Developing Creativity as a 21 st Century Learning and Innovation Skill in

School

From the earliest invention of the telephone to the latest communication tools we have
today, creativity has a place in these inventions. Moreover, the role of creativity has also been
recognized in daily life problem solving, in maintaining and fostering wellbeing and in the
successful adaptation to change. Creativity is the ability to generate original and useful ideas
that drive us forward and arguably is among the most sought-after life and work skills in our
complex and fast changing world. Creativity as a skill is not anymore a “nice to have” but a
must have in the 21st century.

“Creativity” also called creative thinking in some literatures is generally conceptualized as

the ability to produce something that is both novel and useful ( Amabile, 1996; Plucker,
Beghetto, & Dow, 2004). For example, inventions such as the computer and the printing press
and paintings such as the Mona Lisa are creative endeavors.

Creativity can also be described as the ability to see ordinary things differently. An often-
cited example of this kind of creative thinking is the creation of Velcro, which arose from the
observation of cockleburs clinging to clothes. The inventor, George de Mestral, clearly was able
to see a common item in a different and original way and was able to generate a clear, detailed
idea that resulted in his million-dollar product. The developers of the iPod, the cell phone, and
the YouTube Website all employed creative thinking in the creation of their products.

But notice that whenever one creates a thing for whatever purpose it may serve, the
creation will always start with gathering thoughts known as “idea generation. You do not create
a product right away. You go into a process of “self talk” to purge ideas that you need for the
step by step making of a product. From these definitions, idea generation could be viewed as a
part of learning because all idea-generating activities are experiences leading to the change of a
person’s knowledge or behavior.

The Significant Benefits Of Creativity In The Classroom ( Sylvia Duckworth)

Creativity is a valuable skill. All too often people outgrow their imagination as adulthood
approaches due to an encroaching sense of self-doubt, an ingrained belief that it’s an
impractical pursuit, or firm guidance from more experienced grown-ups advising engineering
over art school. Although almost everyone would agree that creativity is important, budget cuts
to areas of education like art and music programs demonstrate differently.

1. Creativity is Multidisciplinary. Not only can you practice creativity through many different
mediums, its benefits are applicable to almost all professions.

2. Creativity allows you to express yourself. An integral part of the human condition involves
learning who we are and recognizing how that fits into the rest of the world. Creativity allows
self-discovery, as well as the opportunity to share a hidden side of ourselves.
3. Creativity promotes thinking and problem-solving. From technical details of writing, drawing,
or composing to the challenge of creating, problem-solving is a required component of the
creative process.

4. Creativity reduces stress and anxiety. People usually pursue creative projects because they
enjoy the process or the outcome. Just the act of creating inspires a sense of contentment.

5. Creativity allows you to enter your happy zone and have fun. Creativity is really another form
of play, and play is universally important to each individual’s sense of joy and well-being.

6. Creativity gives you a sense of purpose. Writers, artists, and musicians often identify by
those words whether they make money at their craft or not. Their creative method is their way
of processing the world and a way of describing who they are.

7. Creativity can lead to feelings of accomplishment and pride. The combination of

brainstorming, the technical process, and a finished process is often the perfect recipe for
personal satisfaction.

8. Creativity can link you to others with the same passion. Art is important because it fosters a
sense of connection and understanding of what it means to be human. A creative focus can
help you find your community and feel less alone in the world.

9. Creativity improves your ability to focus. The act of creating requires dedication and
commitment, not only to each individual project but to the craft itself.

10. Creativity promotes risk-taking and iteration. Making things isn’t easy; making things others
will appreciate is even harder. Creativity requires courage, confidence, and the willingness to
fail and try again.

11. Creativity is a prerequisite for innovation. Every advancement known to mankind started
with a new idea, and new ideas are inspired by imagination and creativity.

12. Creativity encourages us to be lifelong learners

Creativity requires the humbleness to know that there’s always room for improvement and a
commitment to continue challenging your ideas and ability until new growth occurs.

The Roles Of Teachers In Helping Learners Develop Their Creative Habits And Skills
1.Role modelling creative habits.
Nothing is more important than the teacher exemplifying the habits,
behaviours and thinking they want students to demonstrate. They need to exemplify creative
traits such as curiosity and the development of creative skills (see thinking routines later in this
chapter).
2. Appreciating the critical importance of questions, both their own and those asked by students
Questions of creative teachers are usually open-ended, probing and requires time to
come up with answers to. Pose questions and challenges, and follow up with opportunities for
solitude and reflection. Solicit questions from you’re the students too. This provides time and
space to foster the forging of new connections that is so vital to creativity.

