One of the issues that I invariably have with education classes, particularly Graduate-level classes, is that in our extensive survey of complex concepts we rarely arrive at a definition, particularly early on. This is again the case in my Creativity class. However, the more that you articles that you read on each of these subjects this issue of mine is easily understood, and swiftly swept away. The reason we cannot arrive at an overarching definition is because the professionals in the field have not been able to do so either.
I really enjoyed reading the article “About Creativity, Giftedness, and Teaching the Creatively Gifted in the Classroom,” in which a teacher was interviewed and observed regarding how she views, values, and nurtures creativity in her students. I found that her 3 concepts of creativity “perceive, act, and impact,” were broad enough to attach to such a complex idea as this, but narrow enough to gain the insight that she would hope to relay regarding her understanding. I found particularly interesting her valuing of creativity that was measurable. I understand that her being a teacher it would be easier for her to value something that she could quantify, but I would hesitate to expect students to constantly be evaluated based on their creativity.
This article also helped me to understand a concept that I had recently found myself struggling with. She explained that there is a difference between Gifted Students and Creatively Gifted Students. I have experienced students who are extremely bright and get straight A’s but cannot handle the looser reigns of a less structured lesson.
I also appreciated her belief that creativity can be nurtured in students. Her activities are apparently designed to display the creativity of certain students and develop it further in others.
All in all I found this article to be very helpful in my quest to better understand creativity, particularly its value inside the classroom.
Very insightful and well-written. I can tell this article impacted your thinking and I appreciate your honesty on the happenings in a graduate course. You are correct- even the professionals in the field who have spent decades researching can offer vague definitions with glimpses of something concrete. I suppose it's all a part of the beauty of human nature; to be able to redefine and mold new ideas until something resembling the truth or reality emerges!
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