Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
Creativity and Visual Thinking: Tools for Learning
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By: Bob Ladd |
Abstract
Creativity is a learnable skill that is accessible to everyone and applies to all fields of study. Beginning with a discussion of creativity as it relates to education today, we will consider ways to make learning environments more conducive to creativity, and ways to make ourselves receptive to creative insights.
Next, we will explore some visual thinking techniques that are often used to stimulate creativity. Workshop participants will explore techniques such as clustering and concept mapping using Inspiration software. The goal is not to teach all the features of Inspiration, but to experiment with it as one example of a tool for facilitating visual thinking and creativity. Time will be allotted for discussion and for applying some of these techniques to a project of your own choosing.
Description
The purpose of this workshop is to help participants gain confidence in their own creativity, and to learn strategies and visual thinking techniques for facilitating creativity and learning.
New technologies have brought about a situation in which each of us is inundated with information everyday. Many people have pointed out that a key skill in this information age is to be able to sift through the deluge of information and apply critical thinking to identify the information that is most relevant and valuable to us.
But in addition to critically evaluating information, we need to be able to synthesize and apply what we have learned in new, unanticipated contexts-an essential skill in our rapidly changing world. To be effective contributors in the new world of information technology, we need to be able to work creatively with information.
We will spend the first part of our session discussing issues related to working creativity with information. The remainder of the session will include hands-on instruction in using Inspiration Software, which is a tool for visual thinking. Basic Inspiration techniques will be demonstrated. Participants will then do exercises that explore visual thinking techniques such as clustering and concept mapping. These techniques are designed to stimulate creative thinking and learning.
Note: Inspiration is an excellent tool for visual thinking, but you do not need to have Inspiration to do these techniques on your own.