The document discusses the importance of fostering creativity in education by balancing divergent and convergent thinking, exemplified by encouraging exploration of multiple ideas while also honing in on practical solutions. It emphasizes the need for a shift in educational paradigms to prioritize creativity alongside literacy, promoting environments that support curiosity, risk-taking, and collaboration. Furthermore, it proposes actionable exercises for educators to enhance creative problem-solving skills among students, urging a collective effort to redefine educational strategies for a rapidly changing future.

1. HOW DO YOU DESIGN FOR
CREATIVITY?
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BUCKET BRIGADE
and a plea to help foster creativity in the classroom

2. “CREATIVITY IS THE PROCESS
OF HAVING ORIGINAL IDEAS
THAT HAVE VALUE.”
– SIR KEN ROBINSON
http://bit.ly/educationbrilliantlyput

3. CREATIVITY IS ALSO
THE PRODUCT OF
A DYNAMIC SYSTEM.
IF WE WANT TO FOSTER CREATIVITY,
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE
ELEMENTS OF THAT SYSTEM INTERACT.

4. DIVERGENT THINKING
CONVERGENT THINKING
AT ITS CORE,
CREATIVITY FLOWS
FROM THE INTERACTION
OF TWO FORCES.

5. DIVERGENT THINKING IS THE FREE
FORM, OFTEN SPONTANEOUS,
EXPLORATION OF MANY NOVEL IDEAS.
CONVERGENT THINKING IS THE SEARCH
FOR THE MOST CORRECT ANSWER TO A
CLEARLY DEFINED PROBLEM.

6. DIVERGENT THINKING IS IMAGINING
100 UNIQUE USES FOR A PAPERCLIP.
CONVERGENT THINKING IS YOUR
TYPICAL STANDARDIZED TEST.

7. DIVERGENT THINKING IS IMAGINATION.
CONVERGENT THINKING IS REASON.

8. DIVERGENT THINKING CAN OFTEN LEAD
THE PROCESS OF PROBLEM SOLVING,
CREATING MANY POSSIBILITIES TO BE
WINNOWED DOWN BY CONVERGENT THINKING.
BUT TRULY CREATIVE IDEAS ARE OFTEN
BIRTHED FROM MANY ROUNDS OF GOING
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO.

9. DIVERGENT THINKING REQUIRES THE COURAGE
TO MAKE MISTAKES, THE FREEDOM TO PLAY,
AND A PUSH TO EXPLORE NEW PERSPECTIVES.
CONVERGENT THINKING REQUIRES NECESSITY,
WELL DEFINED OBJECTIVES, KNOWLEDGE,
AND REASONING SKILLS.

10. THE DESIGN OF SYSTEMS AND
ENVIRONMENTS THAT FOSTER
CREATIVITY IS A PROCESS OF
BALANCING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
FOR, AND ENSURING INTERACTION
BETWEEN, DIVERGENT AND
CONVERGENT THOUGHT.

11. Foster an
Reward
Atmosphere
Curiosity Be
Encourage of Play
Persistent
Mistakes
Try on New
Perspectives
Urge Define the
Non-conformity Problem for
Yourself
DIVERGENT THINKING
Focus
Attention
CONVERGENT THINKING Ensure
Adequate
Education
Set Clear
Provide
Objectives
Building Blocks of
Encourage
Reasoning Skills Become Aware of
Melding of Optimal
Solutions Test, Your Internal
Measure, and Reasoning Process
Refine

12. COLLABORATION IS CRITICAL –
AS WE GROW OLDER, WE TEND TO BECOME
SPECIALIST THINKERS, RELYING HEAVILY ON A
SINGLE MODE OF THOUGHT.
GROUPS THAT BALANCE CONVERGENT AND
DIVERGENT THINKERS ARE ABLE TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS MORE EFFECTIVELY.

13. SO WHY DOES CREATIVITY MATTER?
CREATIVITY IS
THE MEASURE
OF OUR RESILIENCE.
IN A WORLD WHERE THE
FUTURE IS NOW MORE
UNPREDICTABLE THAN EVER
BEFORE, CREATIVITY IS AT
THE CORE OF OUR ABILITY TO
WEATHER UNFORESEEN AND
DISRUPTIVE EVENTS.

14. THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP
A NEW CROP OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS.
NOWHERE IS CREATIVITY
MORE CRITICAL OR IN
GREATER CRISIS THAN
TODAY’S CLASSROOM.

15. Reward
Curiosity
Try on New
Perspectives Encourage
Mistakes
Foster an
Atmosphere Define the
of Play Problem for
Yourself
Be WE MUST RE-BALANCE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Persistent
WE NEED CREATIVE IDEAS
TO BRING DIVERGENT
Urge
Non-conformity
THINKING BACK TO
THE CLASSROOM.

16. AND BECAUSE THE FUTURE IS A PLACE
WE’D ALL LIKE TO VISIT SOMEDAY,
EACH OF US HAS A PART
TO PLAY IN DESIGNING IT.
PLUS, IT’S KINDA FUN.

17. HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS
TO GET YOU STARTED.
EXERCISE YOUR DIVERGENT THINKING,
GRAB A PEN AND PAPER AND PUSH
YOURSELF TO COME UP WITH
10-20 UNIQUE IDEAS.

18. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE A SYSTEM, THE
MOST POWERFUL WAY TO START IS BY
QUESTIONING THE PARADIGMS BEHIND IT.
WHAT IF CREATIVITY WAS CONSIDERED
JUST AS IMPORTANT AS LITERACY?
EXERCISE: WHAT WOULD AN EDUCATION
SYSTEM BE LIKE IF IT PUT CREATIVITY AT
THE CORE OF ITS VALUES? WOULD IT
SPLINTER SUBJECTS INTO DIFFERENT
CLASSES? WOULD IT GROUP CHILDREN
SOLELY BY THEIR AGE? WOULD STUDENTS
SIT IN DESKS? WOULD TEACHERS NEED
CLASSROOMS? QUESTION THE MOST
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF HOW SCHOOL
SHOULD BE RUN AND HOW STUDENTS
SHOULD BEHAVE.

