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CREATIVITY.
Term Paper ID:30315
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Essay Subject:
Discusses ways to foster and nurture creativity in children in school art classes.... More...
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6 Pages / 1350 Words
10 sources, 16 Citations,
MLA Format
$24.00
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses ways to foster and narture creativity in children in school art classes. Importance of creativity. Different definitions. Counter-craetive tendency of many teachers. Approaches to creative thinking. Importance of setting and space for art projects. Atmosphere conducive to creative thinking. Teacher's pedagogical approach. Need for students to develop creative goals.
Paper Introduction:
Art teachers, and teachers of many other disciplines, proclaim the nurturing of creativity as a principal component of their jobs. But definitions of creativity may vary considerably and what one individual sees as a creative exercise may seem to another to be rote learning of the simplest sort. In order to foster genuine creativity an art teacher must understand what creativity is and then develop the setting, attitudes, pedagogical style, and opportunities for children to develop their creativity. Although creativity is considered important in many subject areas--from learning to write to learning mathematics--it is often seen as the particular goal of art classes. But this does not mean that merely placing paint pot and paper in front of a child will nurture her/his latent creativity. In this discussion a definition of creativity is
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This does not mean, however, that childrensimply do as they feel since, in addition to exercising imagination andseeking personal expression, creating is also a matter of "proceedingthrough a number of artistic processes to make an arts product which isoften presented to others in some way" (Wright 34). "Imitative, Complementary, and Expansive: Three Roles of Visual Arts Curricula." Studies in Art Education 35 (1994): 9 -1 4.Burton, Judith M. It is best, therefore, to definecreativity in an active, open-ended fashion, as Wright does: Creativity involves responding to different situations flexibly, seeing afresh, enjoying, taking risks with a medium, using imagination, showing inventiveness, exploring ideas from a variety of angles, crossing artistic domains (e.g., singing while painting), combining media (e.g., collage with drawing) (35). The emphasis oncreative thinking in early education (and sometimes throughout theelementary school years) is placed on courses, or occasional sessions,focusing on the visual arts. In this discussion a definition of creativity is followed byan outline of various factors, largely under the art teacher's control,that are prerequisites for fostering creativity: the proper setting;students who are not inhibited by fear of freedom; a teaching style thatblends acceptance, seriousness toward art productions, a sense of fun, andthe absence of a desire to dictate acceptable outcomes; and, the time andmaterials for making art. First teachers must, of course, understand that creativethinking is something that can and should be nurtured and for many futureclassroom teachers this involves moving beyond the prevailing prejudicethat "it permits children to do whatever they want, it has no goals, itcauses mess and disruption, and it takes time away from teaching basicskills" (Saarilahti et al. . In order to foster genuine creativity an art teacher mustunderstand what creativity is and then develop the setting, attitudes,pedagogical style, and opportunities for children to develop theircreativity. It is the rigidity of this very typical approach to outcomes thatmakes it work counter to the needs of budding creativity. Once the model-to-be-imitated has been removed from practice, however, the question ofevaluation becomes difficult. They must also feel that they are free to ask questions,indeed are encouraged to do so, about processes, techniques andpossibilities and that their work will receive some type of validationthrough the appreciation and evaluation supplied by the teacher. The third factor, therefore, is the teacher's pedagogical approach.Children need a great deal of freedom in order to manipulate familiar paint-brushes and clay in new ways. Is this good? "Is Creativity Nurtured in Finnish Classrooms?" Childhood Education 75 (1999): 326- 31.Wright, Susan K. This is logical since the elements andmaterials that are imaginatively recombined in creative art making (unlikewords, formulas, and data) can immediately be used by children and becausemost early art classes are unencumbered by a specific set of complex dataand skills that children are expected to master. The second major factor is the attitudes of the children toward beingasked to take on a degree of freedom. AsBresler reports, in cases where the ambiance of the classroom is entirelyopen-ended a number of children respond to "the absence of specificguidance" by choosing "to rely on familiar products and activities" (95). 329). For example, Bresler, whostudied the teaching styles of grade-school classroom teachers whoincorporated art into their practice, found that even in those classeswhere students were instructed to carefully cut out and color (according toa prescribed and rigidly enforced scheme) such items as "a colored turkey,a Christmas decoration, valentine heart, Easter bunnies" and so on,"expectations involved dexterity and fine motor skills," in addition to"neatness, memorization, and following of directions" (93). Is this right?'"