What makes a creative teacher? Three elements

Amplify’d from www.agent4change.net

Sal McKeown welcomes a booklet on creativity from Future Creative Creative Teaching for Tomorrow: Fostering a Creative State of Mind is a very attractive booklet which gives a good overview of the current thinking and research.

The overall findings in this research, conducted for Creative Partnerships Kent by Future Creative in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University, are that there are three key elements which define the creative teacher. The individual teacher’s personal qualities are crucial. They need to possess curiosity and a desire to learn, a sense of humour and enthusiasm. They should have a "secure knowledge base" and understand children’s needs and interests.

The second element is the pedagogy and teaching approaches. A creative teacher is likely to adopt a “questioning stance and will link ideas together, finding different ways of drawing pupils into the subject. This seems to be a two-way process as pupils are encouraged to be active participants, asking questions and stretching the teacher too.

The final factor is the school’s ethos. Creativity is only possible if risk taking is allowed and even encouraged. The best outcomes were seen when schools had opened their doors to outside influences such as Creative Partnerships and the wider community.

The booklet is particularly strong on research but it has its weaknesses. First of all, it is small scale, just focusing on 20 schools in Kent which had been closely involved with Creative Partnerships. Sometimes the research seems to be rather skewed. One of the questions children were asked was: "We have been told your teacher is very creative. Tell your neighbour in what way you agree." What about the children who found the teacher as dull as ditchwater?

More significantly, the publication seems to have a limited knowledge of ICT as a creative force, “In one school the teachers made inventive use SMART boards.  Pupils were asked to arrange a list of features under a number of pre-selected headings. Using their fingers they moved the words round "magically" to an appropriate new position. As SMART boards become more common, it is likely that their interactive qualities will be exploited by creative teachers in a wide range of ways.”  Where have they been? Drag and drop is probably one of the least creative uses of an interactive whiteboard!

Nevertheless, despite these limitations, this is a beautifully produced booklet which will be useful both to practitioners and to those engaged in research. Read more at www.agent4change.net

 

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Becoming a Teacher of Creativity

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Teaching itself is a unique invention. The process of becoming a creative teacher is like the process of thinking creatively. If you count on your education courses, the classes you've given, your students contributions, you'll be disappointed. You may learn about the subject being taught, the children's nature, the learning process, the methodology, and institutional materials; however, all of this will never be sufficient. You may inform yourself about the gifted student, or the one with special needs. Even then, you will not have unveiled everything. Added up, all these will not prepare you to teach. They will need to be combined with your own abilities and potential, plus the needs of your students in such a way that they'll lead you to your very own invention: your unique way of teaching. This unique invention is tremendously important to teach creativity or to teach creatively, leading the students to the discovery and use of their own potential. The search for a pre-established goal - the invention of your own way of teaching - emerges from you own creative process.

If you fail, you will gain consciousness of your deficiencies and defects; you will know the existing gaps in your strategies and techniques; and you will discover the holes in your knowledge. You will base yourself on your life experiences and you will seek out indicators of how to improve your performance over the next try. You will have to read a lot. From then on, you study what you read and your questioning evolves increasingly. You will come to see things never before realized. Therefore, you will come to formulate and bet on hypothesis, and to search for solutions. You will become creative for you will be problem-solving. You yourself will be trying to become a good teacher through the experience of Methodology of Creative Action. Through your attempts, from the ecstatic successes and the acceptance of mistakes plus the very exclusion of these in the process, you will be vivifying the occurrence of your own invention - it'll be you being the teacher you've always wanted to be!

Paul Torrance used to say: "Your own personality resources, your intellectual resources, your needs and abilities and those of your students, plus the expectations of the community to which you'll be teaching interact to determine the most effective materials and methodology. It is possible, however, to derive some general principles from the experience and research that'll increase the chances that your teaching will increment and promote the potential of talented children. It is possible to create teaching methodology and materials that will be based on already tested principles. It is the teacher's creative task to combine them to answer to the needs and abilities of the students, maintaining the harmony with their own needs and abilities.

To teach creativity it is required that a teacher be greatly receptive to activities of listening, feeling and seeing the world. S/he needs to be, on his/her own, of upbeat personality, polite, curious and excited about the students´ learning, completely free of hostile attitudes and punishment when it comes to the students. A teacher can never have tendencies to punish. S/he has to be able to let one thing or a fact lead to another thing or yet another fact.

TOP 10 REQUIREMENTS FOR A TEACHER TO CREATE

There exist some teachers who are used to placing the responsibility for not being creative on facts and things in the environment, accommodating as such over the years. Of course, in the environment, within society, and the educational system, there also exist many forces which inhibit the individuality of the creative teacher, which leads him/her to conform. In the search for our very own best way to teach, an analysis of the most common inhibiting forces is the least we should do.

2. Lack of time to think and to dream

They are: 1. Random thinking versus absorbing thought 2. Lack of time to think and to dream 3. Lack of intellectual honesty 4. Desperate mind 5. No more investigation and exploration 6. No more in-depth investigation of new things 7. Deterioration of imagination reserves 8. No more jotting ideas down 9. Fear of individuality 10. Not being yourself anymore When we analyze each and every one of the 10 items considered obstacles for the creative teachers, we have: 1. When you try to be the only inventor of your very own way of teaching, there are times in which you have to concentrate on the problem. Some people incorrectly associate invention and discovery with mere chance, with random behavior. It is true that many good ideas seem to occur when the person is relaxed - in the tub, during religious services, by the pool. However, these occurrences are ALWAYS preceded by attentive concentration during which the mind maintained itself occupied with the problem in question. 2. The absorbing thought takes up your time. The clock is a tyrant and much can be done to soften its tyranny. The activities have to be developed with authenticity. Don't freak out. Set aside a part of your day for some free time, don't be reserved about daydreaming occasionally, and don't be embarrassed if someone catches you floating outside reality, thinking and concentrating on something that interest only you. 3. We are rarely honest with ourselves when it comes doing things that truly interest us. To become the creator of your own manner of teaching, you have to free yourself from all the coverings and masks that hide you inside your won work; from all your beliefs that are false; and from all conventions and forms that are outdated. 4. Some people think that the more you know, the less you are capable of invention and discovery. That is false. According to Pasteur, the chances increase for the prepared minds. But there is a paradox here. Familiarity along with existing knowledge is necessary to attain more knowledge; however, the existence of previous knowledge about a certain problem can become an impediment to its solution. Pre-concepts are accused of hindering discoveries. 5. For the teacher, there can never be one single period in which the experimentation process and that of testing will cease. 6. In general, the students complain about studying and having to repeat certain topics, thinking that the emphasis causes discouragement. This occurs because the students have not dominated the ability of looking to the subjects approached with neither different things nor great depth. From studies on perception, however, it is clear that an object's meaning changes as we change the point and perspective through which we object it. Previously forgotten details can suddenly become extremely important. After we change the goals or after we obtain additional information, the meaning of something changes as well. Many are the inventions and discoveries through the deliberate use of certain methods, which made the familiar strange and the strange familiar. 7. The person will have difficulty in thinking creatively if her brain isn't rich in memories. Mental reserves filled with images will be useful to the creative teachers when s/he is searching for his/her own invention. One way of enriching the imagination is through the developing consciousness of the environment followed by detailed experimentation. This will be possible through sensory experiences, first-hand experiences, through personal identification with other professionals, through involvement with life. Another effective way is through immersion within world literature. 8. We feel deprived of ideas until the day in which we decide to write them down. Then our lives change! We frequently stop fixating on our own ideas, failing to capture them more so because they occur in inappropriate and uncommon places than because they occur where we'd like them to. Even the children have to be guided regarding the importance of "holding" ideas, taking notes to be used in the future, or to develop them when the opportunity comes. 9. It is difficult to free ourselves from the opinion that people formulate about us. We are always trying to adjust to the expectations of others, to the fact that we shouldn't harm nor offend. This causes us to severely reduce our potentialities. Very few of the creative who contributed magnificently to society were popular or well-accepted by others. In fact, many of them were hated. The creative person always has something urgent to say and is constantly searching for new aspects of the truth. 10. Perhaps the best advice to be given to the teacher who's being capacitated in creativity is: "Be yourself if you wish to contribute with any original thing that you believe to be worthwhile." This is a piece of advice difficult to receive because we are hindered by our pretension and/or shyness, our doubts and weaknesses, beyond the confused self-concepts. Seek to know the value of your intuitions. Treat them with care and cultivate the conditions to give them the means to sprout and grow. The process of becoming a creative teacher is, finally, an exciting adventure which brings unexpected returns. Trust in your dreams and from them, build your reality. Dr. Eliane Leao is a native of Brazil, South America. She has a background in Education from Purdue University (Masters) and a PhD in the Department of Educational Psychology from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)/Purdue University (Ph.D.). Dr. Leao has also three Bachelor’s degrees, one in Piano, another in Musical Education, and a third in Voice. Dr. Leao is currently a professor of Music Education and Music Therapy conducting research on the influence of Music in Early Childhood Learning. Dr. Leao hopes that the trials and successes of her family may inspire and convince other parents to stimulate their children during early childhood so that they may enjoy a rich, stimulating, integrated, and happy life always. Visit our site at: http://www.baby-can-read.com for free articles, ebook and free giveaways! Read more at ezinearticles.com

 

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Intersection of talents, passion and education...

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[May 2010 - TED] In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish. More

Robinson returned to TED earlier this year and talked about the intersection of tale

Ken Robinson returned to TED earlier this year and talked about the intersection of talents, passion and education.

