A few weeks ago, I spoke with a group of 7th and 8th graders at the Lincoln Elementary School Career Day. I was impressed with their questions, energy and plans for the future. Many of them didn’t realize the amount of creativity, problem-solving and (gasp) sketching that happens during the generation of a logo or a website. As part of our discussion, I had them complete a short exercise – Each student was provided paper with a few lines suggesting the start of a sketch. They had 2 minutes to complete the drawing, then we shared what they came up with. What they didn’t know was that I distributed the same “start” to multiple students in class. Students were delighted to see that others with the same “start” came up with really different ideas. The point of the exercise was to illustrate that even when given the same jumping-off point, solutions often vary based on past experiences, influences and insight. It’s always important to take into consideration everyone’s ideas when brainstorming a project or solution – you never know what you will come up with.