The 8-Bit Instructor: Creativity: Fact or Fiction? (EP027)

Download the episode here.

Episode 27

In this week’s episode, I look at the myths and realities of creativity. Plus, news and updates from Formative, Google, and Microsoft; this week’s treasure chest; and, of course, your question of the week.

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News & Updates

• Formative Updates
  • “Show your work” stylus and touchscreen support
  • Feedback notifications in student progress bar
  • Pinch and Zoom and Multi-touch drawing
  • Improved scrolling on Enhanced pdf/image/doc
  • Change your profile picture
  • Add and adjust student information from the Assign screen
  • New filtering options
• Google Workspace updates
  • Learn more about your search results
  • Check your video and peripheral device quality before joining Google Meet
• Microsoft Updates
  • Discovery Education and Immersive Reader integrated together

Treasure Chest: Emoji Keyboards on Windows and Mac

• Use easy keyboard shortcuts to bring up emoji keyboards on Windows and Mac
  • Windows: Windows key + .
  • Mac: Ctrl + Cmd + Space

Boss Battle: Creativity: Fact or Fiction?

• Myth: Creativity is this magical thing that inspires people
• Myth: Knowledge and creativity are in direct opposition to each other
• Myth: School kills creativity

• Fact: Knowledge can be linked directly to creativity
• What actually is creativity?
  • When people are doing “creative” activities, they’re using two parts of their brain: the thinking part and usable knowledge
• Creativity involves thinking, but it’s also based on semantic memory
• How do we instill creativity in our students?
  1. Give them a strong knowledge foundation
     • To get it into semantic memory, they need practice in different contexts
  2. Give them the freedom to take that knowledge and use it in other ways
  3. Allow them to experiment without the fear that failure will have a negative impact

Crew Members’ Board (#8BitCrew)

QOTW: What’s one way you can work to increase visual communication in your subject area?

Use #8BitCrew on Twitter, tag me @comicsocks, or post longer stories in the comments section here.

Get connected

• Twitter: @comicsocks & #8BitCrew
• Web site
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• Email: 8bit.instructor@gmail.com
• Support the show on Patreon.

Check out my Google Classroom Udemy course.

Credits

Music by David Fesliyan (https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/)

• Intro/Outro: “Retro Platforming”
• Boss Battle: “Boss Battle Rock”
• Crew Member’s Board: “Pirate Dance”
• Wrap up: “Game Over” by Patrick de Arteaga

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