2023 Preconference

Grow Creative Thinkers

Blair Workshop 1

Blair Workshop 2

Blair Workshop 3

Jason Blair, Thursday November 16, 2023 9 AM-3:30 PM
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY

Creativity is about connecting seemingly disparate ideas through innovative thinking, intentional questioning, and critical reflection, to produce original ideas that have purpose and value. We live in a world where we have a surplus of complex problems and interrelated issues. We need more creative thinkers, capable of seeing the connections and patterns between these multi-layered issues. We need creative thinkers, that will ask more beautiful questions and inspire more meaningful answers.

The 2023 Preconference focuses on creativity in PreK-12 learning. This full day collaborative sharing and hands-on session is built on the belief that creativity should be celebrated and actively nurtured in the classroom. Art Educator and Educational Consultant, Jason Blair, will help you foster the conditions for all creative minds to flourish. All participants will take away practical and easy ways to encourage creative thinking and to help both teachers and students cultivate their creative minds.

Guiding Questions

  • What does creativity look like, feel like, and sound like in PreK-12 learning?
  • What are the habits of creativity, and what are the conditions in which creativity thrives?
  • How can we model, foster, and assess creativity in learning?
  • How can we learn (and teach) the skills to be creative problem-solvers, lifelong learners, and the agents of change our world needs?

 

Already, one of the "outcomes" I am hearing is how it has caused teachers to want to SLOW DOWN and look and see not only as it comes to cultivating creativity, but also in how they view the day and curriculum in general.

—Testimonial from one of Blair's previous workshops


Tentative Agenda*
8:30-9 AM—Coffee and Check-in
9-10 AM—Presentation and Discussion—Inconvenient Creativity 
10-11 AM—Creativity Challenge Heart/Mind/Hands-On activity
11 AM-12 PM—Elements of the Creative Process
12-1 PM—Lunch (Included in registration fee)
1-2 PM—Documenting Challenge
2-3 PM—Thinking Routine Challenge
3-3:30 PM—Questions and Closing Celebration—Thoughts, Ideas, Next Steps
* timeline subject to change


Registration fee includes morning coffee and lunch with all gratuities + CTLE certificate for 5.5 hours
$90 Member/District Member
$75 Member Student, Retired, Unemployed 
$140 Non-Member

Space is limited to 50 participants.
Deadline to Register is November 1, 2023

CLICK HERE to Register

CLICK HERE for Payment and Cancellation Policy

About Jason Blair

Blair Headshop

 

Jason Blair believes the creativity of our children will change the world. 
As a 20 year veteran arts educator, everyday he is fortunate to learn from the creative geniuses that step into his art studio. He believes that we can empower students to tap into their creative potential, if we as educators nurture our own growth as creative change agents. To empower creativity in his students, Jason believes the educator must be the classroom creativity whisperer, building a community in which creativity is valued and thinking different is not just safe, but celebrated. Jason has established himself as a creativity specialist, capable of cultivating the creative dispositions that will illuminate imaginative ideas and help inspire innovative practice. He received his MA in art education from The Ohio State University. Currently, he teaches elementary art in Dublin, Ohio.

https://www.growcreativethinkers.com/