Museums · 11-23-2016
Anne Patterson’s captivating installation, Pathless Woods references a line from a Lord Byron poem – “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore. . . " The interactive experience, currently at the Ringling Museum, encourages visitors to find their own path through a forest of ribbons. Each ribboned path takes you on a different journey of sounds, colors, and light. Patterson describes the feeling as, “swimming through color.” Consisting of over...
Activities · 08-23-2016
If you and your children love the outdoors, walks in the woods, and playing make-believe, then you must create your own whimsical fairy house. These small dwellings are filled with wonder, fun, and creativity. Best of all, they can be made from things found in nature. There is no need to purchase store bought materials. Simply gather leaves, grass, acorns, rocks, shells, petals, pine cones, bark, sticks, etc. Build a dream house for any tiny creature, it doesn’t have to be a fairy. How about...
Activities · 07-13-2016
Once upon a time, I worked for a historic preservation organization. I attended many tours and social events in historic properties not usually open to the public. Traveling to these events was entertaining and informative because my colleagues would point out various house styles and identify architectural features. They would get excited about such features as, roof forms, paint colors, windows, porch supports, and decorative details. I learned a lot and often think of them whenever I see an...
Resources · 05-05-2016
When I was a classroom teacher, I often felt conflicted about time management. It seemed there was never enough time to incorporate the creative spontaneity of children. It was always difficult to align the students’ excitement for learning new things with instructional goals and responsibilities. The following classroom practices helped me shift from a time-pressured adult to a nurturing motivator. Parents can use them at home too. 1. Laugh. I often use humor to reduce stress. It’s good to...
Creativity · 02-29-2016
Cherry Blossoms in the Spring, Created by Joyce, Age 14, Grade 8, Oil on canvas, Art Teacher: Ellen Shlayan
Creativity · 02-22-2016
A warm-up is a short activity at the start of a lesson. Warm-ups help jump-start students' thinking and have many purposes including: to introduce a new topic to reinforce skills to motivate students to prepare students to learn to assess how much students know to develop students’ creative thinking
Resources · 02-20-2014
According to the PBS American Masters series, Jimi Hendrix's early instruments were straw brooms. His inner motivation, sensitivity to sound (and fantastic stage costumes) remind us of the many ways creativity manifests itself. The study of creative personality has applications for all individuals not just those recognized as creatively gifted. Question: What personal qualities correlate with the creative process? Three researchers who study creativity offer the following insight. Their review...
