Project zero

Project Zero's mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as in humanistic and scientific disciplines, at individual and institutional levels.

One of the projects i was looking at was the The Creative Classroom Project "Although most people might look for signs of creativity in the appearance of the bulletin boards, student made projects, centers, and displays in a classroom, I feel that the truly creative classroom goes way beyond what can be seen with the eyes. It is a place where bodies and minds actively pursue new knowledge. Having a creative classroom means that the teacher takes risks on a daily basis and encourages his/her students to do the same."
—Pann Baltz, 1993 ATA Teacher of the Year

In the project, we take the stance that creative teaching must build on a foundation of solid pedagogy. However, creative teaching is not merely a higher plateau of practice. Creative teaching requires a fundamental move out of a safe zone for the teacher. Therefore, creative teaching is not necessarily the next logical step beyond good teaching practices. We see creative teaching as more generative and responsive teaching rather than just more effective teaching. In the current climate of high-stakes testing and mandated curriculum, creative and innovating teaching is perhaps more important than ever as it keeps classrooms energetic places of learning.

Another project I was looking at was Artful learning
The program focuses on experiencing and appreciating art, rather than making art. There are two broad goals of the program: (1) To help teachers create rich connections between works of art and curricular topics; and (2) to help teachers use art as a force for developing students’ thinking dispositions.

The program takes the image of an artist’s palette as its central metaphor. Typically, a palette is made up of a relatively small number of basic colors which can be used and blended in a great variety of ways. The artful thinking palette is comprised of 6 thinking dispositions which emphasize intellectual behaviors such as asking provocative questions, making careful observations, exploring multiple viewpoints, and reasoning with evidence. These 6 dispositions are developed through the use of "thinking routines." Thinking routines are short, easy-to-learn mini-strategies that extend and deepen students’ thinking and become part of the fabric of everyday classroom life. They are used flexibly and repeatedly--with art, and with a wide variety of topics in the curriculum, particularly in language arts and social studies