As he did in his first TED talk about creativity and education, he sums up in less than 18 minutes key ideas that seem so obvious, yet are so far from the practices we employ in schools and society. Some of Ken's insights from his 2010 talk: There is a crisis of human resources -- we make poor use of our talents. Many people simply endure what they do rather than enjoy what they do. But some people do what they ARE and engage part of their authentic selves. Education dislocates people from their natural talents. We have to create the circumstances where talents show themselves. Education should be where this happens, but too often it's not. Education REFORM is not enough -- reform is only improving a broken model. We need not an evolution in education, but a revolution ... to transform it into something else. It needs innovation, which is hard because it challenges what we take for granted. Quoting Abraham Lincoln, Ken talked about "rising with the occasion" and the idea of "disenthralling ourselves." Life is organic ... not linear. We are obsessed with getting people to college. College does not begin in kindergarten. Kindergarten begins in kindergarten. Problem of conformity in education -- like fast food where everything is standardized. Human talent is tremendously diverse. Passion -- what excites our spirit and energy -- is important. Education doesn't feed a lot of people's spirits. Education, which is primarily based on a manufacturing model, should shift to one based on principles from agriculture. Human flourishing is an organic process. We cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do is create the conditions under which they begin to flourish. Customizing and personalizing education is the answer to the future. And he finished with a poem excerpt from W. B. Yeats about how we spread our dreams before others' feet -- like kids do everyday -- and askied us to "tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." If you care about the future of children and education and society, show Ken's two TED talks (and this one, too!) to your friends and colleagues and family and talk about how you can begin to act to make positive change in the ways we educate and work. Show these clips in a public meeting at your children's school. Show them in your workplace with your colleagues. Show them at the public library. You'll be amazed who cares about these topics, who shows up and what you might accomplish together. Imagine what if ... Read more at appliedimagination.blogspot.com

 

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Learning Two Languages

Is it OK?

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Is it OK to speak to my child in my native language? Talking to your child regularly lays the foundation for her language and literacy development. If you are most comfortable with your native language, you will be better able to communicate your feelings and ideas in that language. You can use words to label objects and describe what is happening as a way of teaching new words. You can recite rhymes and poems to develop her awareness of sounds. You can take turns talking about the day, things she notices, and books that you read together. By talking together, you teach your child about the purpose of language, while helping her express her feelings and ideas. And by speaking to your child in your native language, you also teach her about her culture and her identity.

But will speaking to my child in my native language make it harder for him to learn English when he goes to school? Before children start school, they may be exposed to English on TV, in the playground, and in the print they see on cereal boxes and street signs. Children will learn a lot about English from the environment around them. If your child has also had some formal exposure to English, such as going to a playgroup in which English is the primary language spoken, then school can provide additional opportunities for him to learn the language. Children and teachers alike can serve as models, helping your child communicate what he knows and can do. You may even be surprised by how quickly he picks up the language as he plays and learns alongside other English-speaking children. If your child has had no formal exposure to English, he will use what he knows about his native language to learn English - which will be a major task. Talk with your child's teacher about your goals for your child, as well as any concerns you have.

My husband speaks to our daughter in English. I want to speak to her in my native language. Won't she get confused? Learning even just one language is a complex process. But young children have the potential to learn more than one language. Again, what is most important is that you talk with your child in the language with which you are most comfortable, so you can have the types of conversations that promote your child's thinking and language development. It is also important to be a good language model and not mix up languages. That is, when talking with your child in English, don't mix in phrases and sentences from your native language. However, don't be surprised if your child uses words from both languages in one sentence. This is not a sign of confusion, but her current way of communicating what she wants to say.

If we only speak to our child in English, will he lose his ability to speak in native language? Yes. You will therefore need to decide if you want your child to maintain his skills in your native language. Consider your long-term goals. If you and your family will not return to your home country, maintaining the native language may not be a priority. Also consider your family situation. If extended family members don't speak English, it will be important for your child to maintain his native language so he can communicate with people closest to him. Also consider how your child might feel about losing his native language and a sense of his cultural identity when he gets older.

My child insists on talking to me in English. How can I help her maintain her native language? It requires time, persistence, and creativity. Some parents speak to their child only in their native language, even if their child responds in English. Other parents send their children to afterschool programs to learn more about their native language. You can also create routines to help your child maintain her native language - from outings with family members to watching movies and reading books in your native language.

