Educating for Creativity and Innovation

A Comprehensive Guide for Research-Based Practice

Donald J. Treffinger, Patricia F. Schoonover, Edwin C. Selby

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000492330
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Creative Ability in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Today, more than ever before, we must all be able to think creatively, manage change, and solve complex, open-ended problems. Education today is different in its structure and practice than it was in any previous generation, not just because of the impact of technology and the Internet, but also because, across the lifespan, every person studies, works, and plays in a global community that was previously unknown to most generations. Although organizations worldwide recognize that their success both now and in the future depends on a workforce capable of effective thinking, problem solving, and innovation, educational practice still lags behind our knowledge in these areas. Educating for Creativity and Innovation is a powerful resource to close the gap between research and practice and to promote understanding and effective practice relating to creativity and innovation. In short, this is a book whose time is now!

Section IV
How Do We Develop Creativity?

DOI: 0.4324/9781003234784-16

Chapter 13
Setting Conditions for Developing Creativity

Taken together, the chapters in this section reflect our belief that creativity need not—and should not—just be left to chance, but that it can he fostered through deliberate, intentional efforts. Parents, teachers, and individuals themselves can enhance or nurture creativity and creative behavior. This chapter lays the foundation for deliberate efforts to nurture creativity. Chapter 14 presents eight basic guidelines for creative and critical thinking. Chapters 15-18 each focus on one of the three levels in the model presented in Chapter 7 and with structured programs for deliberate creativity instruction. Chapter 19 links creativity instruction with other contemporary perspectives and themes on effective instruction and synthesizing the section's key ideas. You can use the resources and tools in this section (Chapters 13-19) effectively in any classroom, with students of any age, and in any subject, matter or content area.

After reading this chapter, you will be able to describe six steps to take in laying a foundation for creative teaching and learning and ways to respond to the needs of learners who are at the four different levels of performance in relation to Creativity.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003234784-17

Creative Teaching and Learning: Laying the Foundation

There is an old story (a myth, we hope!) about a very frustrated air traffic controller who gave landing instructions to two pilots, apparently without realizing that the instructions, if followed, would lead to the two planes heading directly at each other, The first pilot heard the, second set of instructions, radioed the tower to note the head-on course, and asked if the controller had any advice. The Controller's response was, "You all be careful now!" Developing creativity, just like landing planes safely, calls for more than hopeful good wishes, and just as content instruction requires careful preparation, efforts to nurture or develop creativity also require sustained planning, preparation, and effort to accomplish successfully. Developing creativity involves more than just saying to your students, "I want you to be creative!" Laying the foundation for instruction that nurtures creativity involves several key actions.

• 엯 Define and discuss the meaning of the terms creativity and innovation with your students. Find out what they already understand about the concepts, and clarify misunderstandings they may have.
• 엯 Pay attention to characteristics and talent spotting. Be alert for evidence that your students are already thinking creatively and critically. Recognize and reinforce them for those efforts and, as we discussed in Chapter 12, be an alert talent spotter for creativity and for opportunities to challenge students to demonstrate creativity. To see it, you have to be watching for it, but you also have to be certain to create opportunities for it to Occur.
• 엯 Work to establish and maintain a conducive climate. Review the nine important factors in a climate that supports (and does not inhibit) creativity from Chapter 8, and work collaboratively with your students to create that climate in your classroom (and with your peers to create it throughout your school).
• 엯 Teach and practice several basic guidelines for creative and critical thinking. In Chapter 14, we will present and discuss eight specific guidelines to teach your students and to observe daily in your classroom.
• 엯 Establish and maintain an ongoing classroom-wide commitment to creativity combined with quality. A classroom that values, supports, and nurtures creativity is a place in which there is an ongoing emphasis and dialogue about the importance of quality work and the factors that contribute to creative products (as presented in Chapter 9), conversation about good thinking and ways to improve thinking continuously (or metacognitive processing), and time and encouragement for reflection each day
• 엯 Begin work on the "foundation" skills and tools. Review the foundations level of the model for teaching and learning productive thinking presented in Chapter 7 (Figure 42 and put it to work for you. This involves teaching basic tools for generating and focusing ideas, guiding students in learning and applying a variety of research and inquiry skills and tools, and making effective use of the powerful technology that is available to young people as well as to adults today.

Building the Structure: Gathering and Using Data

After the foundation is in place, the job of constructing a solid structure above it comes next. This structure includes the visible, tangible ways that teaching and learning for creativity and innovation will take place on a daily basis over an extended period of time. It may appear to be a large and difficult task, and in truth, it is; but, no one ever said that powerful, effective teaching is easy. In our own work, however, and in conversations with countless skillful and devoted teachers throughout the world, we have learned another important lesson: Difficult tasks are not necessarily onerous. So, although teaching that fosters creativity is difficult, it can also be highly rewarding and the source of some of the greatest professional satisfaction you will ever experience. Difficult? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. So, once you've laid the foundation, what are the next steps?

