Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom

"Do we need a new science of creativity education?'"Can we be any more creative, and if so, should creativity be cultivated in the classroom?"

Yes, yes, and yes! This is my response to the questions that Dr. Michael Hogan poses in his article. I do not think that we can afford NOT to cultivate creativity in the classroom. Our world is changing at lightening speed.

A few years ago our administration showed the above video "Shift Happens" during our first inservice day. Now, many of the facts are completely outdated (there is an updated 4.0 version but I don't like the music as much as the original)! This just goes to show that things are not slowing down and we must roll with the changes in order to move forward.

                                         
Our students need to be creative in order to survive in an ever changing world. How can we "teach" creativity? A great place to start is to use the 5 key components of customized learning. If we are to prepare students for jobs that have not even been created yet and we are counting on them to help solve the problems of our world, then we must help them to learn to think creatively and to be resilient. Fostering a climate of student voice and choice will empower our students to take risks and learn from their failures when necessary.  By using both lower and higher order thinking skills we can help our students to stretch their minds to prepare for independent thinking. Formative assessment will provide the feedback necessary to guide students towards their goals. And finally, employing multiple pathways to learning will insure that all students can access the learning tools that work best for them.