This document discusses fostering creativity in the classroom. It provides examples of classroom activities and strategies to enhance creative thinking skills in students. Some key areas discussed include defining creativity, the cognitive and behavioral factors that influence creativity, implementing creative challenges and projects in the classroom, assessing creativity using rubrics, and strategies to support individual creativity as well as collaborative learning. The goal is to move beyond adding creative activities and instead integrate creativity into the core of classroom instruction.

1. Creativity in the
Classroom
Practical Examples
!
Laura, Laura, Pat
Hinsdale Central H.S.

2. Program View
Creativity: A multi-year journey
! Assessment
Data
! Creative Tuesdays
! Art Show ballots
! Creative Stations

3. Program View
ASSESSMENT DATA
Program View
Assessing Our Program
Use the continuum to analyze our classroom practices. Where are we?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Learning activities address what we value
Learning activities do not address our values
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Samples, examples, and exemplars are used as standards
for students.
Samples, examples, and exemplars are not used as
standards for students.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Enduring themes in art are explored through instruction and
assessment.
Enduring themes in art are not explored through instruction
and assessment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Students know and understand the criteria for assessment.
Students do not know and understand the criteria for
assessment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Teacher acts as coach/facilitator and regularly monitors
work and provides feedback.
Teacher do not act as coach/facilitator and regularly
monitor work and provides feedback.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Teacher create situations in which students develop
strategies for creative problem-solving
Teacher do not create situations in which students develop
strategies for creative problem-solving
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Significant classroom time is spent on creativity, problem
solving, and larger concepts/themes.
Significant classroom time is things other than spent on
creativity, problem solving, and themes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The classroom is a creative environment to work in.
The classroom is not a creative environment to work in.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Students are involved in authentic artistic problem solving.
Students are involved in skill development more than in
authentic artistic problem solving.

4. Program View
1
Preparation
2. Research
2. Research
3
Generating
Options
4
Illumination
5
Audience

5. Program View
Creativity Key Questions
Key Concepts
! Creativity is when an artist reframes ideas and experiences in order to
generate new ideas (Czikszentmihalyi)
! Creativity occurs when an individual is faced with a problem that is
ambiguous and proposes alternatives (Dewey)
! Artists have many ways by which they organize and form their work.
! Creativity allows our internal thinking to be made visible and
communicate to others. Creation is a dialogue, not a monologue
(Eisner).
! Creativity requires judgment, reflection and editing.
Essential Questions:
! Where do artists get their ideas? What can I make art about?
! What is creative thinking?

6. Program View
Strategies or Skills that enhance creativity:
!
!
!
!
Capturing- We never stop generating ideas-even while we sleep. We
need was to capture our ideas- attend to them and preserve them. All
creative people- artists, inventors, writers, composers, and so on- have
great capturing skills.
Challenging- New ideas occur when old ideas compete. The more
behaviors competing, the more likely that new ideas will arise. Failure is
valuable to the creative process because it forces us to generate many
ideas.
Broadening- We can be more creative if we increase the number of
behaviors for solving problems through training.
Surrounding- By controlling and changing the stimuli that surround us, we
can be more creative.

7. Creative Tuesdays
Definition
Creativity is the ability to find ideas that are are both novel and useful.
!
!
Creativity is An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine
or invent something new. As we will see below, creativity is not the ability to create
out of nothing (only God can do that), but the ability to generate new ideas by
combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas are
astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no
one seems to have thought of yet. Believe it or not, everyone has substantial
creative ability.
!
!
Creativity is An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change
and newness, a willingness to play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of
outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for ways to improve it.
!
!
Creativity is A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve
ideas and solutions, by making gradual alterations and refinements to their works.
Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity, very, very few works of creative
excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a frenzy of rapid
activity.

8. Creative Tuesdays
Creativity
Belief #1: Everyone is creative.
! We’ve all heard it: "I'm just not creative." Wrong. In fact, anyone in
your group could be the source of that next great, radically
different idea. The problem is that most people confuse creativity
with talent.
! Creativity, however, is the ability to do something that hasn’t been
done before. And anyone can do that.
!
Belief #2: There are no bad ideas.
! The biggest impediment to getting really creative is the fear of
sounding stupid. That’s why we remind everyone in our creative
meetings that there are no bad suggestions. Sometimes, the
zaniest, craziest thoughts turn into the best ideas. Ones that win
awards and gets noticed.

9. Creative Tuesdays
Ground Rules for Creativity
Tuesdays
! Give
people the time, space and permission to be
creative. Scorn, ridicule, sarcasm, and eye rolling
are not welcome.!
! Participate to your fullest

10. Creative Tuesdays

11. Creative Spaces Lego Corp
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
!
To enhance divergent thinking, the space
needs to stimulate the senses.
! Visual stimuli- the way the room looks- art,
sculpture, etc…
! Aromatherapy- select a citrus aroma to
stimulate activity or select lavender to relax
during incubation
! Rhythmic music played at a moderate level
is helpful.
!
Interaction with diverse people can stimulate the
imagination.

