Constraints empower creativity

dariga120991@gmail.com пишет:

In my opinion, using guiding questions or small constraints like in the example of describing colors helps students unlock their creativity without feeling overwhelmed. 

Good point, dariga120991, that being limited with time or instructions students won't be overloaded with various instructions. Could you provide a bit more examples of productive guidance or limitations? 

marfa0081 пишет:

Here are some techniques and tasks that I use to empower the creativity of my students in English classes:

1. Creative Writing Prompts:

Open-ended prompts: I provide broad prompts like "Write a story about a magical creature" or "Describe a world without color." These allow students to explore their imaginations freely.
Constraint-based prompts: I give specific constraints, such as a limited word count, a specific genre, or a particular point of view. This challenges students to think creatively within a defined framework.
2. Collaborative Storytelling:

Story chains: Students take turns adding a sentence or paragraph to a story, building on each other's ideas.
Collaborative writing: Students work together to create a short story, poem, or script, sharing ideas and responsibilities.
3. Role-playing and Improvisation:

Character creation: Students create unique characters with backstories and motivations.
Improvisation games: Students perform spontaneous scenes or dialogues, responding to prompts or unexpected situations.
4. Visual Arts and Language:

Drawing and writing: Students create visual representations of their writing, or write descriptions of their artwork.
Comic strip creation: Students develop stories or ideas into comic strips, combining language and visuals.
5. Music and Language:

Songwriting: Students write their own lyrics to familiar tunes or create original songs.
Sound effects and narration: Students create sound effects and narrate stories or poems.

Thanks a lot, marfa0081 , for your techniques. But the question raise the issue about constraints or limitations to boost creative thinking. Will you agree that in case if students are limited with some resources or instructions then their creativity or imagination can be empowered? Any examples of yours? 

darinatuyakova пишет:

One strategy to boost creativity is to constrain resources. For example we can limit our time for completing  our tasks, it gives us more creativity as well. Or try to accomplish tasks only with a small group of people, for instance  5 people. The reason is that when we work with a lot of people, it is really hard to agree on the same thing. When you have more resources available , you have more options available, and you can spend more time than it is required

Thanks, Dariya, for your idea that limitations can save time. I'd agree that variety of ideas or resources could frustrate rather than guide! But will you extend to what extend these limitations can boost creative thinking? Best with your tips to increase creative thinking of your students! 

Here are some techniques and tasks that I use to empower the creativity of my students in English classes:

1. Creative Writing Prompts:

Open-ended prompts: I provide broad prompts like "Write a story about a magical creature" or "Describe a world without color." These allow students to explore their imaginations freely.
Constraint-based prompts: I give specific constraints, such as a limited word count, a specific genre, or a particular point of view. This challenges students to think creatively within a defined framework.
2. Collaborative Storytelling:

Story chains: Students take turns adding a sentence or paragraph to a story, building on each other's ideas.
Collaborative writing: Students work together to create a short story, poem, or script, sharing ideas and responsibilities.
3. Role-playing and Improvisation:

Character creation: Students create unique characters with backstories and motivations.
Improvisation games: Students perform spontaneous scenes or dialogues, responding to prompts or unexpected situations.
4. Visual Arts and Language:

Drawing and writing: Students create visual representations of their writing, or write descriptions of their artwork.
Comic strip creation: Students develop stories or ideas into comic strips, combining language and visuals.
5. Music and Language:

Songwriting: Students write their own lyrics to familiar tunes or create original songs.
Sound effects and narration: Students create sound effects and narrate stories or poems.

In my opinion, using guiding questions or small constraints like in the example of describing colors helps students unlock their creativity without feeling overwhelmed. 

One strategy to boost creativity is to constrain resources. For example we can limit our time for completing  our tasks, it gives us more creativity as well. Or try to accomplish tasks only with a small group of people, for instance  5 people. The reason is that when we work with a lot of people, it is really hard to agree on the same thing. When you have more resources available , you have more options available, and you can spend more time than it is required