19. A SYSTEM IS ONLY AS EFFECTIVE AS THE
GOALS IT SETS FOR ITSELF. TODAY’S
EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS ONE MYOPIC
FOCUS: MATRICULATION.
EXERCISE: SET NEW GOALS FOR
EDUCATION AND EXPLORE HOW TO
ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. FOR EXAMPLE,
WHAT IF WE EXPECTED SCHOOLS AND
STUDENTS TO HELP SOLVE REAL
PROBLEMS IN THEIR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES? HOW WOULD YOU SET
THAT GOAL, HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN
INTERACTIONS (GAMES, SCIENCE FAIRS,
TRIPS) AROUND ACCOMPLISHING
THAT TASK?

20. IF EDUCATION IS THE ANSWER TO
CONFRONTING TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES,
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM MUST HAVE THE
ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THOSE CHALLENGES.
HOW DO WE EMPOWER STUDENTS AND
SCHOOLS TO SELF-ORGANIZE AND EVOLVE?
EXERCISE: THINK ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
THAT WOULD HELP STUDENTS AND
SCHOOLS MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE
FUTURE – AND THEN CONFRONT THOSE
PREDICTIONS. HOW DO WE EMPOWER
STUDENTS TO SELF-ORGANIZE AROUND
THEIR PASSIONS AND TALENTS?

21. IF SCHOOLS SEEM TO BE RUN BY MIDDLE
MANAGERS, IT’S BECAUSE THEY ARE.
IN ANY SYSTEM, THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE
THE RULES DEFINE BEHAVIOR THROUGH
THEIR OWN CONTEXT.
EXERCISE: WHAT WOULD SCHOOL BE LIKE
IF SOMEONE ELSE CREATED THE RULES,
PUNISHMENTS, AND INCENTIVES? HOW
WOULD TED DESIGN LECTURES TO INSPIRE
CREATIVITY? HOW WOULD A JAZZ
MUSICIAN GIVE HOMEWORK? HOW WOULD
A GAME DESIGNER UNLOCK
ACHIEVEMENTS FOR CREATIVE IDEAS?

22. THE TRIED AND TRUE INCENTIVE FOR
EDUCATION, THAT A DEGREE ASSURES A GOOD
JOB, IS NO LONGER AS TRUE AS IT ONCE WAS.
EXERCISE: HOW DO WE REWARD CREATIVE
BEHAVIOR? OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, THE MOST
COMMON SYSTEM FOR REWARDING
CREATIVITY IS CALLED CAPITALISM. WHAT
CAN WE LEARN FROM THAT SYSTEM? CAN WE
APPLY IT INSIDE SCHOOL?

23. INNOVATION IS THE PROCESS OF
REMIXING NEW TECHNOLOGIES INTO
EXISTING SYSTEMS. TODAY, INNOVATION
PLAYS A BIGGER PART IN MARKETING
PRODUCTS TO KIDS THAN FOSTERING
CREATIVITY IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
EXERCISE: WHAT TECHNOLOGIES BELONG
IN A MODERN CLASSROOM? HOW SHOULD
THEY BE USED TO FOSTER COLLABORATIVE
CREATIVITY? HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE
CONTINUAL INNOVATION IN THE
EDUCATION SYSTEM?

24. A GENERATIVE RELATIONSHIP IS ONE THAT
PRODUCES NEW SOURCES OF VALUE THAT
CANNOT BE FORESEEN IN ADVANCE. IN TIMES
OF DYNAMIC CHANGE, ORGANIZATIONS NEED
TO CULTIVATE AS MANY GENERATIVE
RELATIONSHIPS AS THEY CAN.
EXERCISE: WHAT BRANDS AND
ORGANIZATIONS STAND FOR CREATIVITY
AND/OR HAVE AN INTEREST IN A MORE
CREATIVE WORKFORCE? THINK ABOUT WHAT
VALUE THEY CAN BRING TO THE TABLE TO
CREATE NEW CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR STUDENTS.

25. Try on New
Perspectives
Reward
Curiosity
Define the
Foster an Problem for
Atmosphere
HOW MANY IDEAS DO YOU HAVE SO FAR?
Yourself
of Play
HERE’S A FINAL EXERCISE TO HELP YOU
GET TO 20 UNIQUE IDEAS:
Be
Persistent
MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
DIVERGENT THINKING ON THE LEFT, WITH
Encourage
THE ENVIRONMENTS STUDENTS FIND
Mistakes THEMSELVES IN, AND THE TECHNOLOGIES
Urge THEY ARE LIKELY TO USE. FOR EXAMPLE,
Non-conformity HOW CAN WE REWARD STUDENTS’
CURIOSITY, ON THE BUS, USING THEIR
MOBILE PHONES?

26. ALL DONE? SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS
FOR A DAMN GOOD CAUSE. HTTP://BIT.LY/DROPINTHEBUCKET
During the week of February 7th, 2011, The Bucket Brigade will be competing to
generate breakthrough ideas that will help children entering the education
system become creative thinkers. The best ideas may even be put into practice.
Click on the link to the right to submit your ideas for the program.
CURIOUS ABOUT
THE BUCKET BRIGADE?
HTTP://BIT.LY/JOINTHEBUCKET We want to re-define strategy for a more complex, connected, and
unpredictable century. We’re also working to assemble a network of creative
professionals with the mission to confront the most complex problems.
If you like ambitious goals and daring thinkers, please consider signing up for
more information.