Special Kind of Creativity (Part II)...

Remember this guy??

We talked about him last time. He is none other than Rodney Mullen, one of the greatest skateboarders of all times.

I promised last time I would talk more about him so here you go...

Last time I linked a video by Rodney Mullen called Pop and Ollie and Innovate and used it to help discuss creativity.

Well...here's another one, Getting Back Up. Seems like a fitting video for a skateboarder but I believe it is also related to many other topics, including education.

Take a few minutes, watch the video, it is worth it.

Well...what did you think?

Let me tell you how I think it relates to "our" world.

Community...there is that word again. In my experience, when I see the same words/phrases/ideas over and over, I tend to pay attention to them. Community is important.

All skateboarders speak a common language. They take pride in communities. Skaters take small movements, rearrange them and then create more complex movements and then...they name them. Then all of sudden, everyone is using that name to describe the move. But guess what happens next? Someone adds another complex move and then it becomes something different...it adapts. And then, the community adopts...it is cyclical.

Here is an interesting question. Why is it, you can get a group/community of moderately talented (Mullen's description) individuals to start producing extraordinary things?

You know why?? 

Rodney Mullen says..."They don't know they can't do it." They are not told it is impossible, they are not told or encouraged to give up when they fail. Their community encourages them to build on each other...and then share and not worry about failing.

For every trick that gets named, for every awe-inspiring jump there are many, many times of failing, falling, crashing etc. But...they get back up.

Mullen says that everything about the skaters tells them to STOP (pain, frustration, lack of support) but for whatever reason, they keep going.

I think it has to do with their community.

Mullen also mentions that the biggest obstacle to creativity is breaking through the barrier of disbelief. If a skater does not know it is impossible, then their drive is to complete the trick no matter how many times it takes. They become intrinsically motivated.

If people can see success, see it being done, then they too can start to complete the seemingly impossible tasks.

How does this relate to "us?"

What do skaters share in common with educators?

1. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage - It's ok to fail, fall, crash...as long as you continue to try.
2. Model - show how you have fallen and gotten back up, make it relevant, give them options.
3. Don't let too much thinking get in the way - sometimes too thinking can stop you in your tracks.
4. Eliminate the disbelief...if someone doesn't know that it cannot be done, then they will not question their ability to get it done.
5. Encourage and build your community - We do not have to agree on everything, but we do need to speak a common language. Focusing on 1-4 will only help with the community building process.

Last but definitely not least...

Whatever you do...

If you fall down...

If you see someone fall down...

The first step is to Get Up!

MS

Special kind of creativity (Part 1)...

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/

If anyone remembers the above picture...then you probably were a young person (or young at heart) in the late 80s and early 90s.

Thrasher Magazine was the go to magazine of the skateboarders (No Posers!!) of the world during this time. It probably wasn't appropriate for kids my age (sorry mom) then but it had some cool articles, pics and especially ads for skateboard parts...my favorite!

I loved skateboarding...LOVED IT! I ultimately gave it up because I knew it could possibly hamper my basketball career (my first love).  Anyways, I find myself missing it...not for the reasons you think though. Don't get me wrong, I would love to get out there and ride around...I still grab a board occasionally and just hope I don't break something. But there is something about it that still intrigues me.

Just for the record, the above pics are of my very first deck...I was extremely proud, paid for it with my own money.

Skateboarding is directly related to creativity. When I see a video, documentary or competition about skateboarding on TV or the net, I am glued. The way the skaters move their feet and their hands and their boards blows my mind each time. Sometimes those tricks are planned and sometimes, many times they are variations of what they already know...a function of their creativity. How does that relate to what I do??

So here is how my brain works. I begin to explore those topics to see what I can find. Guess what, I found some GREAT resources on this very topic. And, in my own crazy way of thinking, I am attempting to relate skateboarding, creativity and the world of education.  Stick with me!

If you have time, watch this video ...Pop an Ollie and Innovate. If not, I will give you a little bit of it below.

I am fascinated with Rodney Mullen and have found myself watching and reading different things he is part of (more to come in part 2). He is definitely a unique person, with quite a bit of a different background than me. But, he says things that make me think about what I do every day.

Here are some:

1. Skateboarding is about Community
Mullen talks about his thoughts on creating tricks...he makes tricks and contributes back to the skating community. The community uses those tricks to build on their tricks and shares with the community. In a weird way, the more community building that occurs, the more individual creativity that occurs. It becomes a continuous circle of sharing, creativity/innovation and then more sharing.

These skaters are like hackers...they ALL create "open source" material.

Sound familiar educators??

Have you ever considered yourself a teacher hacker??

You should. The educators who seek the best, who change, who innovate ARE a part of a community of "hackers."

