C4Ta #2 Education Rethink - John T. Spencer

John T. Spencer
Website: Education Rethink

10 Ways to Improve Student Brainstorming
Summary
This is an artical by John T. Spencer about how students often struggle with brainstorming. Students have great ideas, brilliant even, but will say "I don't have any ideas." because they are afraid to share their ideas. So John T. Spencer created a list of ten ways to improve how students brain storm:

1. Have students brainstorm in isolation first.
2. Emphasize that there are not dumb ideas! List every one on the board.
3. Experiment with formatting.
4. Be clear in the brainstorming topic.
5. Be intentional about the brainstorming space. This means how you want them to sit, listen, and speak or if you want them to use technology or not.
6. Create breaks for individual reflection.
7. Have a brainstorm leader who write down the ideas, guides the brainstorming session, and makes sure there is no criticism.
8. Move students around.
9. Try multiple visual methods, paper and pencil, web lists, poster and markers, etc.
10. Do not use a timer. Children can panick when time is running out, so they do not come up with their very best ideas.

Comment
I will definitely use this list with my future class. I would even like to make a sign or poster to hang up in my class. I think any future teacher needs to read this article. Even though it is a simple list that some may think is common sense, I think it will affect brainstorming sessions dramatically. For example, number 8, moving students around, people may not think that just moving to a different location can change a brainstorming session but it can! If a teacher, current or future, wants their students to brainstorm and be creative, they need to go read the 10 Ways to Improve Student Brainstorming.

Five Ways Techers Can Limit the Fear of Creative Failure
Spencer starts this article by saying how he is working on a web design, yet he is hitting a wall. He can not decide how he wants the graphics to be done and he simply can not remember codes for somethings he wants to do. He goes on to say, how he is afraid of failure, he is afraid it will not work out right. Then the statement, "Ultimately, it's the fear, not the frustration, that kills creativity." Then he lists the Five Ways Teachers can Limit the Fear of Creative Failure:

1. Share your own fear as a maker.
2. Promote a growth mindset with students.
3. Encourage risk taking as a part of your classroom culture.
4. Switch to standards-based grading.
5. Keep the creative work meaningful to students.

Comment
Once again, I love Mr. Spencer's article. I think it is important to help students be creative. At one point in the article, Spencer states that when people become adults or get older, the quit dancing, they quit singing, and they quit stopping, observing, and wondering because they are afraid of being embarrassed or not being productive. I think this is very true and very sad. People in today's world get embarrassed too easily. I think to help children be creative and not be embarrassed, we as teachers have to learn to do the same.

Summary for John T. Spencer Overall, I loved reading John T. Spencer's articles. I will have to add him to my Personal Learning Network. Even though, I have thought the same things, I never really understood the impact a simple list can make on brainstorming and creativity. These rules should be common sense; however, some people do not think in the same way we do as teachers. I think everyone needs to read these two articles, and I will definitely read more of Mr. Spencer's work.