Practice Makes Perfect
Like all skills, creativity and innovation skills improve with practice. The lessons in Mind Missions learning systems provide that practice.
The information age has put vast amounts of knowledge and specific, detailed facts at our fingertips. Students need creativity to use the information they have to generate solutions for a changing world. While creativity is the ability to produce new and unique ideas, innovation is the implementation of that creativity. Mind Missions lessons provide opportunities for idea generation through brainstorming and the mission solution. Innovation is required to complete the challenge.
Creativity grows in Mind Missions with 3 steps:
Mind Missions require students to imagine new possibilities. First, they practice essential brainstorming exercises. These practices are designed to build divergent thinking skills that are a necessary component of innovative work. Next, students learn to innovate original solutions to open-ended questions. Instead of choosing a single correct answer, they develop an appropriate and imaginative response to a real-world problem. This skill is essential preparation for the 21st century. Finally, students practice design thinking to improve the creative process. They learn how to refine creative solutions. In Mind Missions, students develop imaginative and creative processes for successful problem-solving.
What will students innovate?
Mind Missions provides a variety of creative problems to solve. Some solutions are based on performances. Student teams innovate newscasts, commercials, and public service announcements. Mind Missions include engineering challenges to solve. Students may be building a mission tower, a shelter to withstand earthquakes, or a continental connection. Some missions are artistic in nature. Problems include devising a drum signal, an original folktale, or a towering totem. Mind Missions include hundreds of opportunities for creativity and innovation!
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou
Ready to get started teaching collaboration, critical-thinking, communication, & creative problem solving in your classroom?