12. Creative Spaces
ENVIRONMENT
! Creativity
“stations”
! Theme-based art shows

13. Creative Spaces
Vote for your favorites in this
Drawing:
Artist
Art Department Show.
!
!
Title
______________________________________________
Painting:
Artist
Title
Please put the title AND the artist
on each line.
!
______________________________________
!
Jewelry:
Artist
!
Title
______________________________________________
Digital Imagery:
Artist
!
Hinsdale Central Art
Department
Ceramics:
Artist
Title
______________________________________________
Sculpture:
Artist
Title
Title
!
!
!
______________________________________________
Mixed Media:
Artist
Title
______________________________________________
Title
Artist
Most Realistic-__________________________________________________________
Best Craftsmanship-_____________________________________________________
Best Design-____________________________________________________________
Best Mixed Media-______________________________________________________
Most Complex Construction (3-D)-_______________________________________
Most Humorous-_________________________________________________________
Most Thought Provoking Art-_____________________________________________
Most Creative-__________________________________________________________
“Best of Show” Award ( I wish I had made that)____________________________________________

14. Classroom
Practice
Moving from “add on” to “into
“the classroom

15. More Ways Than One:
Fostering Creativity in the Classroom
!
The following are a series of categories which can be
introduced into classroom instruction in order to
“unfreeze” or “warm up” ideas.
!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chapter 8-Classroom Activities
by Arthur J. Cropley
Producing
Analyzing
Elaborating
Pointing up
Associating
Constructing
Translating
Revising
Seeing analogies

16. CREATIVITY DEVELOPMENT
!
(1 2 3 4 5) SCALE
!
Do you practice spotting paradoxes?
(paradox= irony, inconsistencies and apparent contradictions)
Do you notice discrepancies?
(discrepancy=differences, gaps and missing links)
Do you see and make analogies?
(analogies= comparison; likenesses among unlike things)
Are you a skilled researcher? Can you obtain needed information?
(artistic research)
Do you overcome the effects of habits?
(Can you break out of conventional thinking and habits?)
Do you engage in visualizing?
(seeing a problem in your mind’s eye)
Do you carry out intuitive thinking?
(making an informed guess , or following a hunch)
Do you communicate in your art?
(both skills and willingness)
Do you learn from mistakes? Can you accept change and novelty? Can you tolerate ambiguity?
(ambiguity=doubt, uncertainty)
Do you have good work habits?
(effort does matter)
!
!

17. Creative Challenges
Go with the flowMetacognition (reflect upon
one’s thoughts)
Recipe card- Constructing
(combining ideas or objects to
form a specified new product)
Collaborate to competeProducing (offering a coherent
idea or thought)
How do you photograph smelly?
- Revising (Breaking away from
existing relationships among
ideas and suggesting new
ones)
Running Fence- Creative
thought based on process vs.
product.
A twist on the ditto, dittoAssociating (seeing connections
between ideas)
The Weekend CollageConstructing (combining ideas
or objects to form a specified
new product)
Everyday creative momentsAnalyzing (precisely defining
the content of objects and
ideas)
See your world- Translating
(seeing/expressing ideas in a
different form)
Sketchers Scavenger HuntElaborating (developing a
detailed structure on the basis
of guiding principles)
Three Things- Seeing
analogies (recognizing new
examples of the familiar)
Can You Feel the LovePointing up (establishing the
decisive, definitive elements
of objects and ideas)

18. Collaborate to Complete
Reflect on the positives and
More ways than one: fostering
negative of working together
creativity in the classroom.
and how you might have
Producing (offering a
communicated better.
coherent idea or thought)
!
What aspects did you find
enjoyable and most frustrating
about this experience.
o inspire group innovation.
By: Stefan Mamaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield
Creative Challenge Rubric
Teacher(s)
A B C D F
Clear rendering of a monster.
A B C D F
A B C D F
Equal participation
A B C D F
A B C D F
Thoughtful collaboration
A B C D F
A B C D F
Followed rules.
A B C D F
A B C D F
Other-
A B C D F
Student(s)

19. Many of today's jobs require creative and productive
teamwork and leadership skills. Form several teams for
the purpose of generating more and better art ideas.
!
Stefan Bucher’s Daily Monster (www.dailymonster.com) is a
great example for the concept of “creativity of the
moment,” the thought that we can grow creatively in
large ways by exercising creative thoughts in small,
digestible opportunities.
!
As a team of 3 or 4, you are going to use a pencil to
create a monster. The only restrictions are:
1. Once you put the pencil down to start drawing, you
can’t lift it back up- scribble, scratch, shade, do
whatever you want, but you can’t remove the pencil
from the paper until you’re done- and
2. 2. You and your partners are working together to
create one monster, so you all must start on the
same piece of paper working on the same monster.
You can talk it out as you go, or stay silent and
read from another’s direction what you can add to
the monster. Mark sure you have enough space
around a table to move, get different perspectives
and see what’s been created.
Caffeine for the creative team, 150 exercises to inspire group innovation.
By: Stefan Mamaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield

