Unlocking learner innovation with improv
- 1. Unlocking Learner Innovation With Improv Blake Kanewischer School of Business Showcase – June 8, 2016
- 2. Objectives • By the end of this session, you will: 1. Know and apply the 7 “Rules of Improv” 2. Participate in two improv sessions 3. Generate ideas for how this applies to you
- 3. Agenda • Why Improv? • What Is Improv? • Let’s Improv! • “What’s in the Box?” Exercise • “This Would Be A Better (Item) If…” Exercise & Debrief • Wrap-Up
- 4. Why Improv? • Many students believe they’re “not creative” • Improv rules “override” the brain’s frontal lobes, allow the rest of the brain to wander…and be creative • The rules are simple enough to teach anyone • Once you’ve done it once, you can do it again
- 5. “Improvisation is a process; it’s a way of making a thing. It’s not a product I can give you or show you.” (Morris, 2011)
- 7. What Is Improv? The “Rules” 1. Play 2. Let yourself fail 3. Listen 4. Just say “Yes” 5. Just say “And” 6. Play the game 7. Relax and have fun
- 9. “What’s in the Box?” • Find the person whose card number and colour is the same as yours (e.g., A♠ and A or 4 and 4) • Because we have so many people, you may have three people in your group. If so, rotate between roles amongst the three of you. • Follow the instructions on the next slide • Switch roles until we run out of time
- 10. “What’s in the Box?” (3 minutes) 1. Giver (G): (Mime a box) 2. Recipient (R): “What’s in the box?” 3. G: “It’s a gift.” (Hand to partner) 4. R: (Open the box and define the contents) “It’s a red stapler.” 5. G: Respond with a reason it meets recipient’s needs “Lumbergh took your stapler.” 6. R: Reinforce the reason and add supporting info “And he moved me into storage.”
- 12. “This Would Be The Best (Item) If...” • Divide into groups • By numbers (e.g., A, 2, 3, etc.) • There should be four or five members per group • I will come around and assign items to groups • Follow the instructions on the next slide
- 13. “This Would Be The Best (Item) If...” (4 minutes) 1. Participant (P): “This would be the best (item) if…” (add an attribute to the item) 2. Next Participant (NP): “yes, and it would be even better if…” (add another attribute to the item) 3. Repeat #2 as often as needed 4. When the timer reaches 2:00, switch to the second (item) you’ve been given
- 14. Items A♠ - Dish soap 8♠ - Firewood 2♠ - Curtains 9♠ - Shoe rack 3♠ - Toilet paper 10♠ - Rubber bands 4♠ - Dining room table J♠ - Stapler 5♠ - Plastic cutlery Q♠ - Wall clock 6♠ - Aspirin K♠ - Bookshelf 7♠ - Plastic sandwich bags
- 16. How Did It Go? • How did the process work for you? • What were the biggest challenges? • What surprised you? • How would you apply these innovation and creativity lessons in your classroom / work? • How would you apply these lessons in your life?
- 17. Wrap-Up • Try it out! • Remember “Let yourself fail” • Search “Dave Morris TED Talk”