KU Quarterly April 2019

KU PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Quarterly KU Children’s Services APRIL 2019 IN THIS EDITION In this edition of Quarterly, we explore our understanding of “creativity”. Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework (p.33) reminds us that creativity, along with curiosity and persistence, is an important disposition that supports children’s learning. There are many attempts to define creativity. Some common phrases across these definitions include “perceiving the world in new ways”, “making connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena to find new solutions”, “the ability to generate different ideas” and “applying knowledge and imagination to problem solving”. Csikszentmihalyi (1996) has studied and written about creativity and he proposes the following: Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives…First, most of the things that are interesting, important and human are the results of creativity… The second reason creativity is so fascinating is that when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life (pp.1-2). IN THIS EDITION He goes on to suggest that a requirement for becoming a creative adult appears to be a keen interest and curiosity about one’s surroundings (p.156). What does this mean for early childhood education? Some writers suggest that children’s creativity can be nurtured in three respects – the creative environment, creative programs and creative teachers. Teachers, in particular, have an important role to play in children’s creativity by helping them to construct their own interpretations of the world and explore ideas and theories (Sharp, 2004). Go on to read our feature article by Gai Lindsay for her insights into creativity an young children. References Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Sharp, C. (2004). Developing young children’s creativity: what can we learn from research? Topic Issue 32. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/55502/55502.pdf THE MYTH OF MESS: THINKING ABOUT MESSY VISUAL ARTS EXPERIENCES