Cultivating Curiosity

Give your students a leg up and improve learning outcomes with this revolutionary, hands-on approach to teaching In Cultivating Curiosity: Teaching and Learning Reimagined, distinguished educator and author Doreen Gehry Nelson inspires anyone yearning to break away from formulaic teaching. Told from dozens of powerful and personal perspectives, the effectiveness and versatility of the Doreen Nelson Method of Design-Based Learning described in the book is backed by years of quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll learn how applying this cross-curricular methodology can transform your K-12 teaching practice, regardless of changes in content standards. The book includes: Discussions about how to launch creative and critical thinking in your students Explanations of the methodology’s 6 ½ Steps of Backward Thinking™ that invigorate the teaching experience and dramatically improve learning The inception of the methodology and the experiences of K-12 teachers who practice it in their classrooms. Perfect for K-12 educators seeking a methodology that consistently engages students in applying what they learn, Cultivating Curiosity is also an ideal resource for teachers-in-training, administrators, and post-secondary educators.

FOREWORD Frank Gehry, Architect Eugene Tucker, EdD INTRODUCTION SECTION I Creative Thinking by Design CHAPTER 1 Not Arts and Crafts CHAPTER 2 Shaping the Methodology CHAPTER 3 The City CHAPTER 4 The Methodology CHAPTER 5 Owning and Reusing Information CHAPTER 6 In a Nutshell SECTION II  CHAPTER 7 Goodbye to Formulaic Teaching CHAPTER 8 “I’m Not Creative” CHAPTER 9 A Return to the Sandbox CHAPTER 10 Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone CHAPTER 11 It Takes Courage CHAPTER 12 When Administrators Get It CHAPTER 13 Try a Little Trickery (It Works) CHAPTER 14 “But I Already Do This” CHAPTER 15 A Learning Community of Teachers (Cohort Groups . . . Food Matters) CHAPTER 16 The Importance of “Why” SECTION III Trust CHAPTER 17 Developing a Design-Based Learning Classroom CHAPTER 18 Making Curriculum Physical CHAPTER 19 The History Wall IN CLOSING ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX