American Creativity Association
2007 International Conference

Conference Presentations and Presenters
2007 ACA International Conference
March 21 - 23, 2007 with pre-Conference Institutes - March 20, 2007
in Austin, Texas

Metaphors for Meaning: Creating Original Art as an Effective Means to Teaching Learning and Leading

David Trott
Associate Professor of Human Resource Development
St. Edwards University
6618 Hillside Terrace Dr.
Austin, TX, USA, 78749
512-448-8736
512-448-8767 Fax
davidt@stedwards.edu

David is an Associate Professor of HRD at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas whose ground-breaking research “Spiritual Well-Being of Workers” was the first empirical research study that examined the influences of spiritual wellness in everyday workplace activities.  In addition to marking a new trailhead in workplace research, David is passionately devoted to innovative approaches to classroom teaching/learning.  A hallmark of all his courses, students are required to create an original piece of artwork as a “metaphor for meaning”.  From initial trepidation to eventual acclaim, his students learn to reintegrate their innate creative abilities into their ongoing daily paths to success.


Ta-Wei  Lee         

Professor             

Taiwan Normal University

Taipei , Taiwan                             

t80001@ntnu.edu.tw     

 

Metaphors for Meaning: Creating Original Art as an Effective Means to Teaching Learning and Leading

 “The challenge facing modern managers is to become accomplished in the art of using metaphor to find new ways of seeing, understanding and shaping their decisions” (Morgan, 1986). Creativity is a very important quality of organizational leadership.  The goal of this session is not only to encourage you to think creatively and metaphorically about the special challenges that greet you everyday at work but to enable you with specific strategies to do so.

  • Apply creativity and perspective agility in decision-making regarding organizational change/innovation
  • Explore the functions of metaphors in the process of teaching/learning
  • Identify strategies for innovative creative sense-making
  • Interpret an original work of art (visual, musical, or poetry) that symbolizes an important organizational concept, theory, and/or model 
  • Engage in a mode of information processing [metaphorical thinking] not typically required by traditional coursework methodology

 

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