How might we infuse critical thinking into the classroom?

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Colin Seale, a seasoned educator, attorney, and the founder of Think Law. Colin delves into how educators can ignite creative thinking in their classrooms through open-ended questions, fostering student creativity, and navigating existing educational systems while pushing for change. He emphasizes the need to maintain and nurture the innate curiosity each student possesses, challenging the conventional educational structures that often stifle imagination and innovative thinking. With captivating examples from his book "Thinking Like a Lawyer," Colin illustrates how everyday scenarios, such as questioning the value of traditions or analyzing courtroom cases, can develop critical and creative thinking skills in students of all backgrounds.

The discussion further explores the profound connection between creativity, educational equity, and the necessary visionary goals to tackle systemic issues like redlining and underinvestment in education. Seale underscores the importance of empowering students to visualize and work toward what "ought to be," fostering a sense of agency and problem-solving. From an inspiring classroom activity in Louisville to a teacher in Dayton ingeniously utilizing storytelling to teach historical events, Colin's insights provide a practical and transformative framework for educators. Colin also tackles the significance of mistake analysis and how understanding students' reasoning can enhance creative thinking.

About Colin Seale:

Colin Seale was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where struggles in his upbringing gave birth to his passion for educational equity. Tracked early into gifted and talented programs, Colin was afforded opportunities his neighborhood peers were not. Using lessons from his experience as a math teacher, later as an attorney, and now as a keynote speaker, contributor to Forbes, The 74, Edutopia and Education Post and author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students (Prufrock Press, 2020) and Tangible Equity: A Guide for Leveraging Student Identity, Culture, and Power to Unlock Excellence In and Beyond the Classroom (Routledge, 2022), Colin founded thinkLaw, a multi-award-winning organization to help educators leverage inquiry-based instructional strategies to close the critical thinking gap and ensure they teach and reach all students, regardless of race, zip code or what side of the poverty line they are born into.

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education? Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

In this latest episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood reflect on their journey through Season 9. They discuss the rapid pace of the semester and how balancing responsibilities can be a challenge without deliberate efforts to slow down. The hosts kick off their debrief by revisiting recent episodes, including conversations with Corey Gray on culturally responsive teaching, Dr. Edward Clapp on participatory creativity in education, and Dorta Nielsen from the Center for Creative Thinking in Denmark. They delve into key insights from these episodes, reflecting on the importance of recognizing diverse student backgrounds and contributions in the learning environment, as well as the instructional strategies that can foster a creative mindset.

Matthew and Cyndi acknowledge the value of seeing every student and encourage the adoption of a participatory creativity framework to celebrate individual contributions while fostering a collective creative process. This episode underscores the powerful impact of a creative mindset, sharing personal anecdotes and practical applications. Furthermore, the hosts tease upcoming episodes, including the much-anticipated conversations with creativity expert Dr. Robert Sternberg and a special Thanksgiving episode, promising an exciting conclusion to Season 9. For more in-depth discussions and to access over 100 interviews archived to date, visit the podcast's comprehensive website at fuelingcreativitypodcast.com.

Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education? Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

How might we cultivate a creative mindset in our classrooms? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, join hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood as they delve into transforming educational settings to foster creativity with special guest, Dorte Nielsen. Dorte is the founder of Creative Thinker and the Center for Creative Thinking in Copenhagen, with an impressive background in advertising and education. She has authored 10 books and has been a driving force behind integrating creative thinking into primary school curricula. Through her work, Dorte has introduced innovative programs that encourage creative thinking across all subjects and age groups. Throughout this insightful conversation, Dorte shares her observations of how traditional educational environments often lack the support needed for creative minds to thrive. She highlights the successes of her initiatives—such as improved student engagement, reduced absenteeism, and enhanced classroom dynamics. Dorte discusses the importance of fostering an open-ended, growth-oriented mindset and provides actionable tips for educators, emphasizing the need to celebrate diverse thinking styles. This episode brings to light the transformative power of creativity in education, offering valuable takeaways for teachers, administrators, and anyone passionate about nurturing creativity in the classroom. The Secret of the Highly Creative Thinker Little Creative Thinker’s Exercise Book About Dorte Nielsen: Dorte is the founder of Creative Thinker and the Center for Creative Thinking in Copenhagen. She has dedicated her life to helping others become better creative thinkers. After her advertising career in London, she has been teaching and researching creativity. She founded a bachelor degree program for conceptual thinkers and made it one of the most award-winning creative bachelors programs in the world. After her success in training creativity at the university level, Dorte took her uniquely effective creativity curriculum to primary schools. Dorte Nielsen is the author of 10 books, 3 games and thinking tools. Her books are published in 11 languages and are sold in 65 countries. Check out our website at FuelingCreativityPodcast.com Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org and CreativeThinkingNetwork.com What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education? Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

Our Sound Engineer for this episode was David Dragozov