Teaching Outside the Lines

Doug Johnson is the Director of Technology for the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage (MN) Public Schools and has served as an adjunct faculty member of Minnesota State University. His teaching experience has included work in grades K-12 both here and in Saudi Arabia. He is the author of nine books including Learning Right From Wrong in the Digital Age; Machines are the Easy Part; People are the Hard Part; and The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide. His columns appear in ASCD's Educational Leadership and in Library Media Connection. Doug's Blue Skunk Blogaverages over 50,000 visits a month, and his articles have appeared in over forty books and periodicals. Doug has conducted workshops and given presentations for over 200 organizations throughout the United States and internationally and has held a variety of leadership positions in state and national organizations, including ISTE and AASL.

Introduction: How Did Vasco da Gama Spark My Interest in Creativity? Chapter 1. The Rise of the Creative Class(room): Why Is Creativity No Longer a "Nice Extra" in Education? Chapter 2. I Can't Define It, But I Know It When I See It: What Is Creativity Anyway? Chapter 3. The One-Right-Answer Testing Mentality: Why Are Schools Failing to Produce Creative Graduates? Chapter 4. The Chupacabra Ate My Homework: What Is the Theory of Multiple Creative Abilities? Chapter 5. A Job Not Worth Doing Is Not Worth Doing Well: What Are the Attributes of Projects That Help Instill Creativity? Chapter 6. List Three Right Answers: What Are Some Simple Ways Teachers Can Promote Creative Thinking Every Day? Chapter 7. Just Because It's Pretty Doesn't Mean It's Original: Does Technology Enhance or Diminish Creativity? Chapter 8. Not Everything That Counts Can Be Measured: Can-or Should-Teachers Assess Creativity? Chapter 9. I Stole the Idea From the Internet: How Can Educators Become More Professionally Creative? Chapter 10. Change Is Good . . . You Go First: Why Do We Love Creativity but Fear Creative People?

"Creativity is the job of the future. Failure to recognize this importance will render schools irrelevant. We must encourage creativity in schools. This book does an excellent job of demonstrating the need and providing examples and thinking points to help educators get there." -- Alice Keeler, Education Consultant This book is a well-designed resource for busy teachers and administrators. Classroom creativity is essential for lifelong success, and the author develops a compelling argument to teaching students how to do more than respond to standardized test questions. Appropriate for team discussions at every school level and even for parent groups, the clear discussions and practical tips can be used to increase student performance and give students the skills they will use all their lives. -- Christopher Wells, Educational and Instructional Technology Consultant In Teaching Outside the Lines, Doug Johnson offers a succinct, incisive look at fostering creativity in the classroom. He nimbly weaves the value of inspiring creativity with the necessity of teaching craftsmanship (content knowledge, skills, and practice). With well-researched reasoning, practical examples, and insightful questions, Johnson engages readers in thoughtful reflection about educational purpose and methodology. I have long been a fan of Doug Johnson's funny, down-to-earth, sensible writing, but I think this may be his best book yet. -- Debbie Silver, Author of Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8, and Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in Education. Doug Johnson's book is a masterpiece of ingenuity. He insightfully makes a strong case of the need for a focus on creativity in our schools. His solidly presented approach is a critically important antidote for children who are currently taught that what is most important in life is bubble sheets. Children are natural explorers and are innately creative. It is time to bring back a focus on creativity in our schools. Doug's book provides solid guideposts for how to accomplish this. -- Nancy Willard, Director Doug Johnson writes passionately and articulately about the need for creativity in learning, life, and our approach to education. In a world of standardized testing, he reminds that what the world needs from employees and citizens in very practical terms is the ability to think and respond to situations with as much creativity as the job demands, particularly when it comes to using technology to amplify creative thought. -- Jason Ohler, Professor Emeritus, Educational Technology