My child is learning English as a second language. What should I do if he makes mistakes? Avoid correcting your child or you might discourage him. A good way to help your child learn the "right" way to say something is to affirm what he says, using the correct pronunciation, sentence structure, or grammar. For example, if your child says, "The mail comed," you might say, "You're right. The mail came. Let's see if we got a letter from Grandma." Read more at www.pbs.org

 

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"A Vision of Students Today"

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A SUPER-STREAMLINED CONCEPTION OF CRITICAL THINKING

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1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives 2. Tries to be well-informed 3. Judges well the credibility of sources 4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions 5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including its reasons, assumptions, and evidence 6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position 7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions 8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well 9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context 10. Draws conclusions when warranted -- with caution 11. Integrates all items in this list Developed (revised 3/24/04) by Robert H. Ennis, Professor

Developed (revised 3/24/04) by Robert H. Ennis, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Illinois. rhennis@uiuc.edu Read more at www.criticalthinking.net

 

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Learn New Words with Travel Vocabulary Cards

Amplify’d from www.education.com

"Look Mommy! The baggage carousel!" Kids encounter so many new words every day, and when they're traveling, there's even more to learn! Names for things your child will encounter on his next trip somewhere will help him make sense of the journey. Before your next family getaway, make a set of picture/word vocabulary cards together. Along the way, use them for fun games that will build your child's language and comprehension skills.

What You Need: 5" x 7" index cards Internet connection and printer Scissors Glue stick Marker Transparent adhesive paper, two 6 x 8 sheets per image Spoon What You Do: Make a list of travel vocabulary with your child. Start with basic vocabulary, then add words related to your specific destination (grandmother, amusement park, skyscraper, etc.) Have her write the list if she's up for it! With your child, find and print photos for each of your vocabulary words on your list by searching online. If you can't find suitable pictures for any of the words on your list, have your child draw a picture of the vocab word instead. Photos of each word will help your child make the picture/word connection which will help him expand his vocabulary. Support learning with photos that "isolate" only the item named: one suitcase rather than a stack of suitcases, carry-ons and garment bags. Next, invite your child to help you cut the images to fit the cards. Trim oversize images yourself. As you snip together, name the images and explain what each of them is. Have your child lay a card on the table and choose an image. On back of image, have him apply a dot of glue in each corner, then turn image over and stick on card. Make sure you leave room on the index card to write the corresponding vocab word. Then have your child write the corresponding vocab words below each picture in lower case letters. If you have a little trouble remembering names for the images, your child might remind you! Now it's time to laminate! Show your child how to peel the backing off an adhesive sheet. Have him peel and hand you sheets while you laminate. Lay a sheet on table, sticky side up. Center the card on the laminate. Match the corners with the second sheet, making contact with a long edge first. Have your child use the bowl of a spoon to smooth laminate from the center of card all the way out to the edges so that all of the air bubbles are smoothed out. I Spy in Line! The next time you're on a trip and you see some of your travel vocab words out and about while you're waiting in line, hand your child 4 or 5 cards showing some items visible at that moment. "Read" the cards together, then invite your child to hand you the card when he sees the item. Help him find them all (if needed) before your turn. Read more at www.education.com

 

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* Complete Coverage More How Teachers Can Build Emotional Resilience

"I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather."

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This quote by the Israeli educator, Haim Ginott, hung above my desk in my classroom. It often inspired me but was also a daunting reminder to manage my emotions. When I was exhausted or stressed out, my students’ behavior deteriorated, which further exasperated my emotional state. On those days, I resented the suggestion that I was the decisive element.

The reality for those of us working in public schools is that our work is very, very stressful. At a breakneck speed we must perform a multitude of mentally and emotionally draining tasks. Add to that the pressures of high-stakes testing, cuts in education, constantly changing administrators, instructional initiatives and curriculum, and the poverty and violence, and sometimes it feels like it can’t get any harder to work in this field.

This fall was rough for me. The challenges in our school seemed bigger and mightier than ever. In spite of how tired I felt, I also couldn’t imagine doing anything else: I love my work. But I realized—at some low point in late October—that in order to forge on I needed to learn more about managing my emotions. While our working conditions need to be improved, that will take time. In the interim, we can change how we experience the stress; we can increase our emotional resilience. I suspect that if I did, I’d be more effective and feel better.

Emotional resilience is defined as how you roll with the punches, how you handle and adapt to stressful situations. Emotionally resilient people understand what they’re feeling and why. They persevere and believe that they are in control of their lives, and they are optimistic and believe in their own strength. They don’t see themselves as victims and see obstacles as challenges and adversity as something that will make them stronger. In addition, emotionally resilient people tend to surround themselves with supportive friends and family, have a sense of humor, and are connected to their spiritual side.

What Is Emotional Resilience?

As I explored this concept, what seemed critical was the notion that emotional resilience can be developed. While we’re probably born with a certain amount of it, it can be grown, which is good news because I definitely would like as much as I can get. Teaching is hard, life is unpredictable; why not stock up on the stuff that might make it easier to manage?

Why Build Emotional Resilience Among Educators?

Our emotions are fundamental to our ability to be effective, and there’s unanimous consent that our jobs are stressful. Our public schools struggle to retain effective teachers, especially in urban districts, where the average tenure is three years and turnover is constant in the neediest schools. The exceptionally high rates of teacher burnout have been well-documented, and many of the reforms of the last decade have only intensified stress levels. It needs to be said, as well, that it’s equally hard for urban schools to retain highly effective principals: Their rates of stress and burnout are also astronomical.

