TIVITY

CREA

Kristin Shapiro

​

www.schoolofshap.com

AGENDA

SKILLS

06

01

DEFINITIONS OF CREATIVITY

02

WHO IS CREATIVE?

03

FOSTERING CREATIVITY

04

VIEWPOINTS

05

HABITS

08

AMBIGUITY

PERSEVERANCE

07

09

MULTIPLE WAYS TO BE CREATIVE

DEFINITION

Creativity is a way of thinking in which existing

problems, disharmonies, solutions, or deficiencies are approached in new and novel ways and then

communicated (Torrance, 1966).

Creativity, like other skills we help kids develop, needs to be taught and fostered at all ages. Often this means regular structured times and activities that encourage creativity thinking.

TEACHING CREATIVITY

Hallmarks of creative thinking include thinking in new and novel ways that may be different from traditional viewpoints. These viewpoints are often seen when we challenge children to consider alternative perspectives.

VIEWPOINTS

Creativity is a habit or an exercise that must be

consistently engaged in, however, the divergent thinking of creativity often comes about during routine activities. This means that kids need to have routines and structures that allow their brains to think in new ways while their bodies do mundane work.

HABITS

Creativity is a paradox: kids must have a grasp of the skills necessary to do the work and must regularly practice these skills, but they must also have the ability to engage in the work in ways that are different from how it has been traditionally done.

SKILLS

Creativity often strikes during these “routine” times. It is important for kids to continue to engage in ritual habits EVEN if they are challenged or feel “stuck”.

PERSERVERENCE

Creativity relies on ambiguity: being able to view things from a unique perspective that produces a solution that no one else has created or a viewpoint that no else has expressed.

AMBIGUITY

Creativity relies on the fact that there is often more than one way to do things and more than one way to view things (Amabile, 2010)

MULTIPLE

WAYS