A class was planning a secret Santa exchange. This student, who is the class’s “social coordinator”, decided they should make a vending machine for presents with an elf inside who would deliver the presents down a slide. She got the idea last year and did something along those lines, but she wanted to refine her idea. She engaged about a quarter of the students in the class in this project and they worked on it at lunchtime.
This student tended to focus on the details such as decorations rather than on the whole design. At the same time, she was the leader and visualist for the project even though other children helped. She was also very committed to problem solving; e.g., how to create the door opening, how to store gift cards safely, and how to make a slide within the space limitations.
In the end, the student organized the building of two workshops, one for secret Santa gifts for classmates and a second one, installed in the hallway, for giving gifts to the rest of the school (the class made over 300 salt dough ornaments to hand out).
When the students finally put the Santa vending machine in place, another problem came to light. The slide as originally built stuck out too far. So she made a fold up slide that doubled as a mailbox for letters to Santa.
Students enjoyed hiding out in the half built structures – they drew homey televisions and fireplaces on the walls - as well as finally using it in the way intended.
The teacher interviewed the student and scribed her answers. The student came to recognize creativity in herself and valued discussing her thinking.
I can get new ideas in areas in which I have an interest and build my skills to make them work.
I generate new ideas as I pursue my interests. I deliberately learn a lot about something; e.g., by doing research, talking to others, or practicing, so that I am able to generate new ideas about it, or the ideas just pop into my head. I build the skills I need to make my ideas work, and usually succeed, even if it takes a few tries.