Creative Thinking Creative Learning

Some current thinking tells us that the strength of the United States has been, and hopefully, will continue to be, its ability to create and innovate. New scientific discoveries, new technologies, new stories for entertainment, and new forms of music are all areas where the United States has provided consistent worldwide leadership. In a world where labor is cheap and mechanization replaces workers, creativity is a way to maintain an edge in the global market.

That’s the big picture. However, to look at the level of the individual, creativity ultimately enhances each person’s life. The ability to solve problems in new ways improves living, whether it’s in one’s work, one’s relationships, one’s community, or one’s hobbies. We want to build creative capacity, for individuals, and for our global growth.

The question is, how can we teach creativity?

First, we need to identify the internal and cultural barriers. Often we divide the world into those who are creative, and those who are not. How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m not creative.”? You may have said it yourself. Rather than seeing the question as black and white, begin by listing ways in which you, or perhaps someone close to you, is creative. In the River Valley School District, we’ve received many answers when we’ve asked this question, some of which include: baking, gardening, crocheting, showering(!), exercising, painting,  playing piano, getting my spouse to do things (also known as ‘manipulating’), parenting, and shopping. By examining a list like this, the question changes from “Are you creative?” to “How are you creative?”

Simply recognizing that everyone has a creative side or outlet is a beginning to understanding how to teach and enhance creativity.

We can build on the creative strengths a person already has. Building creativity in one part of a person’s life can translate into greater creativity elsewhere. For example, the there are many stories of how artistic engagement led, at times somewhat mysteriously, to insight or new ideas in science.

Our approach in the River Valley School District is based in part on this idea. The focus on creativity in one area, whether it’s a tool of creativity or a particular discipline, can lead to greater creative thinking in other areas. We begin with strengths, and expand to areas of greater need.

An example of this creative approach is a project we are working on at our middle school around the broad theme of empathy.  Empathizing is one of the thirteen “Tools of Creativity” as described in the book Sparks of Genius by Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein.  As an example of utilizing the empathizing tool in the classroom, our middle school students will take part in an integrated project around the topic of bullying. Most experts agree that contempt drives most bullying. Bullies can be the "popular" kids who are often intimidating their "friends", or they can be the outcasts. For whatever reasons, bullies feel it is acceptable to treat others with contempt, hatred or meanness.  It has been shown that getting kids who bully, or are bullied, to identify with others’ feelings and perceptions is the best way to reduce this trend among students.  Empathizing with a victim takes away the bully’s need to put someone else down. Conversely, once a target can understand why someone is being overly aggressive, they can stop blaming themselves for the bullying. Instead, they realize it’s not their fault and they don’t have to simply take the bullying.

As we focus on understanding bullying behavior, students will read literature that includes the theme of bullying, treating others with kindness, and the difficulty of getting along with others at these ages.  Through the use of this literature, students will be writing vignettes around the topic and performing them later in the school year.  They will be working with a local author around the topic, integrating artwork around the theme, and will incorporate photos they took during a photography club that took place earlier in the fall.  In the course of utilizing this integrated approach, students will deepen their understanding of what it feels like to be bullied and how to deal with and hopefully prevent this behavior.

In between the global perspective and the focus on the individual, we find benefits to our community as well. The Spring Green area has a reputation as a center for creative individuals. This strength is translating into our schools, where the community focus is manifesting in classrooms, teacher workshops, and new ways of learning and teaching for students and staff. We’re at the beginning of this process, but it’s an exciting beginning. It holds genuine promise for residents of the area, for our community as a whole, and, perhaps in some small way, for the global dialogue on creativity, education, and a better life.

As we strive to continue to improve learning opportunities for our students, we welcome your comments and suggestions.  Feel free to contact me at hstotts@rvschools.org or (608) 588-2551 Ext. 127.