KEY IDEAS ABOUT CREATIVITY

Creativity in learning is far more than painting keywords, dancing times tables or role playing the periodic table. These are potentially effective activities but creativity in learning goes much further: creative thinking, creative problem solving, building a creative learning environment and the nurturing of a creative learning community. And all this is founded on an expanded definition of creativity itself:

Creativity is the process of making something of value that hasn't been made before - be it a painting, an idea, a solution, a relationship or a new dance move. It is a set of beliefs and attitudes as much as it is a toolbox of skills and knowledge.A creative outlook leads naturally to high quality classroom activities carried out by creative learners.

Here's a great example of creative teamwork.

Each person in a group of 6 reads a different article and summarises it in a space around the outside.

Then, in turn, they teach each other what they've just read and noted down.

When everyone's had a turn they respond by writing in the doughnut.

Finally, the group summarises their learning in the centre. They have created new, valuable learning.



12 principles of creativity are:

• A belief that creative potential is inside everyone and can be found everywhere
• A belief that creativity can change things and improve things
• A belief that mistakes are to be celebrated, learned from and used
• A belief that creativity can be a natural response to pain, suffering and boredom
• An attitude of positivity towards surprising and unexpected events
• An attitude of openness to new ideas and experiences when they appear
• An attitude of ‘smart risk-taking’
• An attitude of non-judgement
• An ability to actively seek out new ideas and experiences
• An ability to see familiar things in new and different ways
• An ability to use both analytic and holistic thinking
• An ability to make, think or do things that haven’t been made, thought or done before

Creativity exists beyond the arts. It's a set of beliefs, attitudes and abilities that manifest in all subjects, all classes and in the minds of all pupils. If you allow it to.