(Saarilahti et al. Works CitedBresler, Liora. To counter this kind of anxiety her repliessought to evoke answers from the students themselves, asking them whetherthey had a goal and felt they had met it, and "whether they themselves[were] satisfied," but it is only gradually that most students "realizethat they are working for themselves" (Saarilahti et al. Art teachers, and teachers of many other disciplines, proclaim thenurturing of creativity as a principal component of their jobs. Such exercises develop flexibility that can beapplied, in turn, to their own productions. It is,therefore, helpful for teachers to establish "techniques such asbrainstorming [and] metaphorical thinking" as parts of the approach to aproblem (Saarilahti et al. Sinceit has been shown that "classroom experiences affect children's creativitylater in life" and that specific "creative thinking skills" are somethingchildren can acquire it is important that they be emphasized from theearliest grades (Saarilahti, Cramond, & Sieppi 326). . Butdefinitions of creativity may vary considerably and what one individualsees as a creative exercise may seem to another to be rote learning of thesimplest sort. Since early art classes--even if they are only occasionalevents--constitute one of the most convenient points at which creativethinking can begin to grow art classes are not only important in themselves--for development of familiarity with art practice, art-critical thinking,or an aesthetic sense--they also have ramifications for the growth ofcreativity in all areas of a child's education. Such creativity has long been associated primarily with the arts butit is increasingly understood that it applies in most areas of life. "Assessment in the Arts: Is It Appropriate in the Early Childhood Years?" Studies in Art Education 36 (1994): 28-43. But students will not feel comfortable with such an approach if it isentirely open. There are, of course, skills to be acquired in art classes, such as"manipulating materials, showing muscular coordination, controlling basictechniques" and developing sensitivity to the "elements, principles andprocesses of the specific arts domain" (Wright 35). "Art Education and the Plight of the Culture: A Status Report." Art Education 45.4 (1992): 7-18.Saarilahti, Mirka, Bonnie Cramond, & Helena Sieppi. But, sadly, manyteachers who are aware of creativity's importance, are still unequipped tofoster it, and they become determined to find it in any "unusual, strange,haphazard, or unexpected outcomes" or will see it in "products made bychildren which mirror those works of mature artists that [they] happen toadmire" (14). 326). But teachers who are exposed toalternative approaches during their training can benefit from anintroduction to the prerequisites for nurturing creativity in art classes. As Breslerreports, however, projects such as "junk sculptures" in which students areresponsible for assembling their own materials can be valuable supplementsto limited budgets while occasionally tying art projects to themes fromother subjects, such as history or literature, can accomplish a synthesisthat allows a little room in the curriculum for artistic creation (94). And teachers may,depending on their orientation and the age of the students, incorporate arthistory, criticism, or aesthetics into the basic art practice that is theusual focus of elementary- and middle-school classes. There are many different definitions of creativity. Manychildren, having been trained by different methods, will seek to conform,not just to expectations but to the productions of other students. Students need to develop creative goals thatplease them, rather than randomly doing whatever pleases them. The fourth factor is the provision of opportunities to draw, paint,or construct objects. 329). In order tofoster creative thinking the entire process must be presented "as requiringeffort, concentration, awareness, and thought" on the students' part, whilestill avoiding prescribed goals for all this effort (Bresler 97). Although creativity is considered important in many subjectareas--from learning to write to learning mathematics--it is often seen asthe particular goal of art classes. Since much art teaching takes place inordinary classrooms, teachers may have to be ingenious in seeking outmaterials and projects or in devising exhibits that overcome theseconstraints. Art materials and sufficient space in class schedules mayfrustrate as much creativity as any shortcomings of teachers. The constraints here are generally those of moneyand time. aimed at imitating a'model' fully prescribed by the teacher" (Bresler 93). But it is not aproblem just for those who will teach some form of art practice. As one teacher noted, afterassigning work that was intended to be approached creatively, studentswould line up to ask "'Is this ready? But the basic skillscan be acquired in many kinds of art classes. 329). It is,therefore, necessary that a "psychological feeling or atmosphere conduciveto the positive aspects of risk-taking" exist in the classroom (Wright 31). But this does not mean that merelyplacing paint pot and paper in front of a child will nurture her/his latentcreativity. Even among artseducators who are "anxious to promote creativity in those [they] teach"because they believe that "all children are inherently creative and,moreover, [that] to be so is somehow good for us and for society," theconcept is, perhaps, "the most overused and least understood" (Burton 14).Thus the ability of teachers or schools to nurture creativity will dependlargely on how they conceive of it. In terms of setting, teachers need to ensure that the space isadequate for the number of children, that it is flexible enough to allowfor moving furniture as projects demand, that it has table space andlighting suitable for working with various materials, and that there is agood place for students "to display objects they have found or productsthey have made" (Wright 3 ). This counter-creative tendency may be most readily apparent in classrooms where teachersimpose on their students "rote art lessons . Another useful tool is imaginative games--such as depicting a pictured object from another, unseen, angle of view orcreating cooperative pieces in which each student adds a new element to apainting or sculpture. Breslerfound, in her observation of grade-school teachers, that in institutionswhere art teaching in lower grades was typified by classes that "providedfew invitations for students' input, imagination, or creativity, leavinglittle space for experimentation with ideas or materials," the roteorientation also "permeated the curriculum across all grade and abilitylevels" (94). The problem lies, therefore, with teacher education.
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