TEACHING CREATIVITY

Historically, creativity was regarded as a mystical process, the characteristic feature of geniuses, artists and writers. Nowadays creativity is recognized as a practical skill, one which can be taught and which everyone can achieve. It is a way of thinking in which we look at familiar things with a fresh eye, examine a problem with an open mind about how it might be solved, and use our imagination rather than our knowledge to explore new possibilities rather than established approaches. Thus, teaching creativity is absolutely expedient nowadays.

After having experienced the process of teaching creativity, I can notice that it is not an easy task. A person should be absolutely knowledgeable and competent in his/her sphere. Moreover, he/she should be aware of different methods and techniques and know how to make them work.

In order to achieve efficacy while teaching creativity one should think over thoroughly each step which is going to be taken. Furthermore, a teacher should take into consideration time, expended for making the tasks on creativity.

As far as my own experience in teaching creativity is concerned, I can remark that the approach which I have used may be regarded as an effective one. The creation of narrative poems and alliterative phrases has enhanced the students’ capabilities to think unconventionally. As a result, a lot of worth-while and wholesome compositions have been created. These activities are not so time-consuming; each task takes 10-15 minutes. So altogether these activities take half an hour, but if there is pittance of time, a teacher can use these tasks separately.

Variations of the proposed tasks can be the following: e.g. to write a narrative poem with rhyme; to expand alliterative phrases into alliterative sentences, etc.

The creation of narrative poems and alliterative phrases can be employed for students of secondary and high school. Lexical units used in these tasks can vary with the topics and the level of knowledge.

The investigation of the ways of enhancing students’ creativity and the purport of teaching creativity in general has contributed greatly to the development of the presentation on teaching creativity and the determination of the algorithm of teaching. The abilities to shorten the material, to analyze the given information, to single out major and minor points have helped substantially in the study of the topic and exerted profound influence on the development of the subject.

Creativity is one of the fundamental scientific research skills along with Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Dissemination and Analysis. Trying to examine issues from a different point of view (from another perspective), looking for alternatives to common or accepted methods and solutions and searching for different approaches to a problem or situation are those background skills which constitute a basis of teaching creativity separately and of the development of scientific research skills in general.

Critical Thinking, which can be explained as examining the truth and evaluating the relative importance of ideas, requires creative skills. Problem Solving, which is the ability to define and analyze problems, to create solutions and evaluate them, and to choose the best solution for a particular context, also requires and involves imaginative, creative and innovative thinking to find new ways or approaches to a problem. Therefore teaching and studying creativity should be of primary importance.

After having investigated the subject in question we can draw to the conclusion that teaching creativity is paramount in our today’s society. Everything should be aimed at obtaining the indispensable result – teaching creatively and teaching for creativity.

Teaching for creativity is considered to be effective when children are able to generate ideas, show imagination and originality, and can judge the value of what they have done. What promotes creativity is an atmosphere, where teachers and pupils value diversity, ask unusual and challenging questions; make new connections; represent ideas in different ways – visually, physically and verbally; try fresh approaches and solutions to problems; and critically evaluate new ideas and actions.

Therefore, the following inference can be deduced: creativity is not a permanent phenomenon, that’s why one should always investigate new appearing methods aimed at teaching creativity or enhancing it. In order to fulfill this task in future it would be convenient to make a plan consisting of the main steps which should be taken:

1. To make tests on the determination of the level of creativity:

http://thecreativityquiz.com/

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/page176.html

2. The subsequent study of the topic (the following materials can be useful:

• “Techniques for creative teaching” http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/techniques.html
• Aine Moorad “Teaching methodology: Creative teaching critical for information age”

http://dawn.com/2012/05/20/teaching-methodology-creative-teaching-critical-for-information-age/

• “Teaching for creativity”

http://fod.msu.edu/oir/creativity-teaching

3.     To investigate more activities for teaching creativity,

e.g. to examine the activity “Mystery objects”, when students are shown a picture of a mystery object and try to guess what it is, asking questions starting with “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, “how” or “why”. They can also discuss in groups what it was made for, and its possible uses or even invent these possible uses.

http://www.teachingthinking.net/thinking/web%20resources/robert_fisher_expandingminds.htm