Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

Creativity and the Common Core State Standards are both important to today’s teachers. Yet, for many educators, nurturing students’ creativity seems to conflict with ensuring that they learn specific skills and content. In this book, the authors outline ways to adapt existing lessons and mandated curricula to encourage the development of student creativity alongside more traditional academic skills. Based on cutting-edge psychological research on creativity, the text debunks common misconceptions about creativity and describes how learning environments can support both creativity and the Common Core, offers creative lessons and insights for teaching English language arts and mathematics, and includes assessments for creativity and Common Core learning. Featuring numerous classroom examples, this practical resource will empower teachers to think of the Common Core and creativity as encompassing complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, goals.

Book Features:

  • Shows how teaching skills mandated by the CCSS and teaching for creativity can reinforce one another.
  • Helps teachers better understand what creativity is, how to develop it, and how to assess it in meaningful ways.
  • Examines the many misconceptions about creativity that prevent teachers from doing their best work.
  • Provides classroom examples, ideas, and lesson plans from successful teachers across disciplines.

“This wonderful book makes the important point that teaching to well-designed standards is completely consistent with teaching for creativity. [It] is filled with practical advice for teachers about how to teach to Common Core standards, in both ELA and math, in ways that lead to creative learning outcomes.”
Keith Sawyer, Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Beghetto, and Baer make a strong, nuanced case that knowledge for the sake of knowledge may be acceptable for immediate retention, but knowledge in the service of creating new possibilities has long-term consequences that can’t be ignored by educators and society.”
Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director, The Imagination Institute and researcher, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania

1126354795
Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

Creativity and the Common Core State Standards are both important to today’s teachers. Yet, for many educators, nurturing students’ creativity seems to conflict with ensuring that they learn specific skills and content. In this book, the authors outline ways to adapt existing lessons and mandated curricula to encourage the development of student creativity alongside more traditional academic skills. Based on cutting-edge psychological research on creativity, the text debunks common misconceptions about creativity and describes how learning environments can support both creativity and the Common Core, offers creative lessons and insights for teaching English language arts and mathematics, and includes assessments for creativity and Common Core learning. Featuring numerous classroom examples, this practical resource will empower teachers to think of the Common Core and creativity as encompassing complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, goals.

Book Features:

  • Shows how teaching skills mandated by the CCSS and teaching for creativity can reinforce one another.
  • Helps teachers better understand what creativity is, how to develop it, and how to assess it in meaningful ways.
  • Examines the many misconceptions about creativity that prevent teachers from doing their best work.
  • Provides classroom examples, ideas, and lesson plans from successful teachers across disciplines.

“This wonderful book makes the important point that teaching to well-designed standards is completely consistent with teaching for creativity. [It] is filled with practical advice for teachers about how to teach to Common Core standards, in both ELA and math, in ways that lead to creative learning outcomes.”
Keith Sawyer, Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Beghetto, and Baer make a strong, nuanced case that knowledge for the sake of knowledge may be acceptable for immediate retention, but knowledge in the service of creating new possibilities has long-term consequences that can’t be ignored by educators and society.”
Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director, The Imagination Institute and researcher, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania

26.99 In Stock
Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

Teaching for Creativity in the Common Core Classroom

eBook

$26.99  $35.95 Save 25% Current price is $26.99, Original price is $35.95. You Save 25%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

Creativity and the Common Core State Standards are both important to today’s teachers. Yet, for many educators, nurturing students’ creativity seems to conflict with ensuring that they learn specific skills and content. In this book, the authors outline ways to adapt existing lessons and mandated curricula to encourage the development of student creativity alongside more traditional academic skills. Based on cutting-edge psychological research on creativity, the text debunks common misconceptions about creativity and describes how learning environments can support both creativity and the Common Core, offers creative lessons and insights for teaching English language arts and mathematics, and includes assessments for creativity and Common Core learning. Featuring numerous classroom examples, this practical resource will empower teachers to think of the Common Core and creativity as encompassing complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, goals.

Book Features:

  • Shows how teaching skills mandated by the CCSS and teaching for creativity can reinforce one another.
  • Helps teachers better understand what creativity is, how to develop it, and how to assess it in meaningful ways.
  • Examines the many misconceptions about creativity that prevent teachers from doing their best work.
  • Provides classroom examples, ideas, and lesson plans from successful teachers across disciplines.

