Blog 8 – 29th October 2019

Creativity can involve a cluster of skills such as imagination, play, communication and critical thinking for example. Creativity allows pupils imagination to be broadened as it encourages them to bring their visions of creativity to life. It also gives an opportunity for class teachers to talk about the different forms of arts from all over the world like different artists work for example and this allows pupils to gain a better understanding of the world they live in and what their impact on it could be (Gabora, 2017).  Creativity doesn’t have to just be introduced through the arts for pupils, it can also be used throughout the whole curriculum by finding new and engaging ways to teach different subjects(Watts et al, 2007).

A creative process has many stages for pupils and it different for every single person (Taylor,2014). The creative process allows pupils to work at their own pace rather than trying to keep up with everyone else. This is important as it allows pupils to express themselves in many different forms of the arts when they are ready to do so (Smith et al, 2015).

Creativity can develop pupils emotional state as they are able to express themselves freely and this then builds confidence in their work (Edsys, 2017). It can also develop play as pupils are able to play about with material or resources until they find the correct one for them.

Today’s art session was based on reflecting on images we were given on emotional learning cards and using the Rod Taylor Model to determine what was going on in the picture. Our picture was based on the two boats side by side in the water as above. As a group we answered questions based on the mood, form, process and content of the picture. One question we answered for example was based on the mood section. the question was “Does the picture convey feelings about life and nature?”, our response was yes as it relates to mental health and emphasises the need of help and support.

This is a good activity to use with children as they can create their own thoughts on what they see in the picture. As teachers, we should allow pupils to tell us what they see rather than us telling them, as it allows their imagination to come to life. From this activity they are able to imagine what is going on without actually being there (Vygotsky,2004).

We also had a look at how the website Charanga is an opportunity for creativity in music. Charanga is an online resource that allows teachers to gain access to music lessons week to week for all year groups. This is a great opportunity for teachers to keep lessons age appropriate and engaging for the pupils therefore they will most likely participate in the lesson more (Van’t Hault, 2012).

Charanaga is beneficial for classroom teaching as it allows pupils to create their own music as a whole class. This opens up a huge opportunity for those who already play instruments in the class to bring their talents together to play a piece of music for example. It also allows pupils to build up on their musical knowledge for example notation,  which gives them a better understanding of music for when they leave for Secondary school.

I really enjoyed using charanaga today as it was a website I had never used before and it was good to see the variety of ways you could teach pupils music which are very fun and engaging. It is definitely a website all age groups could use as there is something for everyone within in and I would definitely recommend using it in the classroom for the future.

Overall, from today’s session I have gained the knowledge that no pupils creativity will ever be the same and to value uniqueness within your class. Creativity prepares pupils for a better future as it allows them to gain various other skills such as communication, collaboration and teamwork which is beneficial for the world of work. As teachers, it is important that we are passionate about creativity and embrace it in our classrooms!

 

REFERENCES

Edsys (2017) Role and Importance of Creativity in the Classroom. [Online] Available: https://www.edsys.in/creativity-in-classroom/ [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Gabora, L. (2017) What Creativity Really is- and why Schools Needs It. [Online] Available: https://theconservation.com/what-creativity-really-is-and-why-schools-need-it-81889. [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Taylor, J. (2014) The Five Stages of Creative Process. [Online] Available: https://www.jamestaylor.me/creative-process-five-stages/ [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Smith, D.B. Frotz, J. Ito, H. Kohorst, J and Vascimini, E. (2015) Expressive Arts as a Means of Increasing Well-being in Children. [Online] Available: https://scholarworks.com/umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&content=utpp. [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Van’t Hault, J. (2012) Kids Drawing- How to Encourage Creativity, Skills and Confidence [Online] Available: https://artfulparent.com/how-to-encourage-drawing-skills-confidence-creativity-in-young-children/ [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Vygotsky, L.S. (2004) Imagination and Creativity in Childhood. Journal of Russians and East European Psychology. [Online] Vol.42(1), pg. 7-97. Available: http://lchc.uscd.edu/MCA/Mail/xmxamail.2007_08.dir/att-0149/LSV_1967_2004_._Imagination_and_creativity_in_childhood.pdf [Accessed: 29th October 2019].

Watts, R. Cox, S. McAuliffe, D and Heme, S. (2007) Teaching Art and Design 3-11. (Reaching the Standards). London: Continuum International Publishing.

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