Flourishing Minds Vision: Insights based on The Chais 2024 Conference

This week celebrated The Chais Learning in the Digital Era Conference by the Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies. I was looking forward to it with much curiosity, and indeed learned abundantly.

To write you this article, I began by calling my dear uncle, Dr. Moshe Rishpon, who established the Clore Garden of Science and The Science Oriented Youth Department in the Weizmann Institute. In a recent visit to the institute, I saw on one of the buildings the name Chais, and discovered the philanthropist was a close friend of my uncle. Chais visited the Clore Garden of Science and enjoyed it so much. He told Moshe he would like to invite him to his garden: A part of Central Park New York was named after him!

So, about the conference, Dr. Eyal Rabin opened it with great energy. Yuval Dror, Ph.D introduced the latest innovations in AI, and concluded that we'd better seek to get better in being human. Machines are already taken. It was lovely meeting Dr. Betty Shrieber who introduced using a robot to enhance learning memory in kindergarten children experiencing language delay. Arnon Hershkovitz skillfully led the session on data and digital pedagogy. Ben Avital-Lev told me about his thesis on computational thinking, mentored by Prof. Hershkovitz. Gila Yakov 's presentation explored graduate students' experiences in courses taught according to the Rotational Blended Learning model. Zohar Elyoseph elaborated on AI innovations from a psychological view.

All in all I learnt about fascinating AI innovations that can help students learn, and how the need for humane, caring, creative, ethical teacher role-models is accentuated even more these days.

I invite you to take a look at this article's image featuring my painting Flourishing Minds. At the center-right there is a brain. At its top we see a child, covering the face. Underneath there is a mirror image of the child in blue. Looks a bit like a lizard, because I wanted it to represent the Amygdala. At the front of the brain there are bright playful colors representing creative thinking. Unfortunately, the front of the brain is evolutionally new. As we strive to be creative, the Amygdala at the ancient back keeps sending survival messages to beware, to stop.

At the right side of the painting standing to the left there is a teacher. There seems to be a red blockage between her and the student's brain. But this blockage is removable - as it grows into flowers opening up to the world.

At the left below there is a peacock - which always symbolizes for me creativity education, as in my logo. It shows its true beautiful colors and brings fresh air. Above it there is another embryo - that is the creative mind of students and teachers ready to grow and express.

I don't have to tell you what the blockages between instruction and creativity teaching are. There are standards, tests, and more. But most of all what is holding us back is the Amygdala - ourselves. And it's time to let go, because AI is already ready.

By the way, this painting was done in gouache. I started by playing with colors. Observed the result, and noticed there was an embryo, a peacock, there. I began to take off color, slowly, by slightly wet pieces of paper towel. So, basically the painting was done similarly to the way Michelangelo made David, finding the art within the given form. Somewhere in the conference, images made by AI were also described as shaped out of pixels, like Michelangelo's David. Not sure how I feel about that.

For resources and fresh teaching ideas for teachers as creative, caring and ethical role models, teaching students to make the best out of AI, check out my Michelangelo in the 21 Century - Lecture & Book !

Happy to share some photos from the conference, with Dr. Eyal Rabin Arnon Hershkovitz and Dr. Betty Shrieber , before I tell you about a universal presentation.

Before we part, I would like to tell you about Dov Rosu 's presentation about space education. There are many opportunities with AI to present this kind of learning to students. And to foster creativity and innovation by it. I told him about Phillip Alcock 's Luna bot helping teachers carve PBL based on the SDGs. It appears space education is connected to quality education, gender equality (the impression women astronauts and engineers make on girls), economic growth and partnerships. Dan Goldin 's post and many comments ignite for the humane perseverance that leads to such creativity and innovation. He suggests the importance of speaking up. That is why my 5 E's strategy highlights expression: Students elevating the skill of presenting their learning products from early age.

Apart from that, I recently met for a Zoom chat two fascinating education leaders. Sarah Warring is a creativity education role model, co-chairing The World Literacy Summit 2025, meant to promote the SDGs. Submission starts July 15. Galit Zamler leads interactive hackathons , online too, empowering students' entrepreneurship and igniting innovation. Very inspiring.

If you haven't been hopeful regarding growing flourishing minds, I hope this article helped. I hope it also convinced you that putting human effort into writing and creating is well worth it.

Creatively yours,

Michelle Korenfeld

Author of Michelangelo in the 21st Century: Strategy, practical tools, and inspiration to raise ingenious creative thinking students.

Contact to order the Michelangelo in the 21st Century lecture (works great online with the paintings) at: [email protected] !

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