It seems obvious, but if we are feeling depleted, confused, overwhelmed, or despairing, how can we possibly engage fully in a professional development session on backwards planning or academic literacy? Research tells us that when teachers are more relaxed, students are calmer, and the overall climate at a school can be transformed. When emotions are attended to, teachers’ attention, concentration, and job satisfaction increase and relationships with colleagues improve. (See the report, "Research on the Effect of the Inner Resilience Program on Teacher and Student Wellness and Classroom Climate" for more information.)

There is a certain amount of responsibility we each hold for individually managing our emotions. But I would like to propose that administrators support their staffs in developing these essential skills. If I was the education czar, I would mandate that everyone working in schools have one component of their professional development—and a certain number of hours per year and minutes per meeting—allocated to developing emotional resiliency. If we really are going to transform our system, we need to start by attending to people’s emotional experiences and well-being.

You’ve probably heard these suggestions for managing stress: keep a journal, develop positive self-talk, cultivate optimism and gratitude, expand social networks of support, meditate, sing, dance, paint and, of course, exercise! But in searching for specifics on stress and educators, I came across an interesting 2004 study on resiliency in urban teachers that offered some additional ideas. Here’s a summary of the findings:

How Can Emotional Resilience Be Developed?

1. Have personal values that guide their decision-making. They often feel they were "called" to this profession and a commitment to social justice keeps them in the classroom. (Interestingly, in response to questions on values, many teachers volunteered reflections on the importance of their spiritual beliefs and faith.)

Resilient teachers:

2. Place a high value on professional development and actively seek it out.

3. Mentor others.

4. Take charge and solve problems.

5. Stay focused on children and their learning.

6. Do whatever it takes to help children be successful.

7. Have friends and colleagues who support their work emotionally and intellectually.

8. Are not wedded to one best way of teaching and are interested in exploring new ideas.

9. Know when to get involved and when to let go.

These findings suggest ways that administrators can take proactive steps to develop the emotional resiliency of their staff. For example, on the first finding—that a set of values guide resilient teachers—I have found that most teachers come into this profession because they feel "called" in some way to improve society. However, we often become so inundated with the demands of the work that we lose sight of what brought us in. Our passion and commitment fade and we become cynical. To prevent this slide, principals could provide times and structures for teachers to regularly share their belief systems with each other as well as stories of why they entered this profession, of the successes they’ve had and so on. We could refuel ourselves and inspire each other. It also suggests the high importance for schools to have working, living visions that exist outside of a statement on a paper.

Another key finding in this study is that resilient teachers have colleagues who support their work emotionally and intellectually. Principals can do a great deal to develop relational trust among their staff, as this study of 400 Chicago schools shows. Trust has been called "the connective tissue that holds improving schools together." Organizational consultant Margaret Wheatley has written beautifully on the impact that having meaningful conversations and listening to each other can have in changing environments. Principals can ensure that these conversations happen. We can’t support each other intellectually (or create Professional Learning Communities) if we don’t trust each other.

If mentoring others develops resiliency, then this could be structured, supported, encouraged, and compensated, and not just left to individual initiative. And if having a say in guiding your own professional development increases resiliency, this is easy enough to do (and already happens in some schools).

Some of the traits of resilient teachers, such as knowing when to let go, are ones that I’ll have to cultivate on my own. However, talking to colleagues about how to do it would only accelerate the process and increase motivation. Doing this kind of work in the community would have greater impact than doing it alone. I intend to approach my manager and offer to take a role in leading this work within the time allocated for our professional development. I encourage teachers to do the same: Provide principals with research and data, share resources and suggestions, and offer leadership.

Finally, it’s not just teachers who need this kind of support: principals, administrators, coaches, counselors, superintendents, and many others would also benefit. We all contribute to the daily weather of a classroom, a school, and a district. We’re all decisive elements. Read more at www.edweek.org

 

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Schindler's Factory Becomes Krakow Museum.

Amplify’d from artkabinett.com

While Poland's first purpose-built modern art museum opened in November, its halls were largely devoid of art. Located on the site of Oskar Schindler’s former factory in Zablocie, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK)'s exhibition programme will not begin until spring. ARTKABINETT social network for fine art collectors has posted many previous AK Files about Poland's flourishing contemporary arts scene. Visitors to the building in its first month could, however, see the exhibition, “Architecture For Sensitive Lives”—a presentation of work by Italian architects Claudio Nardi and Leonardo Maria Proli, who designed the museum, as well as documentary films on construction projects taking place in the area, which is undergoing regeneration. On 6 December, the museum closed again to visitors so that renovations could be completed. The exhibition programme properly kicks off in mid-May with the show, “History in Art”, for which 44 international artists have been invited to display their works.

