How can teachers use creativity in the classroom to engage students and enhance learning? How can students develop their creative thinking and learning capacities? These questions were explored at the Queensland Creativity Summit on Tuesday, June 12.
Hosted by Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies, with the support of the Queensland College of Teachers and the Queensland Council of Deans of Education, the summit examined the twin facets of creativity in the classroom:
- Teaching creatively — using novel and inventive approaches to make learning more engaging, interesting and effective and;
- Teaching for creativity — approaches designed to develop and enhance learners’ own creative abilities.
“Creativity has always been a part of teaching and learning, it’s a general capability across our curriculum and at a national level we recognise its importance,” says Professor Donna Pendergast, Dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies.
“The focus of the summit is to demonstrate how to be creative in the classroom, and how to teach for creativity so that when young people leave school, move into the world, they are creative individuals.
Summit co-chair Dr Madonna Stinson said now more than ever creativity was seen as important by governments, business leaders and educators across the globe.
“As we move into a future that is absolutely unpredictable because of technological and social change, we need people who can respond to this world in creative and positive ways,’’ she said.
“While creativity is traditionally seen as a natural alignment with the arts, it actually moves across disciplines and is found in every aspect of our lives.
“In a world driven by rapid change, the capacity to see things in new ways and to devise innovative approaches, processes and solutions is critically important.”