There's no question that creativity is valued and viewed positively in our society, and has been behind many incredible innovations over time, in every industry. While completing this week's glossary of terms for PME 811, I wondered to what extent one could LEARN to be CREATIVE, and how much of creativity is innate.
While creativity is included in Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning, he notes that synthesis (creating) is one of the most difficult skills to master because a person has to use all of the other cognitive skills in the creative process. Creating is the highest order of thinking. Bloom notes that it should be at the forefront of all learning activity as well as an end goal.
In an edutopia post, Ben Johnson indicates four interesting ways that educators can develop creativity in students:
1. Set up learning activities that allow students to explore their creativity in relevant, interesting, and worthwhile ways
2. Value creativity and celebrate and reward it
3. Teach students the other skills they need to be creative
4. Remove constraints for creativity and give the students space and a framework in which they can be creative
I believe that like any other skill, creativity can be learned, and similarly to any other skill, there is variance in an individual's ability to acquire the skill or be proficient. Educators should be encouraged to create a welcoming environment for creativity (which includes a tolerance for failure).
Sources
Badran, I. (2007). Enhancing creativity and innovation in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 32(5), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043790701433061
Johnson, B. (2019) Edutopia: 4 Ways to Develop Creativity in Students. Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-develop-creativity-students
Hi Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that creativity is such a valuable and key skill that is difficult to determine whether it is nature or nurture. Children and Adults both can demonstrate powerful creativity but it is important that there needs are being met to be able to see it (Ie: Maslow's Hierarchy) which really clouds the nature vs nurture debate. Either way do you think one of challenges with being able to identify creativity is the ability to see the other way that someone else can view and attack a problem or issue may be so far outside the common way that it is difficult to see it as valuable and not dismiss as never mind creative but ignore entirely?
Hi Ryan,
DeleteThe nature-nurture debate is an eternal one! You are right, creativity is difficult to measure, partly due to its subjective nature! Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this interesting post. Pablo Picasso once said “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” I think that this is very important - children are overpouring with creative imaginations and I suspect that as we push them to think practically and logically, we sometimes squash that innate sense of creativity. So, I don't think that the four strategies that Ben Johnson shares are meant to 'develop' creativity as much as they 'rediscover' their inner sense of creativity! :)
Kind regards,
Kyle
Kyle, fantastic point! I work with adult learners (as does the author of this article, I believe) so this is a great reminder. I am sure there are ways to "preserve" the natural creative abilities in children.
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