Critical and Creative Thinking Innovation Education
Welcome to Michelle Korenfeld's website -
author, painter, poet, lifelong creativity educator,
creativity researcher for the past 20 years,
critical and creative thinking PD host
developer of teaching strategies for creative problem solving in AI times
Collaborations
A little about Michelle and a lot about creativity...
Michelle Korenfeld - author, painter, poet, lifelong educator and creativity researcher for the past 20 years, Dean's excellence in Education leadership, administration and policy MA, brings a fresh breeze to the learning school bag, with critical and creative thinking, collaboration and communication throughout the learning rainbow.
Wrote 10 creativity learning books - writing, drawing and painting. Believes that much of the social-emotional problems are based on aggression that derives from stifled creativity. To free such creative thinking, we need to construct creative learning opportunities for self-expression that lead to excellence, through self-directedness that comes from teachers believing in children's and youth's strengths.
Recommendations
"Michelle has a very picturesque and fascinating way of talking, illustrating and sharing with her audience.
I was amazed, learned and laughed."
Ellen Coronet, workshop participant at the Florida Creativity Conference.
"The qualities of critical and creative thinking, the acquisition of knowledge and appreciation for nature and science stand out throughout the book and will lead to learning."
Joan F. Smutny, founder of the Center for Gifted and Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity, Illinois, USA.
Review of Creative Children Like the Animals of the World.
"Excellent, well designed! Great details".
"She is a very special creative leader".
"The only wow I gave."
Participants in the deep-dive workshop at the Creative Education Foundation's CPSI conference, University at Buffalo, New York.
"Michelle, with her rich background in creativity education, makes a compelling case for a more holistic and joyful approach to teaching. The book masterfully outlines how to blend AI with our innate human qualities to elevate creative learning."
Efraim Lerner - Education consultant unlocking human potential in education's AI era.
Michelangelo in the 21st Century book review
"For years I beheld Michelle Koreneld’s facilitating and researching skills. We profoundly conversed toward the lessons she taught at the Dr Erica Landau Institute, when she crystalized her strategy, and toward writing her books. I was deeply impressed by the teaching-learning skills her books trans-disciplinarily provide basis for, while weaving non-formal educational methods into formal education and leveraging students’ curiosity toward enquiry and meaningful learning.
Michelle strongly believes in the strengths treasured in todays’ teachers and students. Michelle consolidated the teaching-learning methods she developed and researched during her academic studies into 5 E’s – 5 principles: Explore, Experience, Examine, Elevate, Express. I identify with these principles wholeheartedly and believe they will open up new horizons of creativity and excellence to students."
Dr. Moshe Rishpon,
Founder of The Science Oriented Youth Department and The Clore Garden of Science in The Weizmann Instititue.
The 5 Es Strategy
Michelle Korenfeld offers the 5 Es strategy for critical and creative thinking education.
This strategy is an adaptation of Creative Problem Solving to teaching and learning processes.
The Thinking Together – Creating Future Program
Play the video to learn more about teacher and student books for fostering critical and creative thinking. Learn more about the teacher book Michelangelo in the 21 Century, the student book Creative Children Like the Animals of the World, and the 5 Es strategy encouraging exploraion and innovation in the classroom.
All the paintings in the video are hand made by Michelle Korenfeld, and are presented to you warm-heartedly!
Note that The Raising Creative Thinkers Series offers quite the same content as Creative Children Like the Animals of the World, yet in a shorter and catchier form.
Today's pupils need creative thinking to solve new problems (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). Human professions will require Creative Problem-Solving (CPS), especially as artificial intelligence will enable automation in more occupations (Teo et al., 2021). Indeed, PISA 2022 creative thinking scores signify the need to foster creativity among all students, since girls achieved better than boys, and socio-economically advantaged students' grades were better than those with less advantaged backgrounds (OECD, 2024). However, creativity related buzzwords are widespread: Curiosity, motivation, PBL, and more. Creativity in the classroom is expected of teachers, and they are swamped with best practices. This program synthesizes diverse messages and conceptualizes strategy-based teaching-learning processes.
The program Thinking Together–Creating Future is a beam of light for teachers & students, of resilience and well-being, due to the creativity inspiring activities. The program creates a rich and diverse environment for the students to develop their learning and higher order skills. The program is based on a unique enquiry model that directs students to autonomy and discovery. The program develops students at cognitive, emotional and ethical levels, reflecting a whole-child approach. In the scope of learning, the students get clear criteria to assess their performance and can be involved in the formative assessment processes of their personal learning products, in a thought-provoking and challenging manner. The program is a celebration of learning competencies splendidly wrapped in rich didactic content, for the discovery of a diverse and fascinating world.
The program includes:
Teachers' book – Michelangelo in the 21st Century. Students' book – Creative Children Like the Animals of the World. More books for teachers, parents and grandparents. Creative Problem-Solving book for students. Anti-Bullying STEAM curriculum. Professional development workshops – Teachers with principals for better coordination and communication toward effectivity and results. Personal consultations – For teachers on personalized continuing professional development. For principals on transformational leadership and personalized management. Books are available on Amazon worldwide. Workshops and consultations are on Zoom. During the PD workshops teachers are introduced to formative assessment tools that enable students to plan and manage learning independently, strengthening self-efficacy.
Recommendation
"Creative thinking is an important tool in the development of children, youth, students, and even adults. As someone who knows Michelle Korenfeld, I can attest to her lifelong work. As someone from the nature and environment field, I am thrilled to see the way Michelle weaves the natural world into the program. I am sure whomever experiences the program, will be enriched."
Dorit Wolenitz - Chair of ICOM NATHIST
The International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History of the International Council of Museums.