Additionally, 20 works will join the museum’s permanent collection. Director Anna Maria Potocka said she intends to boost the museum’s permanent collection through her private collection of contemporary Polish art. The premature launch of the museum is seen by many as a political move by the president of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski. The opening ceremony took place five days before the local elections, which Majchrowski subsequently won. “From the start it was clear that the construction schedule ran parallel with the elections,” said Potocka. “However, politicians' employment of such tactics in their election campaigns benefits the art community.” Potocka's appointment by the president of Krakow was met with controversy at the beginning of the year and led artists Wilhelm Sasnal and Marta Deskur to found the Committee for Transparency in Cultural Policy in Krakow. Following the appointment, a letter was submitted to Majchrowski requesting an open, international call for applicants to fill the director's position. The president, however, stood by his decision Read more at artkabinett.com

 

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by historyteachers, video:Greek Philosophers "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue

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5 Tipsfor Encouraging Creative Thinking in Children

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Encouraging creative thinking in children is easy to do if you incorporate these 5 simple tips.

One of the easiest things for promoting creative thinking in children is to allow them to have down time where they have time for thinking and exploring. It is important to allow this by not requiring them to participate in too many structured activities.

Allow Them Free Time

Limiting time on the computer and television allows for more time to pursue creative activities, like imaginative play. And when they are on the computer there are several creative games that can be utilized, such as ones where they create art or design things like roller coasters or cities.

Limit Computer and Television Time

Provide Them With Tools For Creativity

Some examples of tools for encouraging creative thinking in children are blank drawing pads with markers and crayons, blocks for building with, or ink pads for making finger print art.

Creativity is different for each person. One person may find sewing a creative outlet, while another might find writing a story a creative outlet. Let your children dictate their own path towards creativity, while you facilitate it with encouraging words and support.

There is nothing like a good example for passing our values on to the children in our lives. If we want to encourage creativity in them, why not show them that creativity is important to us as well. By making time for creative pursuits ourselves, and taking some down time of our own, we show them that creativity is an important part of life.

Allow Them to Follow Their Own Creative Path

Set An Example

Encouraging creative thinking in children is a valuable way for them to explore who they are and find talents and areas of interest that they can share with the world.

Sarah Holt writes for Increase Brainpower .com. For more on Creative Thinking, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com Read more at ezinearticles.com

 

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How to Teach Your Kids to Love Reading. What you need? BOOKS!

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1 Make reading fun. When your children are small, read to them before bedtime. Make it a happy time when you're sharing books that bring joy to them. When they get bigger, encourage them to find a comfortable spot in your house where they can settle in and read for some "quiet time" each day. By doing this, your kids will associate reading with happy, peaceful times.

2 Choose appropriate books. Children sometimes try to read books that are beyond their reading level, and this becomes a negative, frustrating experience. Help them to choose books that are appropriate for their reading level and interests.

Encourage them to follow favorite authors. This is easy to do today, since most authors have Web sites and blogs, and your child can easily find them online. By following an author this way, you can also find out when they're doing book signings and appearances in your area, and you can take your child to one of them.

Read their favorite books. When your child develops an interest in a certain book, read it yourself so you can talk intelligently with your child about it. Have conversations about the characters and the plot (i.e., "Who dies in the new Harry Potter book?"). This will improve your child's reading comprehension, and will keep the book alive in their mind.

Have a reading lesson plan. Give them reading goals. This is especially good during summer, when you can set a goal of how many books you'd like your child to read over several months. Go to the library and pick out another book as your child finishes each title on the list.

Reward them for achievement. When your child meets a reading goal or gets a good mark in school for reading, make sure you reward that effort. By giving positive feedback and rewards, you'll sow the seeds for a lifelong love of reading. Read more at www.ehow.com

 

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The Language Barrier

Here are some actual things spoken or written by foreigners who are a little rusty on their English.