2. Adversity brings about Creativity
Rodney Mullen talks about how he was the best freestyle skater. He was not just blowing smoke, ALL of his peers said the same thing. The problem was, freestyle skating was dying out. When it finally did, Mullen was at a turning point in his career. When Rodney was winning, it came easy. When he was forced to change, his creative "juices" began to flow. He even said that winning all of his competitions (all but one) stifled his creativity. When freestyle ended and street skating began, Rodney did not give up because his style ended...he innovated.

3:58"The crazy thing was, there was a really liberating sense about it, because I no longer had to protect my record as a champion...What drew me to skateboarding, the freedom was now restored, where I could just create things, because that's where the joy was for me, always, was creating new stuff."Rodney Mullen - Pop an Ollie and Innovate

3. Context shapes Content
Simply stated, the experiences/environment can shape the outcomes. One wall or curb or park bench in one place may produce an entirely different experience at a different location. The surroundings, the prior knowledge (or lack there of), the feelings/atmosphere can and will shape the style or creativity of the action...assuming the opportunity to create is there.

I appreciate the creativity that comes with skateboarding. I appreciate that the community engages each other so that the opportunities for more creativity are there. I appreciate that adversity is recognized as a positive and not a negative. And, I appreciate how surroundings play a role in that creativity.

To sum up, here are some words and phrases that describe the creativity of skateboarding.

maker
innovator
risk-taker
disrupting
collaborator
artist
hacker
motivator
continuous learner

...any others??

I see those words being great descriptors for educators too...

do you??

MS

4 Digitals and an Analog...

I was thinking about the tools I use most each day and realized that I could narrow it down to a few.
That was extremely difficult at first but after much thought, 4 digitals and an analog came to mind.

When people ask me "what does a typical day" look like as a principal, I laugh. Because we all know, there is no such thing! However, the tools I use on a regular basis are pretty consistent and I figured I would share some of those. Granted, I use many, many more but these are the ones I rely on most.

4 Digitals and an Analog...here you go.

Digital #1 - Twitter
This one I use EVERY day. Whether it is to check relevant articles or participate in a twitter chat (my favorites are #tntechchat, #principallife, #tlap...there are plenty of others), I rely on my daily dose of Twitter.  I do not think people realize how powerful a tool Twitter can be. In one hour of a twitter chat, I can connect with tons of educators from ALL over the world.

By the way, you can follow me @mickshuran

Digital #2 - Google Apps for Education (GAFE) 

I could not pick just ONE! There is no way! I use these apps and extensions on a regular basis and could do a list just on GAFE.  However, I can break it down to what I use the most. First of all, Gmail and Google...obviously. But, I also use Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Classroom, Photos, Hangouts, Calendar...oh and Blogger. This list can go on forever but I really do use this a great deal. 

I also LOVE helping others figure out these tools. As a Google Certified Educator, I am supposed to enjoy this!


Each day I find myself bouncing ideas off of others on how to use the Google Apps for efficiently and to the benefit of the kids and the school. 

Digital Tool #3 - Pocket
I cannot live without my pocket! This extension allows you to save articles and sites in an easy to find location. In addition, you can tag those articles with common themes so that they are easier to locate when looking at specific projects or collecting articles for entertainment.



I highly recommend Pocket! I have a great short video describing how to use Pocket on my videos page, check it out!







Digital Tool #4 - Podcast App
Like them or not, so far Podcasts have stood the test of time. I see them as almost like interactive audio books. You can find a podcast on ANYTHING. The ones I like the best are the shorter ones...mainly because of my attention span. But some of the lengthier ones do still grasp my attention such as Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History and Serial. They are like good books or good movies...you get HOOKED!



Here are some others that I listen to on a regular basis:

Leadership Technology and Learning - Yes, this is mine, but give it a shot, it is good stuff.
The House of EdTech - Twitter PLN member Chris Nesi puts on a great 30 or so minute on education.
The RobCast - good for the spiritual soul.
EduRoad Trip - great ideas, cool links to places around the world.
Hack Learning - A new one I just started following but well worth the time.
On the Vendor Floor - Melissa Emler takes the time to check out new products and tools.

Not every podcast is for you. Find one you like then follow it. As you get more adept, then find those specific episodes that relate to you and get ready to learn.



The Analog Tool

I am a Journal Junkie. There, I have admitted it. Sometimes I use them but sometimes I get them because they look cool and one day, I plan on using them. There is something rewarding about actually writing something down or drawing a picture. I like to keep one near me at all times in case an idea pops up.

I am also a pen junkie. I like Uniball and Pilot Gels (yes I accept gifts) mostly but I am still on the search for the perfect pen and journal combo...that one may go on forever.

Understand this, I love my digital tools but...

Do not under-estimate the power of writing something down. Sometimes in life analog is exactly what we need.

MS