What I listened to
I had a look at the list of TED Talks that are under six minutes, and after browsing for a couple of minutes, I decided on the first one, "Want to be more creative? Go for a walk". I liked the title because when we speak and write, especially when we write, we want to be creative, so I was hoping it might give me some ideas on how to get more creative. And it sounded like fun.(78 words, 3 sentences)
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What it says
In this short talk, Marily Oppezzo tells us about an experiment she did that gives solid evidence that walking increases creativity in brainstorming. She also gives some practical tips on how to do it: decide what you want to brainstorm before you start walking, walk at a comfortable speed, record your ideas on your smartphone, and limit the time.(59 words, 2 sentences)
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My response
I thought that Oppezzo's own experiment, which was one of four, was a good example of creative thinking to answer a question. The tips were also very practical. Sitting (no, not walking) at my computer afterwards, I wondered whether this was what I already did on my daily walk to work. It takes me about ten minutes to walk from my home to Chamchuri Square, which is the right sort of time limit, and I do often think about how to achieve a teaching goal as I'm walking. This involves getting ideas and quickly deciding whether to pursue them or not. Sometimes I do more specific things, such as brainstorm how to start a class with a quick Classroom activity for students to get them thinking in English before they arrive, perhaps while they are on the BTS or MRT.Sadly, Oppezzo doesn't think that a sudden bright idea in the shower is quite the same, but perhaps I can turn my showers into the same effective brainstorming tool by deciding on a topic to brainstorm before I start – I don't think my showers take up so much of my brain power that I can't also do some brainstorming. However, although my smartphone is supposed to be water proof, I'm not sure that I would want to take it with me under the shower: even if the water didn't harm it, it would not be good if it slipped out of my soapy hand onto the tile floor.
(248 words, 8 sentences)