Amplify’d from www.rinkworks.com

igns and Notices: "Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose." -- A sign in a Swiss hotel. "Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time." -- A sign in a laundry in Rome. "Members and non-members only." -- A sign outside Mexico City's Mandinga Disco in the Hotel Emporio. "Shower of Happiness. Total Safety Guaranteed." -- A label on an electric shower (to heat cold water) in Thailand. "Do not spit here and there." -- A sign in Calcutta, India. "Commit No Nuisance." -- A sign in Calcutta, India. "Dresses for streetwalkers." -- A junk mail ad in Germany. "Don't get into this." -- A sign in Japan with the universal "do not enter" symbol. "We are thinking that 'How to management' is more important than 'What for sell'. we want to realize that is 'It's well that!' that is our opinion." -- On the cover of a photo shop's envelopes for newly developed film. "ParkinginwrongPlaces Will Makeyou accountalbetoLaw Apartfrom being atresPassingontheRight oftheCitizenandthestate." -- A sign in Luxor, Egypt. "Deposit: The owner asks for a deposit of 25.000 ptas as a guarantee for the flat. This amount will be returned at the end of your stay if any damage has been done." -- A sign in a Spanish hotel. "Warning: Do not leave it in this place which may have a high temperature such as the car closed." -- Instructions for a CD adapter for a car's tape player. "SOTP" -- A sign near a road crossing in Milan. "Warning! Difficult to swim out if wearing wader filled with water by falling down! Therefor, please avoid deep water where danger of drowning possibility exists." -- On the label of a pair of chest waders manufactured in Taiwan. "Please leave your values at the front desk." -- A sign in a Paris hotel. "Let's skiing." -- A sign in a ski chalet in Nagano, Japan. "Child be a public servant. The best balance of music and technology within a vaguely." -- Written on a T-shirt for sale in a market in Hong Kong. "Dah Wong Path." -- A sign for a park path in Hong Kong. "Caution Water On Road During Rain" -- A sign in Malaysia. "Refund!" -- "Caution," as translated into Italian on a "wet floor" sign in an Italian McDonald's. "Please to bathe inside the tub." -- A sign in a Japanese hotel room. "Our staffs are always here waiting for you to patronize them." -- From an advertisement for a hotel in Tokyo. "This shop has been moved to the present place for 35 years." -- From an advertisement for an antique shop in Tokyo. "Colorful dining space surrounded by stained glasses." -- From an advertisement for a restaurant in Tokyo. To everyone of the use, Laundromat. Many people use a Laundromat. Let's comply with the next item to use it for the cleanness safety. 1. Let's read the explanation of the way of using it well, and use the washing machine, the dryness machine properly. 2. Let's wash a hand well before and after a wash. 3. Don't wash the person who get's an epidemic, and clothes which contacted with the person. 4. Don't wash a diaper which urine stuck to, sports shoes, an animal's rug because an unpleasantness is given to the person handled later and it is un-sanitation. 5. Let's bring it back after you spread the wash from the dryness machine and a state is done. 6. Please ask a satellite control person in charge for the inquiry about the establishment, the contact of in case of emergency. -- Instructions on the wall of the laundry room in a hotel in Tokyo. "You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday." -- A sign in a Moscow hotel across the street from a Russian Orthodox monastery. "Please waste." -- Signs on trash cans in an amusement park in Osaka, Japan. "You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid." -- A sign in a Japanese hotel. "The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid." -- A sign in a Yugoslavian hotel. "Specialist in women and other diseases." -- A sign outside of Roman doctor's office. "If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it." -- A sign on the door of a Moscow hotel room. "Is forbidden to steal towels please. If you are not a person to do such thing is please not to read notis." -- A sign in a Tokyo hotel. "To more the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order." -- A sign in a Belgrade elevator. "Please take one step forward and crap twice." -- A sign in a temple in China. "Figure Out Fare Office" -- A sign on a small wooden house at a bus station in Laos. "Dresses for street walking." -- A sign outside a Paris dress shop. "Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are the best in the long run." -- A sign in an Acapulco hotel. "Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar." -- A sign in a Norwegian cocktail lounge. "Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation." -- A sign in a Rhodes tailor shop. "The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable." -- A sign in a Bucharest hotel lobby. "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists." -- From an advertisement by a dentist in Hong Kong. "It is strictly forbidden on our Black Forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose." -- A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest. "Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11am daily." -- A sign in a hotel in Athens. "Dirty Water Punishment Place" -- How a sewage treatment plant was marked on a Tokyo map. "The manager has personally passed all the water served here." -- A sign in an Acapulco hotel. "Do not enter lift backwards, and only when lit up." -- A sign in a Leipzig elevator. "Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension." -- A sign in an Austrian hotel catering to skiers. "Take one of our horse driven city tours -- we guarantee no miscarriages." -- A sign in a Czechoslovakian tourist agency. "We take your bags and send them in all directions." -- A sign in a Copenhagen airline ticket office. "Ladies may have a fit upstairs." -- A sign outside a Hong Kong tailor shop. "Here speeching American." -- A sign in a Majorcan shop entrance. "Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty." -- A sign in a Budapest zoo. "For your convenience, we recommend courteous, efficient self-service." -- A sign in a Hong Kong supermarket. "In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter." -- A sign in a Vienna hotel. "Warning: Please do not leave children unattended. We are not responsible for lost children or injuries." -- A sign by an apparently dangerous koi pond in a Chinese Restaurant. "WARNING: Tips for waitress not privilege off customer, and not optonal to do! Is custimarry and IS THE LAW for leave tips, otherwise is possibul to face prostection by law! Please be responsivele, leave tip and no go jail! Have a nice day!" -- A sign on tables in a Chinese Restaurant in the United States. "Coffee and Snakes" -- A sign in a coffee shop in Ingolstadt, Germany. "Billiards and Snocker" -- A sign in a pool hall in Ingolstadt, Germany. "Cramp Heads" -- On a box of clamp heads from Japan. "Stop. Drive sideways." -- A detour sign in Japan. "Special Today - no ice cream" -- A sign at a Swiss inn. "You did not report yourself by the Alien police. You have to do this in a short time, otherwise you get troubles! When you don't come to our office, we demand you to come! And when you don't come again, you maybe have to pay a fine, and it is possible that you will be expanded." -- A letter sent by the Rotterdam (Netherlands) foreign police to someone who did not show up for a registration appointment. Read more at www.rinkworks.com

 

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Kids' Ideas About Love

Kids, aged 5 to 10, were asked questions about what they thought of love and marriage. Here's what they said.