“This wonderful book makes the important point that teaching to well-designed standards is completely consistent with teaching for creativity. [It] is filled with practical advice for teachers about how to teach to Common Core standards, in both ELA and math, in ways that lead to creative learning outcomes.”
Keith Sawyer, Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Beghetto, and Baer make a strong, nuanced case that knowledge for the sake of knowledge may be acceptable for immediate retention, but knowledge in the service of creating new possibilities has long-term consequences that can’t be ignored by educators and society.”
Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director, The Imagination Institute and researcher, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807773505
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Publication date: 01/30/2015
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

Ronald A. Beghetto is associate professor of educational psychology at the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut. James C. Kaufman is professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut and founding director of the Learning Research Institute at California State University, San Bernardino. John Baer is professor of teacher education at the School of Education, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ.

Table of Contents

Foreword Robert J. Sternberg xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

1 Creativity and the Common Core 8

Vignette 1 Should Teachers Establish a Separate "Creativity Time" in Their Curriculum? 8

Vignette 2 Is Creativity Really Compatible with Standards-Based Teaching? 8

Common Beliefs About Creativity 9

Common Beliefs About Content Standards 10

Content Standards and Creativity: Irreconcilable Differences? 12

Concluding Thoughts 17

From Concepts to Classroom 18

2 Understanding Creativity in the Classroom: Getting Beyond Hidden Beliefs and Misconceptions 20

Vignette 1 Must We Limit Originality with Cold Facts? 20

Vignette 2 is It Ever Okay to Stifle Creativity? 20

Creativity: A Brief Theoretical Overview 21

Creativity: Applying the Theories 29

Creativity: Misperceptions 31

Creative Metacognition 32

From Concepts to Classroom 35

Concluding Thoughts 36

3 Learning Environments that Support Creativity and the Common Core 38

Vignette 1 Math Motorcycles 38

Vignette 2 Reading Ratatouille 39

Establishing a Supportive Learning Environment 39

From Concepts to Classroom 46

Concluding Thoughts 52

4 Practical Applications 1: Creative Lessons and Insights in English and Language Arts 55

Vignette 1 Meanings of Words in Various Contexts 55

Vignette 2 Writing Dialogue and Writing Creatively 56

Vignette 3 Divergent Thinking During Character Brainstorming and Comparison 60

Vignette 4 Distinguishing Among Fact, Opinion, and Reasoned Judgment 63

Vignette 5 Verb Tense and Student Storytelling 65

How to Teach for Creativity While Teaching the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core 67

From Concepts to Classroom 76

Concluding Thoughts 78

5 Practical Applications 2: Creative Lessons and Insights in Mathematics 79

Vignette I Mathematical Permutations and Combinations 79

Vignette 2 Applying Mathematical Knowledge in New Situations 81

Vignette 3 Using Design Challenges in Mathematics Teaching 85

How to Teach for Creativity While Teaching the Mathematics Common Core 87

Concluding Thoughts 93

From Concepts to Classroom 94

6 Where Do We Go from Here? 98

What Are the Best Instructional Techniques for Promoting Creativity? 99

Creativity Across the Curriculum 100

Assessing Creativity and Common Core Learning 102

Synthesis of Key Concepts and Tips 106

Resources for Learning More About Creativity 107

References 111

Index 119

About the Authors 127

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“There are few favors you can do your students greater than putting into practice the precepts of this book. Give it a try. I will!”
—From the Foreword by Robert J. Sternberg, Cornell University


“This wonderful book is filled with practical advice for teachers about how to teach to Common Core standards, in both ELA and math, in ways that lead to creative learning outcomes.”
Keith Sawyer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


“How can a Common Core curriculum facilitate the uncommon thought processes central to creativity and innovation? Beghetto, Kaufman, and Baer make a strong, nuanced case that knowledge for the sake of knowledge may be acceptable for immediate retention, but knowledge in the service of creating new possibilities has long-term consequences that can't be ignored by educators and society.”
Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director and researcher, The Imagination Institute, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews