POD Network Conference Sample Proposal

Session Title (no more than 10 words): Strategies for Introducing Creative Activities into the Classroom Session Abstract (no more than 100 words): The 21st century presents a dizzying array of challenges for current and future generations. Society needs people who have the confidence to explore unique ideas and the willingness to take risks in shaping and sharing those ideas. How can faculty members help our students learn to envision new, unusual, and creative solutions? This workshop will describe five key principles derived from a case study of three faculty members from different disciplines who structured their curriculum to foster creative thinking, lead participants in activities based on these principles, and discuss how faculty developers could encourage creative activities in the classroom. Topic Designation 1: Teaching & Learning Topic Designation 2: SoTL Topic Designation 3: Faculty Professional Development Other Topic Designation: Creativity Audience 1: Faculty (conference attendees who are faculty and also parttime developers) Audience 2: All POD members Other Audience: Anyone who wants to have fun and learn about creativity Session description (no more than 500 words): We need a more creative workforce that responds to our uncertain and complex times (Craft, 2006). Society needs people who have the confidence to explore unique ideas and the willingness to take risks in shaping and sharing those ideas. Universities are one place where creative juices can be energized. Yet, for years universities have been "failing to equip graduates with the creative skills they require to be effective in the workplace" (Wood & Bilsborow, 2014,111). McWilliam and Kaukka (2008) argue that faculty need "to move creativity from the margins to the center" of the curriculum (651). Experience in doing creative activities can lead to students learning how to explore creative options. Yet, many faculty members have little experience developing and incorporating creative activities into their curriculum. In addition, once they have assigned a creative project, it is still not easy. Faculty members are ill equipped and often stymied to provide feedback and evaluate the creative products students present (Torrance & Shafer, 2006).Evidence from multiple disciplines seems to indicate that creative activities should be assigned and can be assessed. Faculty can further the kinds of outcomes we want our

students to graduate with, such as, critical thinking and crucial research skills while at the same time engaging student creative thinking (Sternberg, Grigorenko and Singer, 2004; Puccio, Murdock and Mance, 2006; Marie, 2008). In this session, participants will: 1) describe 5 key principles derived from a case study of faculty who incorporated creative practices in their classroom 2) experience and assess several creativity exercises illustrating these principles 3) generate and share ideas about how to integrate these practices in classes and in faculty development Outline: I. Background on role of creativity for student learning II. Description of case study of creative practices III. Description of Five Key principles for creative practices in the classroom IV. Facilitate several creative activities that can be used in the classroom derived from the principles (The majority of time will be spent in this activity.) Some examples follow: a. Improvisation game b. Film and music to facilitate reflection c. Free-writes to jumpstart creative juices d. Using creative activities to understand complex concepts, e.g., writing a poem to research variables. e. constructing a culminating creative assignment V. Facilitate a discussion of how faculty developers can support faculty in the use of such activities in their classroom, as well as how these activities impact our diverse learners. Connection to theme: The presentation is the outgrowth of a Scholarship of Teaching project that sought to examine the impact of the use of creative activities on student learning conducted by 3 faculty from different disciplines--Business, Teacher Education and Higher Education. Part of what we learned is the topic of this presentation. As such, this session addresses the impact of SoTL. Critical reflection and creativity go hand in hand. Like reflection, creativity is needed to overcome challenges and identify new solutions. Facilitating creativity in our students and faculty encourages reflection.

References (no more than 150 words): Craft, Anna. 2006. "Fostering Creativity with Wisdom." Cambridge Journal of Education 36(3): 337-50. Marie, Jenny. 2008. "Postgraduate Science Research Skills: Role of Creativity, Tacit Knowledge, Thought Styles and Language." London Review of Education 6 (2): 149-58. McWilliam, Erica and Haukka, Sandra. 2008. "Educating the Creative Workforce: New Directions for Twenty- First Century Schooling." British Educational Research Journal 34 (5): 651-66. Puccio, Gerard J. 2007. Creative Leadership : Skills That Drive Change. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications. Sternberg, Robert J., Elena L. Grigorenko, and Jerome L. Singer. 2004. Creativity: From Potential to Realization. 1st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Torrance, E., and H. Tammy Safter. 1986. "Are Children Becoming More Creative?" The Journal of Creative Behavior 20 (1): 1-13. Wood, Denise, and Carolyn Bilsborow. 2014. "'I Am Not a Person with a Creative Mind': Facilitating Creativity in the Undergraduate Curriculum Through a Design- Based Research Approach." Electronic Journal of ELearning 12 (1): 111-25.