CREATIVITY

1. CREATIVITY THE CREATIVE PERSON, CREATIVE PROCESS, AND CREATIVE DRAMATICS

2. CREATIVITY CONTINUED When I examined myself, and my methods of thought, I came to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge. Albert Einstien There must be motivation and … persistence, courage, and love of one’s work. There has to be “the blazing drive.” E. Paul Torrance (1995, p. 267)

3. CREATIVITY CONTINUED Two interrelated purposes of gifted education: 1- to help gifted children and adolescents become more self-actualized, creative individuals. 2- to better enable gifted children to make creative contributions to society.

4. CREATIVITY CONTINUED Cropley and Urban (2000) states: “modern research on creativity, intelligence, and achievement showed that although students with high IQs obtained were consistently outstripped by those with not only a high IQ but also high creativity” (p. 485).

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PERSONS Creative persons frequently are high in self confidence, independence, adventurousness, risk-taking, energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, play-fulness, humor, idealism, and reflectiveness. They tend to be more perceptive and intuitive. They tend to have aesthestic and artistic interest attracted to the complex and mysterious.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATOVE PERSONS CONTINUED They need privacy and alone time. They are willing to tolerate the ambiguity that accompanies engaging in creative problem solving. The admirable characteristics of independence and high energy, combined with nonconformity and unconventionality, may lead to stubbornness, resistance to teacher or parent dominatio.

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PERSONS CONTINUED They can also appear to be uncooperative, indifferent to accepted conventions, cynic, assertive, sloppy, question authority, disregard details, overactive, forgetful, uncommunicative. They are often misdiagnosed as ADHD. A vast majority of historically eminent persons, writers and artists were mentally disturbed. (Walberg, 1988 and Richards, 1990, 1999).

8. CREATIVENESS IN THE KINESTHETIC AND AUDITORY AREAS (TORRANCE) Shows skillful, manipulative movement in crayon work, typing, piano playing, cooking, dressmaking, etc. Shows quick, precise movements in mime, creative dramatics and role playing Works at creative movement activities for extended periods of time Displays total bodily involvement in interpreting a poem, story, or song

9. CREATIVENESS IN THE KINESTHETIC AND AUDITORY AREAS (TORRANCE) Becomes intensely absorbed in creative movement or dance Interprets songs, poems, or stories through creative movement or dance Writes, draws, walks, and moves with rhythm and is generally highly responsive to sound stimuli Creates music, songs, etc. (perseveres) .

10. CHARACTERISTICS CONTINUED Recognizing these characteristics should help teachers be more patient with the obnoxious students who show too many of the negative traits. These traits require constructive redirection. Note that many average and below average students will demonstrate marvelous creative talent. Is it Easy to Recognize Creative Talent?

11. CREATIVE ABILITES, TORRANCE Fluency Evaluation Flexibility Analysis Originality Synthesis Elaboration Transformation Problem finding Extend boundaries Visualization Intuition Ability to regress Predict outcomes Analogical thinking Resist premature Aesthetic thinking closure Concentration Logical thinking

12. VIEWING THE CREATIVE PROCESS The traditional approach is to describe a sequence of stages through which one might proceed in solving a problem creativity. The creative process can be viewed as a change in perception ( seeing new idea combinations, new relationships, new meanings or new applications not seen before. Examine creative thinking techniques to produce new creative products.

13. CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS The Wallas Model (1926) • Preparation • Incubation • Illumination • Verification

14. CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS CONTINUED A Two-Stage Model 1. Big Idea Stage – creative person is looking for a new idea or problem. 2. Elaboration Stage – idea development, elaboration, and implementation.

15. CREATIVE PROCESS MODELS CONTINUED Creative Problem Solving Model (CPS), Alex Osborn, 1963 - fact finding - problem finding - idea finding - solution finding - acceptance finding

16. CREATIVE PROCESS/CHANGE IN PERCEPTION The usually abrupt experience of “seeing” a new idea combination, new relationship, new meaning, new applications, or new perspective on a problem. This sudden change ( coined the “Eureka”) in perception is not well understand.

17. CAN CREATIVITY BE TAUGHT? Yes/No It is absolutely true that everyone’s personal creativity can be improved. Integrate problem solving activities in daily lessons. Use divergent thinking exercises as brainstorming activities. (223)

18. GOALS OF CREATIVE TRAINING Raising creativity consciousness, creative attitudes, and strengthening creative personality traits Improving students’ understanding of creativity Strengthening creative abilities through exercises Teaching creative thinking techniques Involving students in creative activities

19. PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVE THINKING Creativity will help you live a more interesting, successful, and enjoyable life. Creative people are not rigid; they look at things from different points of view. Creative people are aware of pressures to conform—to be like everybody else. Creative people use their talents, not waste them.

20. PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVE THINKING CONTINUED Creative thinking includes taking risks and making mistakes—and the more creative the idea, the greater the risks of mistakes and failures. Creative people play with ideas, consider lots of possibilities, use techniques, think analogically, evaluate their ideas, and get their ideas, and get their ideas into action.