20. CONSTRUCTING- combining ideas or
objects to form a specific new product.
!
Select an assortment of old school slides.
Combine the visual image, transparent
quality, and the structure of the slide
itself into an art form.
Be thoughtful to your assemblage method
and how that can impact the finished
result.
Document your thoughts as you go.
!
Creative Challenge Rubric
Reflect on experience:
Student(s)
A"B"C"D"F
*
Innovative"use"of"materials.
Teacher(s)
A"B"C"D"F
A"B"C"D"F
Quality"of"craftsmanship.
A"B"C"D"F
A"B"C"D"F
Detail.
A"B"C"D"F
A"B"C"D"F
Original"exploration"of"specific"material/theme.
A"B"C"D"F
A"B"C"D"F
"
A"B"C"D"F
A"B"C"D"F
Other?
A"B"C"D"F
Slide
Challenge

22. • Individual Creativity
•
Breanna’s Self Portrait

23. •
Cognitive and
Behavioral Factors
!
•
What do individual students
understand about
themselves and creativity?
!
•
What does recent Neurology
research say about the
brain?

24. • Student’s thoughts about Creativity
People are born with it.
Some people have talent, some do not.
It is a mystery.
I can only be creative in one area.
I am not creative.
I have no new ideas.
Practice does not help me create.
It is a family dynamic.
Listening to music.
Looking at inspiration.
Reading poetry.
Writing stories.

25. •
Define Creativity
“Creativity is the
ability to produce
work that is original,
unexpected and
appropriate for the
project objectives. It
takes place in the
whole brain.
THE LEFT & RIGHT
BRAIN WORKING
TOGETHER.”

26. • Adolescent Brain Mechanics
The brain is actively
growing, changing and
developing until young
adulthood (Spano, 2003).
!
Brain development
extends from 11-28 years
of age for women and 31
for men.

27. • Processing Creativity
The prefrontal cortex of your brain
develops creativity though a
mechanical processes:
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Attention
Perception
Memory/Experiences
Self-reflecting
Consciousness
Associating ideas
Combining ideas
Transforming ideas
Examining ideas
Reducing the number of ideas
Right & left brain blending
Abstract thinking
Social decisions making

28. •Mechanics of Creativity
•
The Mechanical or Cognitive
approach to creativity requires:
DIVERGENT (different) thinking.
It is all about generating ideas.
!
•
Creativity requires:
CONVERGENT (appropriate)
thinking.This is the ability to
combine those generated ideas
into the best result.
Two brain processing phases in
creative thought:
1.Constructing symbols in our mind
from experiences.
2. Exploring creative ideas
(brainstorming).

29. • How Does Student Behavior
Affect Creativity?
•
Self behaviors: attitude, time management, intrinsic
motivation
•
Attention: observation, concentration
•
Personality: development, external factors
•
Experiences: they grow with us
•
Environments: reactions to space, sound, color
•
Learning: builds and interacts with creativity.

30. •Describe Self-Behaviors
Write a process goal for your current art
class using the traits identified below:!
!
!
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Self-efficacy –determined, directed,
disciplined
Overcome obstacles
Persistence
Flexibility of materials, ideas
Take sensible risks
Tolerate ambiguity-uncertainty
Intrinsic motivation –built-in, genuine

31. • How do student’s blend creativity?
Emotional
Cognitive
Values & norms.
Deliberate
!
Brain retrieves affective
memory.
Personal experiences.
Spontaneous
Flex the prefrontal cortex.
!
!
Creativity is like a
revelation.
Emotional
Piece things together.
Incubation and sudden
insight.
!
A Ha! Moment.
Cognitive
Deliberate
Spontaneous

32. • Learning & Creativity
▪
Collaboration
▪
Diversity
▪
Idea EXCHANGE
▪
Building on one another’s
ideas

33. Creative Resources
•ASCD, Why Creativity? A conversation with Sir Ken Robinson
!
•DIETRICH, ARNE (2007). Introduction to Consciousness. New York: Palgrave MacMillian.
!
•DIETRICH, ARNE (2007). Who’s afraid of a cognitive neuroscience of creativity?. Methods 43 (2007) 22-27: Science Direct.
!
•DIETRICH, ARNE (2007) Article
!
•PINK, DANIEL (2009). Drive: New York: Riverhead Books.
•Educational Leadership (Sept. 2009).
• Why Creativity? A Conversation with Sir Ken Robinson.
!
•RUNCO, MARK A. (2007). Creativity: Theories and Themes: Research, Development, and Practice. Burlington, MA: Elsevier
Academic Press.
!
!
•KRAUSE, JIM (2003). Creative Sparks. Ohio: F+W Publications.
!
•SCALIN, NOAH (2011). UNSTUCK. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company.
!
•STERNBERG, ROBERT J. (2009) 12th ed. Handbook of Creativity. New York: Cambridge Press.
•Caffeine for the Creative Team: 150 Exercises to Inspire Group Innovation, Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield (2009)
HOW Books
!
•Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up your Brain, Stefan Mumaw (2006), HOW Books
!
•Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes, Keri Smith (2010) Penguin Books
!
•More Ways Than One: Fostering Creativity in the Classroom, Arthur J. Cropley (1992) Praeger
!

34. Creativity in
the Classroom
•
Door
Prizes
!
•
Thank
you!