3. Treating mistakes as learning opportunities and encouraging learners to take sensible risks in
the classroom.
Encouraging learners to take ‘sensible risks’ in their work is important for building up
their creative confidence. It is important that this takes place in a supportive environment, and
that the teacher and learner have discussed what boundaries are acceptable in their context. It
is also important to set some ground rules in collaboration with learners.

4. Giving learners sufficient time to complete their work.

Sometimes ideas need time to develop before becoming valuable. Giving learners the
scope to come up with their own ideas can be challenging for both teachers and learners.
Learners will need time to think and work independently of the teacher. Delay judgement of
learners’ ideas until they have had time to work them out properly

5. Scaffolding tasks carefully to provide the appropriate level of challenge

Ideally, a teacher should try to design tasks that help the learner to cross over into this
area by ‘scaffolding’, or supporting them at first, and then withdrawing support so that the
learner can increasingly achieve the task on their own.

6. Focus less on the reproduction of information and more on critical thinking and problem
solving.

7. Curate activities that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, such as by painting murals
that depict biological food chains, or acting out plays about historical events, or writing poems
about the cosmos. After all, the world doesn’t come carved up into different subject areas. Our
culture tells us these disciplinary boundaries are real and our thinking becomes trapped in
them.

How Does a Creative Classroom Look Like?

When students are being creative in the classroom they are likely to:

• Question and Challenge. Creative pupils are curious, question and challenge, and don’t
necessarily follow the rules.

• Make Connections and See Relationships. Creative pupils think laterally and make associations
between things that are not usually connected.

• Envision Want Might Be. They imagine, see possibilities, ask ‘what if?’, picture alternatives,
and look at things from different viewpoints.
• Explore Ideas and Options. Creative pupils play with ideas, try alternatives and fresh
approaches, keep open minds and modify their ideas to achieve creative results

• Reflect Critically on Ideas, actions and outcomes. They review progress, invite and use
feedback, criticize constructively and make perceptive observations.

To encourage the above is likely to require a change in the way schools are run and the way
teachers teach. “The most powerful way to develop creativity in your students is to be a role
model. Children develop creativity not when you tell them to, but when you show them.
Give Students Extended, Unhurried Time To Explore And Do Their Best Work. Don’t interfere
when students are productively engaged and motivated to complete tasks in which they are
fully engaged.

Create an inviting and exciting classroom environment. Provide students with space to leave
unfinished work for later completion and quiet space for contemplation

Provide an abundant supply of interesting and useful materials and resources.

Create a classroom climate where students feel mistakes are acceptable and risk taking is
encouraged. Appropriate noise, mess and autonomy are accepted.

Two Main Components of Creativity

1. Originality. The method or idea must be new and unique. It should not be the extension of
something, which already exists. However, one can take inspiration from the already existing
methods and ideas to fabricate something new and unique.

2. Functionality. Another important component of creativity is its functionality. A creative idea

must work and produce results, otherwise, the whole effort will be in vain.

Top Creative Thinking Skills (Bhasin, 2020)

1. Open-Mindedness. Creative thinkers can think in a different and novel way. Keep aside your
assumptions and look for things in an utterly new way. When a problem arises, try to deal with
it with an open mind. Give yourself a chance to think creatively.

2. Analysis. The first rule of creative thinking is to listen first and try to understand it very well.
Do not jump into the conclusion. To understand the things you need to have the quality of
examining things minutely, carefully to understand what exactly it wants to say

3. Problem-Solving. Not every employer is the same. Every employer wants to hire creative
thinkers so that they can bring changes in the organization. The employer wants creative
thinkers who will help them to solve problems. So when you are applying for a new job writing
that you can think creatively but also implement your thinking in work and solve problems.
4. Organization. The organization is an integral part of creativity. During trying a new idea, you
might sometimes feel messy. It would help if you organized your thoughts so that other people
would be able to understand your concepts and follow your vision. Create a plan of action and
make your goal clear.

5. Communication. One will appreciate your creativity if you can communicate well with them
and make them understand well about your idea. To make other people understand, you should
have strong oral and written skills.