“By adopting the eyes of a traveler and a beginner’s mindset, you will notice a lot of details that you normally might have overlooked.”
~ Kelley & Kelley
This article explores how intentional observation and experiential engagement can support meaningful, place-based learning and instructional design.
Creativity does not always begin with innovation or invention, but with noticing. Kelley and Kelley (2013) emphasize that meaningful insight often comes from slowing down and examining what feels routine or overlooked. Rather than searching for entirely new ideas, this perspective reframes creativity as an intentional practice, one that requires attention, curiosity, and a willingness to question what we think we already understand.
This idea strongly influences the direction of my instructional artifact, Coastal Motion. Many middle school students in Corpus Christi interact with coastal environments regularly, yet those spaces can fade into the background of everyday life. When the location feels routine, it is easy to overlook the dynamic systems at work within it, such as changing tides, wind patterns, or human impact on bays.
Coastal Motion is designed to interrupt that sense of familiarity through movement-based and place-based learning experiences. By asking learners to walk shorelines, reposition themselves in space, or trace environmental patterns, the artifact encourages observation before explanation. These activities are intended to help learners engage with their surroundings more deliberately and notice details that might otherwise go unseen.
This approach also aligns with Norman’s (2013) emphasis on human-centered design, which prioritizes understanding real experiences over relying on assumptions. Instead of presenting information first, Coastal Motion invites learners to encounter phenomena directly and reflect on what they observe. In doing so, the learning experience becomes exploratory and grounded in the real world, reinforcing the value of curiosity and careful observation.
References:
Kelley, T., & Kelley, D. (2013). Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. Currency.
Norman, D. A. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books.