Amplify’d from www.rinkworks.com

Love and Marriage:

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." -- Glenn, age 7

Love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." -- John, age 9 "I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." -- Manuel, age 8 "No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." -- Mae, age 9 "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." -- Greg, age 8 "Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife." -- Tom, age 5 "On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." -- Mike, 10 "I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when Dinosaurs is on television." -- Jill, age 6 "One of the people has freckles, and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too." -- Andrew, age 6 "My mother says to look for a man who is kind. That's what I'll do. I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome." -- Carolyn, age 8 "It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -- Kenny, age 7 "One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills." -- Ava, age 8 "When somebody's been dating for a while, the boy might propose to the girl. He says to her, 'I'll take you for a whole life, or at least until we have kids and get divorced.'" -- Anita, 9 "I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." -- Regina, age 10 "Most men are brainless, so you might have to try more than once to find a live one." -- Angie, age 10 "A man and a woman promise to go through sickness and illness and diseases together." -- Marlon, age 10 "[Being] single is better . . . for the simple reason that I wouldn't want to change no diapers. Of course, if I did get married, I'd figure something out. I'd just phone my mother and have her come over for some coffee and diaper-changing." -- Kirsten, age 10 "Love is foolish...but I still might try it sometime." -- Floyd, age 9 "Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." -- Dave, age 8 Kissing: "When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down, and they don't get up for at least an hour." -- Wendy, age 8 "You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding." -- Jim, age 10 "Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you. But if nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours." -- Kally, age 9 "You learn [how to kiss] right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of you." -- Doug, age 7 "If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it's a new person, you have to ask permission." -- Roger, age 6 "It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you. That's why I stopped doing it." -- Tammy, age 10 "I know one reason kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all over, and they didn't always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses." -- Gina, age 8 "The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that." -- Curt, age 7 "The rules goes like this: if you kiss someone, then you should marry her and have kids with her. It's the right thing to do." -- Howard, age 8 (on seeing a couple kissing) "He is trying to steal her chewing gum!" -- Boy, age 6 Beauty: "If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." -- Anita, age 8 "Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." -- Christine, age 9 "It isn't always how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything, and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." -- Brian, age 7 How People In Love Act: "Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food." -- Brad, age 8 "They act mooshy. Like puppy dogs, except puppy dogs don't wag their tails nearly as much." -- Arnold, age 10 "All of a sudden, the people get movies fever so they can sit together in the dark." -- Sherm, age 8 "Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up." -- Sarah, age 9 "It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are -- on fire." -- Christine, age 9 "See if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love." -- John, age 9 "Many daters just eat pork chops and french fries and talk about love." -- Craig, age 9 What Mom and Dad Have In Common: "Both don't want no more kids." -- Lori, age 8 How To Tell If Two People Are Married: "Married people usually look happy to talk to other people." -- Eddie, age 6 "You might have to guess based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids." -- Derrick, age 8 Deciding Who To Marry: "You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming." -- Allan, age 10 "No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with." -- Kirsten, age 10 Strategies For Making People Fall In Love With You: "Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores." -- Del, age 6 "Shake your hips and hope for the best." -- Camille, age 9 "Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs...and don't worry if their parents are right there." -- Manuel, age 8 "Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." -- Alonzo, age 9 "One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me." -- Bart, age 9 The Best Age To Get Married: "Twenty three is the best age because you know the person forever by then." -- Cam, age 10 "No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married!" -- Freddie, age 6 Good Advice About Love: "Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." -- Dick, age 7 "Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." -- Lynnette, age 8 "Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck!" -- Ricky, age 7 "Don't forget your wife's name. That will mess up the love." -- Erin, age 8 "Sensitivity don't hurt." -- Robbie, age 8 "Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." -- Erin, age 8 "Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind. Love isn't like picking what movie you want to watch." -- Natalie, age 9 What To Do When a First Date Turns Sour: "I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns." -- Craig, age 9 What Most People Are Thinking When They Say "I Love You": "The person is thinking: 'Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day.'" -- Michelle, age 9 "Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that they finally got it out and said it, and now they can go eat." -- Dick, age 7 Why People In Love Often Hold Hands: "They want to make sure their rings don't fall off, because they paid good money for them." -- Gavin, age 8 "They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing." -- John, age 9 Read more at www.rinkworks.com

 

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