What is Creativity?

“Creativity is a process which generates ideas that have value to the individual. It involves looking at familiar things with a fresh eye, examining problems with an open mind, making connections, learning from mistakes and using imagination to explore new possibilities.”

Education Scotland 2010

Creativity can help learners not only survive, but to thrive in our fast changing world. Creativity skills help learners to be:

• Motivated and ambitious for change;• Confident in their capabilities and the validity of their own

viewpoint;• Able to transfer their creativity skills to other contexts;• Able to lead and work well with others.

Crucially, creativity can be the hook which engages learners, influencing their attainment and achievement. In addition, as they are core to employability, creativity skills can help learners not only prepare for the world of work but also to shape their own job opportunities.

Importance of Creativity

Importance of Creativity

Creativity is concerned with developing a range of transferrable skills in young people, preparing them for

learning, life and work. Creativity skills help children

and young people not just to understand their world,

but be sufficiently equipped to influence its shape and to exercise control over their interactions with it.It should be a theme across all areas of the curriculum where there is a common approach working in partnership with parents and the community promoting essential skills for learning, life and work.

Creativity should link to all 4 aspects of the Curriculum

Successful learnersAttributes• Enthusiasm and motivation for

learning• Determination to reach high

standards of achievement• Openness to new thinking and

ideas

Capabilities• Use literacy, communication and

numeracy skills• Use technology for learning• Think creatively and

independently• Learn independently and as part

of a group• Make reasoned evaluations• Link and apply different kinds of

learning in new situations

able to harness imagination, by: • exploring, synthesising and refining

multiple options; • generating and refining ideas; and • inventing.

Confident IndividualsAttributes• Self-respect• A sense of physical, mental and

emotional well-being• Secure values and beliefs• Ambition

Capabilities• Relate to others and manage

themselves• Pursue a healthy and active lifestyle• Be self-aware• Develop and communicate their own

beliefs and view of the world• Live as independently as they can• Assess risk and make informed

decisions• Achieve success in different areas of

activity.

Successful Learners Confident Individuals

Responsible Citizens Effective Contributors

Creativity should link to all 4 aspects of the Curriculum

Successful learnersAttributes• Enthusiasm and motivation for

learning• Determination to reach high

standards of achievement• Openness to new thinking and

ideas

Capabilities• Use literacy, communication and

numeracy skills• Use technology for learning• Think creatively and

independently• Learn independently and as part

of a group• Make reasoned evaluations• Link and apply different kinds of

learning in new situations

able to harness imagination, by: • exploring, synthesising and refining

multiple options; • generating and refining ideas; and • inventing.

Confident IndividualsAttributes• Self-respect• A sense of physical, mental and

emotional well-being• Secure values and beliefs• Ambition

Capabilities• Relate to others and manage

themselves• Pursue a healthy and active lifestyle• Be self-aware• Develop and communicate their own

beliefs and view of the world• Live as independently as they can• Assess risk and make informed

decisions• Achieve success in different areas of

activity.

Creativity should link to all 4 aspects of the Curriculum

Responsible CitizensAttributes• Respect for others• Commitment to participate

responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life

Capabilities• Develop knowledge and

understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it

• Understand different beliefs and cultures

• Make informed choices and decisions

• Evaluate environmental, scientific and technological issues

• Develop informed, ethical vies of complex issues

able to harness imagination, by: • exploring, synthesising and refining

multiple options; • generating and refining ideas; and • inventing.

Effective Contributors Attributes• An enterprising attitude• Resilience• Self-resilience

Capabilities• Communicate in different ways and

in different settings• Work in partnership and in teams• Take the initiative and lead• Apply critical thinking in new

contexts• Create and develop• Solve problems

Creative Thinking Skills

able to identify and solve problems, by: • understanding and defining problems; • crafting, delivering and presenting

solutions; • demonstrating initiative, discipline,

persistence and resilience; • evaluating impact and success of

solutions; and • identifying and implementing next

steps in refinement or development process.

open-minded, by: • using lateral thinking; • using divergent thinking; • hypothesising; • exploring multiple viewpoints; and • being flexible, adaptable and

functioning well with uncertainty.

constructively inquisitive, by: • being curious; • registering patterns and

anomalies; • making use of previous

knowledge; • researching productively; and • formulating good questions.

able to harness imagination, by: • exploring, synthesising and refining

multiple options; • generating and refining ideas; and • inventing.

Importance of Creativity

We can think of Creativity being divided into four aspects as stated through Education Scotland: Creative Learning – learners are using their creativity skillsCreative Teaching – educators are using their creativity skillsDeveloping Creativity Skills – where learners skills are expressly being ‘taught’ or developedCreative Improvement – where creativity is used to innovate systems, administration and strategy

• Have a look at the list of departments and facilities within the school that help you to have an excellent education.

• Creative skills are embedded within every department. In what subjects do you feel that you learn most creative skills? Consider Learning, Teaching, Skills and Improvement.

• Think back to the skills slides, it is creativity in the widest sense.

Creativity Across the CurriculumDepartments• Art & Design• Biology• Business Education• Chemistry• Computing Science• Confucius Hub• Design and Technolog

y• Drama• English• Geography• History• Home Economics• Library• Mathematics• Modern Languages• Modern Studies• Music• Pastoral Support• Physical Education• Physics• Religious Education• Support for Learning

Science Animations

Games Design - Computing

Just two examples from departments where creative thinking skills take place

• There are many opportunities in all departments to develop skills mentioned in the previous slides.

• In your jotter write down a skill and give an example of how you have developed each skill. Also put a department as a heading that you feel contributes most to the development of the stated skill.

ExamplePhysical Education Demonstrating initiative: I have the ability to demonstrate initiative in Physical Education by taking part in ….

Skills• being curious • registering patterns and anomalies• making use of previous knowledge• researching productively • formulating good questions• exploring, synthesising and refining multiple options • generating and refining ideas and inventing• using lateral thinking• using divergent thinking• hypothesising• exploring multiple viewpoints• being flexible, adaptable and functioning well with

uncertainty • understanding and defining problems • crafting, delivering and presenting solutions• demonstrating initiative, discipline, persistence and

resilience• evaluating impact and success of solutions• identifying and implementing next steps in refinement or development process.

Skills Development – Why is it important for me? Skills for Learning, Life and Work