Also @ Creativity Portal

DIY Collaged Journal Cover
A simple do-it-yourself tutorial you can use as a base for artfully decorating your own special journal or to gift away to a friend!

Metaphors Inspire Writing
In act III, scene II of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Mark Antony delivers his well-known and often-quoted eulogy in honor of the recently murdered Julius Caesar.

The Time Zone
Time is nowhere near fixed as is thought. In fact, the manner in which we think even affects the passage of time.

Ashfaq Ishaq, International Child Art Foundation Founder
Ashfaq graciously allowed me to interview him, so I ask what impact he feels ICAF has made since its founding in 1997, 13 years ago. Teach children compassion and allow them to fully express their creativity. It goes a long way to reaping benefits.

Get Unreal: A Writing Exercise
Are you a fiction writer? Do you struggle making your written word as real as possible? Does your story need to be realistic? Can this way of thinking squash your imagination? Part of the fun of writing a story is convincing your audience that the plot could happen within the framework of your book. Develop your Picasso within you!

Creativity in Motion : Creative Writing & Idea Sharing

Moving Creatively in the Classroom (PE)

Creative Writing & Idea Sharing in Gym Class

By Michele Batz, PhD

Want to get your kids engaged in a fun collaborative writing project that incorporates movement and creative thinking? This idea can be adapted to regular classroom use too!

Take your bulletin board paper and roll off about 3 to 4 feet. Do this four times so, you have four huge pieces of paper.

Go to your gym and place one huge piece of paper in four different areas of the gym using masking tape. Or a large room will work for this writing project as well.

Place colored markers or colored pencils or regular pencils with doo-dads on them (makes it more fun) by those posted huge pieces of paper.

As you bring your students into the gym or room, explain to them that each piece of paper represents a blank story. They are going to create the story. How? Well, tell them the guidelines that "you" want to use. This is your writing class, you make the rules up on this one.

Instruct them to walk, skip or a light jog to the music and go around in the gym or room. It's up to you if you want them to go in a circle, or mix it up like scramble eggs, whatever — you "teach", use your imagination!

When the music stops, they are to go to the closest piece of paper that is in "front" of them and make a sentence. As time goes on, students will add to the sentence, thus making their own story, you see! Each paper should have something different on it. It is a blast to see what the class comes up with…enjoy the experience.

Read the stories out loud to the class at the end. Then give out stickers for all who participate and come up with your own wacky rewards.

The Fun Box — Share an Idea!

Make a decorative box, make it colorful, big enough to hold either 3 x 5" cards or 5 x 7" cards. Your choice!

On the box, put your class name on it.

Instruct your students to use their imaginations and tell you on the card by writing what favorite exercise, yoga pose, or karate move they like to do. Then have them write how to do it. Next, Have them draw a picture on the back of the card and write down their name.

When your class needs a break during the day, go to your FUN BOX and pull out a card or two and enjoy! Your students will love it when you do this. You will be their IDOL!

Have fun…make movement fun and all will enjoy! •

Michele Batz, PhD, has a masters in Administrative Education and has been an educator for 30 years at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. More »

7/30/11

Subscribe to the Creativity Portal RSS FeedSubscribe to the Creativity Portal Newsletter