It helps unlock creative thinking.
Next look for the most appropriate tools for nurturing technology. Not every tool or idea would prove to be beneficial. You could listen to TEDTalks, joining professional learning communities on Twitter (I have personally been able to learn, connect with, know about various tools and techniques for use in education technology etc through Twitter), create your own PLCs (edmodo, schoology, google classroom) invite students, colleagues, subject specialist to join in and share ideas, read articles online, check Gizmodo, Mashable , sign in for Google Scholar alerts etc.
While skimming through another article online I came across this interesting idea of using technology and think of it like a paint brush, no more like a machine that gives you access to loads of information only but rather for generating ideas, creating new and innovative designs. The author had quoted Monica Garfield, PhD who is a PHD and a Computer Information Professor in Bentley University, and has analyzed the connection between creativity in groups and technology says and I quote here that "With the use of the correct tools our innate skills can be enhanced and harnessed." You can start writing your blogs, write down ideas, write details of how you plan to work on them, resources required, people involved etc You could sign up to blogger.com, wordpress, medium.com etc
Another way to enhance creativity using technology is through introducing BYOD projects in schools, colleges and universities, by giving the device in the hands of the kids who are well aware of how to use it, think out of the box, move out of comfort zones, create innovative projects using video, audio and different sorts of media and produce something innovative. In STEM subjects technology and creativity go side by side, students would be able to create robots, driver less cars, vaccum cleaners, washing machines that use artificial intelligence (are already in use). Meghan Cortex of EdTech magazine says that technology has enabled students to create and innovate (13). Students are using game design, computer programming to design solution for real world problems, solutions that years back no longer existed. In game development, software designs , animation, robotics, STEM etc creativity plays a pivotal role and it thrives where technology is present. Another way to enhance creativity is by the introduction of makerspaces in educational institutes, can be a separate space, a library, learning area in a school, computer lab etc where students can create anything using 3D printers, laser cutters, wood cutters, recycled material to create innovative useful objects.
The list of ways to use technology to foster creativity is endless. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the blogpost an I am sure you love exploring the ideas, tools and techniques shared in my blog post too.
Enjoy Reading :) till my next blog post soon Inshallah.
Regards and prayers
Sheeba Ajmal
References:
Steve Jobs on an occasion had said creativity is all about connecting things, when you ask people how they have done it, they would feel guilty because they have no idea how they have actually done it, they saw something, it was obvious after a while. There are a more than a 100 ways to connect two dots on a blank piece of paper. Try doing this for yourself , I just did and its simply amazing. My findings are I can draw a straight line between two dots, use several other dots to connect them (stones to connect two sides of a river), draw curvy, long, circular line to connect dots, use the new dots or lines in the middle to connect to the dot, draw patterns of lines to connect, the whole blank page is yours to explore and look think of ways to connect the dots, the list is endless.
I want you think of kids with such diverse minds. Would using a standardized instruction method yield the results we look forward too. It will no way help in awakening the inner genius of a child. That's one of the reasons our intelligent brains often fail in standardized tests because their brains are not structured to perform well in such traditional exams.
But what we know from history and as Steve Jobs says and I quote "its the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do".
While skimming through an article on line about how to use technology to boost creative thinking, the author had stated that the creative thinking will be among the three skills that will be highly valued in the 21st century and according to world economic survey forum, it will be among the top 3 skills employers will be looking for in 2020. In a another survey by IBM 60% CEOs believe it is the most important leadership quality.
The question now is how do you use technology to build or enhance creative thinking skills among leaders or even kids. One way is to use technology to generate and create ideas. While skimming an article online about boosting creativity (4) I came across some interesting apps that could be used to nurture creativity. One of them that I really liked , tried and tested is the Creativity App (8) (compatible with all devices). The app uses multiple tools and techniques to help you generate and work on new ideas, there 10 colors each shares a technique or tool, for example you can use Debono's 6 Thinking Hats for making decisions (9), looking at all perspectives and opening doors for creativity within decision making. It has 6 different hats each of a different color associated with different levels of complexity, looks at facts, information, pros and cons of an idea, alternative possibilities, risks associated, emotions, feelings and so on. You could use Brainstorming to generate ideas, using Attributes and Improvements you can analyze an object and discover more details, using Random Words you could come up with new words for example think of creating a new chocolate flavor and its name using and 2 or 3 flavors.
Whenever you have an idea and your thinking about it ask yourself questions that help you dig more into the idea Explore possibilities through questions of how this can be implemented. You could think of using tools like bubbl.us, Popplet, Mindmeister, Coggle to list down ideas, questions, answers and add more detail and clarity to your ideas (11). You can share these mind maps or concept maps with friends, colleagues, students and they can add into your ideas, creating space for collaboration instead of competition. I remember using bubbl.us with kids at the school where I work voluntarily with kids , generating ideas for a car that would use Artificial Intelligence to identify areas with waste dumped in cities , send alerts and collect it and recycle it. Kids could come up with unique features about the cars and the brainstorming actually helped build a rough model of the car. It helps unlock creative thinking.Next look for the most appropriate tools for nurturing technology. Not every tool or idea would prove to be beneficial. You could listen to TEDTalks, joining professional learning communities on Twitter (I have personally been able to learn, connect with, know about various tools and techniques for use in education technology etc through Twitter), create your own PLCs (edmodo, schoology, google classroom) invite students, colleagues, subject specialist to join in and share ideas, read articles online, check Gizmodo, Mashable , sign in for Google Scholar alerts etc.
