“We are human. We’ve always been creative.
John Spencer and A.J. Juliani
We are natural makers.
And when we create, we come alive.”
What It’s About
That humans were born to create is one of the driving thoughts behind Launch: Using Design Thinking To Boost Creativity And Bring Out The Maker In Every Student by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani. As educators themselves, Spencer and Juliani know the challenges today’s teachers face. They also know schools benefit when teachers tap into their creative potential and foster the same act in their students. Launch reminds us that creativity doesn’t just mean writing a story or drawing a picture. It’s bigger than that. Creativity is “an act of hoping and wishing for a great idea or moment.” This reinforces that every one of us (teacher, artist, engineer, and point guard) can take a different creative approach to success. The book also showcases Design Thinking as a framework for innovation.
What We Love About It
Launch gives practical strategies you can incorporate into your classroom immediately. Spencer and Juliani begin with what they call the Launch Cycle: Look, Listen, and Learn; Ask Lots of Questions; Understand the Problem or Process; Navigate Ideas; Create; Highlight What’s Working and Failing. Then they get into specifics. They share how to give creative projects structure, how to get students to ask good questions, how to deal with boredom, and even how to get parents and administrators on board. Finally, they share sample lesson plans so you can dive in with your students.
And through it all they remind teachers “The future of education is you. You are the hero of your classroom’s story.”
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