Your early steps and activities may be targeted at informal groups or even at an entire class as you work with students to build important foundational skills. As you continue your efforts, however, it becomes more important to be able to vary or differentiate instruction based on students' interests, skills, strengths, and needs (at the very core of approaches such as RtI, as noted in Chapter 11). This involves developing and using Creative Strengths Profiles (described in Chapter 12) as a foundation for planning and carrying out instruction. In Chapter 12, we described four levels of present performance that you will observe among your students (not yet evident, emerging, expressing, and excelling) and how to assess those as part of the Creative Strengths Profile. The important question is, "Once I know that, what do I do with the information?" Table 11 summarizes the four student levels of performance and their implications for one's general approach as a teacher or group leader, the tasks that may be particularly relevant (in relation to the model for teaching and learning productive thinking shared in Chapter 7), and specific considerations of characteristics and styles, tools, environment, and products or outcomes. We can also describe specific instructional differentiation needs for each of the four present levels of performance (Treffinger et al., 2002).

Not Yet Evident

If a student's present level of performance is in the "Not Yet Evident" column, it does not mean that he or she is not creative and never will become creative. Instead, this is your cue to design and carry out specific classroom strategies to help that student and others to discover, develop, and express their creative potentials. At this level, the programming actions may focus on the foundations discussed in this chapter, helping students to discover creative opportunities and to begin to examine their Style preferences and potential creative strengths. Your role involves planning opportunities for students to grow in awareness of their personal characteristics, interests, and creative strengths. You will also provide direct instruction designed to help students discover, develop, and improve their competence in the four categories of characteristics discussed in Chapter 6 (generating ideas, digging deeper into ideas, openness and courage to explore ideas, and listening to one's inner voice). Extrinsic motivation (e.g., rewards, contests, teacher praise) focused on their efforts to learn about and develop their personal creative abilities may also be useful.

The primary starting point for the operations element of the COCO model (from Chapters 5 and 7) will involve teaching students a variety of tools for generating ideas and digging deeper into ideas; (see Chapter 15). Students for whom creativity is not yet evident will also benefit from experiencing an open, safe environment in which they are comfortable learn

Table 11Responding to Present, Level of Performance

ing to generate and express ideas. The climate must be one that accepts and values new and different ideas, allows and promotes playfulness and humor, offers challenge and encourages involvement, builds trust, provides both idea time and idea support, and promotes freedom and risk taking (see Chapter 8). Finally, be certain to provide opportunities for students to explore and experience directly many, varied, and unusual methods and products for reporting and sharing their learning (e.g., written products, drama, videos, various kinds of digital products). Such varied experiences will help students begin to identify the area in which their creative passions may thrive.

Emerging

Students you might place in the "Emerging" column have most likely already demonstrated some key foundation skills and/or attitudes, but may need to refine, polish, and practice those skills. For these students, programming can focus on recognizing and nurturing their emerging characteristics, strengthening their competence, and helping them gain confidence in their own creative abilities.

The teacher's role might be considered coaching, because you are assisting and supporting efforts to identify and build creative strengths as you are also guiding the student's inquiry into more realistic endeavors. As the student's work moves into areas more closely tied to personal styles and interests, intrinsic motivation will begin to replace the need for extrinsic motivation. Students at this level will benefit from continued refinement of the creativity tools, as well as group problem-solving activities in which they can begin to apply the tools and processes they have learned to situations that are meaningful to them. In addition, metacognitive: skills and processes are important for helping students learn how to monitor their own thinking. Reflecting on their instructional experiences during debriefing sessions will help them better understand and develop all creativity char acteristics, but especially those in the categories of openness and courage to explore ideas and listening to one's inner voice.

A continuing nonjudgmental climate is essential for students to feel safe during guided practice and inquiry. Additional exposure to and extension of the ways and means of creative expression, specifically in tune with the students' interests and abilities, is appropriate here as well.

Expressing

Students whose present level of performance is located in the "Expressing" column have already demonstrated competence and are growing in Confidence about their creative abilities. A strong foundation for creative productivity is in place, and they are ready to deal with realistic problems and situations. The focus for programming actions should be on helping students to apply their strengths and interests in their own way. At this level, they start to build commitment for a lifetime of creative accomplishments. Students whose creativity is expressing—and many who are also in the emerging category—often find great stimulation, enjoyment, and opportunities for creative growth, productivity, and celebration in structured programs and competitions (see Chapter 17).

The teacher's role is one of supporting emerging students' continued development by helping them initiate their own ideas and to identify realistic and meaningful situations where their creative skills and attitudes can be applied. Even though intrinsic motivation is in place, they will need reassurance as they work through the problems identified.

The environment should encourage initiative and action toward identifying real problems. Outcomes will be assessed through appropriate and creative performances. Although it still continues to be the ultimate responsibility of the teacher to maintain the climate that supports these students' efforts, the Students themselves will also need to develop skills, attitudes, and procedures that will be supportive to themselves and others as well.

Excelling

Finally, students wh...