Creativity in Education
The Importance of Creativity in Education
The importance of creativity in education can not be denied but is often undervalued.
Children who are able to think creatively are among the most gifted of students.
Children are natural experimentors and the creative arts continually proves to be vital to a child's ongoing education.
Moving through the stages of artistic development are as important as learning your ABCs and 1,2,3s.
Children who are encouraged to progress naturally from 'bang-dots' to the multi-dimensional 'dawning realism' stage of artistic development have expanded their minds further... than those who stop being artistic at an early age.
Do not underestimate the importance of your child's Artistic development.
The iPad is the ideal tool for a fully-rounded artistic education without the need for an 'art-cart' filled with painting, drawing and craft supplies!
Whether you are child, a professional artist, an art student or just like to doodle, the iPad is an amazing drawing and sketching tool even for the more 'serious' art enthusiasts. With only the touch of your finger you can watch the colours and textures appear as if by magic. In fact our 4 year old occasionally looks at his fingertip while drawing, wondering where the colour has gone! This is a completely different experience than drawing or sketching using a computer mouse. Creating with your fingertips is much more 'real' & authentic, and brings art to life!
I would like you to take a moment and assess your relationship to the word CREATIVE.
Speaking as an experienced Art Teacher, and conversing with hundreds of people (who all may not have known I am an Arts teacher) about the word CREATIVITY, I find it does not always bring out the best reaction in people.
It tends to be fobbed of a bit, to be honest. Something like, "Ah, the arts... Yes... hmmm. I took an art class once..." That's the almost-always response.
I think to myself, "I wonder if every ancient civilisation's surviving works of art were from some art class... Really!"
Thinking the word "creativity" means splashing paint on canvas (though that's a lot of fun), is a little short sighted.
Keep reading, the scientists agree that creativity is important too.
The ABILITY to create, to think creatively, leads to solutions to problems... a decipherable sketch of that idea on last-night's napkin... the right background for that beautiful photo... the right choice, the solution...
Creativity has a place in every discipline, in every far-reaching task we set out to do, and in every simple sentence we make... CREATIVITY is everywhere.
"Creativity's importance in the development of INTELLIGENCE should not be underestimated."
Examples of 'The Arts' contributing to 'Intelligence' are easy to come by from the realms of science and mathematics.
A survey of 100 leading physicists describe their mathematical thinking as 'largely wordless, often accompanied by mental images that represent the entire solution to a problem'.
Einstein, himself, found that when the solution to the general theory of relativity revealed itself... "a huge map of the universe outlined itself in one clear vision". He didn't see numbers and letters but a map... a visualisation.
And, according to Jung, those who come to solutions "manifest themselves only through their ability to organise images and ideas, and this is always an unconscious process which cannot be detected until afterwards".
Creativity strengthens the origination of images and ideas.
What I hear all of these Scientists say is that the mental processes involved in solving problems relate to organising images and ideas into concepts... which the Arts contribute to tremendously!
If you want more about creativity and it's relationship to intelligence where we've quoted the text from, visit wikipedia:Creativity.