| Session II |
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| Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theater |
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March 31, 2015 |
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Session II: Cultivating Creative Thinking |
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| This late morning plenary session will include several keynote presentations from experts in psychology, business, and education focusing on the importance of creativity and lifelong learning. |
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| Imagination – A Critical Key to Learning Time: 10:00 |
|
 Scott Barry Kaufman |
Imagination is one of the most critical facilitators of learning, yet it is also one of the most neglected in education. Recent discovery of the “Imagination Network” in the brain has shown the value of a wide range of skills for deep learning, including meaning making, perspective taking, future planning, personal reflection, morality, and compassion. However, the more we force students to pay attention to the outside world, and accomplish the goals of others, the more we actively rob them of the opportunity to develop these critical skills. Inspired by his personal experiences in special education as a child, and his extensive research, Kaufman urges all of us— administrators, teachers, and parents— to remember that when students are inspired to imagine, they naturally display higher levels of learning and creativity. |
| The Internet is Making Us More Creative Time: 10:30 |
|
 Ken Parker |
Internet-based changes are deeply affecting nearly every aspect of human existence. Ken Parker explores how the internet’s most powerful feature makes us more creative. |
| Building Creativity for a Bright Future Time: 10:40 |
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 Stephan Turnipseed |
65% of today’s children will end up having jobs that have not been invented yet. We do not know what the future holds – all we know is that we face challenges and with these challenges, we need to be cultivating creative problem solvers who are also strong communicators and collaborators. To accomplish this it is not enough to focus solely on teaching students theoretical content which may or may not become relevant to them in the future. Instead we should be focused on also teaching our students to develop process skills which will enable them to create innovative solutions to new problems. Thus we have to inspire children of today by offering them relevant and exciting projects so they can fully employ and develop the theoretical knowledge they are learning in the classroom. If learning involves collaborative, socially relevant projects, students will also develop important social skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Stephan Turnipseed, LEGO® Education, will discuss how a hands-on, minds-on approach helps students actively take ownership of the learning process and develop 21st-century skills such as creative thinking and problem solving. He will also provide insight into how the best kind of learning happens, when we can use our creativity in the process of learning, and can explore and experiment with what we are trying to learn – harnessing our curiosity and imagining “what if.” |
| “How We Learn – Creating Environments for Ideation & Innovation Time: 11:05 |
   
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| Scott Barry Kaufman, facilitator With: David Edwards, Rex Jung, Ben Michaelis, Stephan Turnipseed, Erahm Christopher |
| Understanding the recent findings in neuroscience and psychology research informs how we can better understand how we all best learn and what environments can encourage more creative development in both students and adults. |
| Building the Next Generation of Creative Thinkers Time: 11:35 |
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 Mike Strautmanis |
Disney's unique role in inspiring and nurturing a generation that will take us to new heights of possibility. |
