Creativity

Creativity

According to Sigelman and Rider, creativity is "[the] ability to produce novel responses appropriate in context and valued by others" (Life-Span 249). Creativity is being able to view things from a different perspective or to produce something new. Creativity involves divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is when someone comes up with ideas or solutions to a problem when there is no one right answer. People may be motivated to be creative because of the need to communicate ideas and values. The need to solve problems is another motivation for being creative. Creativity is very important in school.

Knowledge is the awareness or understanding gained through experience or study. Being creative in the classroom is important and with teaching. "...without creativity we have no art, no literature, no science, no innovation, no problem solving, no progress" (Creativity, Jordan xi). Each subject in school is different but there are links between them because of focus and expression. According to E. Paul Torrance, "creative thinking abilities can be important in educational achievement" (Creativity in the Classroom, Torrance 23). Being creative gives students an understanding of the world around them and they can express themselves clearly. It also helps with problem solving.

Creativity helps students understand the world around them. Being creative while teaching helps students understand concepts of the world such as theories and can improve skills such as reading. According to Torrance, "When creativity is defined as a product, the results of the process are embodied in an invention, a scientific theory... literary work, a musical composition, [or] a new design..." (Creativity in the Classroom, 6). Different styles of learning such as fictional characters, is another creative way of teaching. Fictional characters such as the characters of Sesame Street, apply fiction to the real world. This also helps children express themselves.

Creativity can help children express themselves. This is a way for children to show themselves and be original. This can be expressed in many different ways such as music, art, story telling, or any kind of communication. Children like to use their imaginations and it shows throughout their lives. Torrance states that "Today's young people are still setting new records... in scientific