While skimming through another article online I came across this interesting idea of using technology and think of it like a paint brush, no more like a machine that gives you access to loads of information only but rather for generating ideas, creating new and innovative designs. The author had quoted Monica Garfield, PhD who is a PHD and a Computer Information Professor in Bentley University, and has analyzed the connection between creativity in groups and technology says and I quote here that "With the use of the correct tools our innate skills can be enhanced and harnessed." You can start writing your blogs, write down ideas, write details of how you plan to work on them, resources required, people involved etc You could sign up to blogger.com, wordpress, medium.com etc
Another way to enhance creativity using technology is through introducing BYOD projects in schools, colleges and universities, by giving the device in the hands of the kids who are well aware of how to use it, think out of the box, move out of comfort zones, create innovative projects using video, audio and different sorts of media and produce something innovative. In STEM subjects technology and creativity go side by side, students would be able to create robots, driver less cars, vaccum cleaners, washing machines that use artificial intelligence (are already in use). Meghan Cortex of EdTech magazine says that technology has enabled students to create and innovate (13). Students are using game design, computer programming to design solution for real world problems, solutions that years back no longer existed. In game development, software designs , animation, robotics, STEM etc creativity plays a pivotal role and it thrives where technology is present. Another way to enhance creativity is by the introduction of makerspaces in educational institutes, can be a separate space, a library, learning area in a school, computer lab etc where students can create anything using 3D printers, laser cutters, wood cutters, recycled material to create innovative useful objects.
The list of ways to use technology to foster creativity is endless. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the blogpost an I am sure you love exploring the ideas, tools and techniques shared in my blog post too.
Enjoy Reading :) till my next blog post soon Inshallah.
Regards and prayers
Sheeba Ajmal
References:
1. Creative Imagination https://www.dictionary.com/browse/creative-imagination Accessed online 10th April 2019
2. Authentic Happiness https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/learn/creativity Accessed Online 10th April 2019
3. How teachers can use technology to develop creative learning https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/learning-skills/how-teachers-can-use-technology-to-develop-creative-learning/ Accessed online 10 April 2019
4. 8 ways to boost your creativity with technology https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/learning-skills/how-teachers-can-use-technology-to-develop-creative-learning/ Accessed Online 11th April 2019
5. 201 Amazing Steve Jobs quotes that will motivate you http://wisdomquotes.com/steve-jobs-quotes/ Accessed Online 11th April 2019
6. The best 14 quotes of Steve Jobs to inspire your inner genius https://www.inc.com/business-insider/14-most-inspiring-steve-jobs-quotes.html Accessed online 11th August 2019
7. Brainsparker App https://brainsparker.com/card-picker-starter-pack/ Accessed Online 11th August 2019
8. Creativity App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.jolusan.creativitybasic&hl=en Accessed Online 11th April 2019
9. Debono's 6 Thinking Hats http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php Accessed Online 11th August 2019
10. CortThinking http://www.cortthinking.com/cort/4 Accessed Online 11th August 2019
11. Coggle https://coggle.it/ Accessed Online 11th August 2019
12. 15 ways to harness technology to boost your creativity https://webwriterspotlight.com/ways-to-harness-technology-to-boost-creativity Accessed Online 11th August 2019
13. 5 ways that technology can be used to enhance creativity in higher education https://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-ways-technology-can-expand-creativity-higher-education/ 11th April 2019
4. 8 ways to boost your creativity with technology https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/learning-skills/how-teachers-can-use-technology-to-develop-creative-learning/ Accessed Online 11th April 2019
5. 201 Amazing Steve Jobs quotes that will motivate you http://wisdomquotes.com/steve-jobs-quotes/ Accessed Online 11th April 2019
6. The best 14 quotes of Steve Jobs to inspire your inner genius https://www.inc.com/business-insider/14-most-inspiring-steve-jobs-quotes.html Accessed online 11th August 2019
7. Brainsparker App https://brainsparker.com/card-picker-starter-pack/ Accessed Online 11th August 2019
8. Creativity App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.jolusan.creativitybasic&hl=en Accessed Online 11th April 2019
9. Debono's 6 Thinking Hats http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php Accessed Online 11th August 2019
10. CortThinking http://www.cortthinking.com/cort/4 Accessed Online 11th August 2019
11. Coggle https://coggle.it/ Accessed Online 11th August 2019
12. 15 ways to harness technology to boost your creativity https://webwriterspotlight.com/ways-to-harness-technology-to-boost-creativity Accessed Online 11th August 2019
13. 5 ways that technology can be used to enhance creativity in higher education https://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-ways-technology-can-expand-creativity-higher-education/ 11th April 2019
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