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W200 Final Project Beth Groseth

Please select an article by simply clicking on the boxes. Each article includes summary and article reflection slides. ENJOY! After you have viewed all of the articles, please click here.

Fostering Creativity Creativity focuses on the process of forming original ideas through exploration and discovery. Creativity relates to thinking, exploring, discovering, and imagining. This article outlines some great ideas to incorporate creativity into all aspects of daily classroom activities. Teachers must first provide a classroom environment that invites creativity. This involves providing as many possibilities for creativity, such as having blank paper to draw on, tools to build with, or music to listen to. Teachers can make creativity a part of every day by reading stories, laughing, and using common objects for new uses. Kohl, M. (2008). Fostering creativity. Early Childhood News. Retrieved from http://www.early childhood news.com/early childhoodarticle_view.aspx?ArticleID=349

Fostering Creativity Teachers can also encourage creativity by Emphasizing process rather than product Providing a classroom environment that allows children to explore Adapting to children’s ideas rather than structuring the children’s ideas to fit the adult’s Accepting unusual ideas from children Using creative problem solving in all parts of the curriculum Allowing time for children to explore all possibilities The article also encourages teachers to use art to allow students to explore and discover their own natural creativity.

The article discussed research showing that children who draw frequently do better in reading and math and succeed more when focusing on learning tasks. I find it interesting that simply drawing freely allows students to excel in other academic areas. This article instructs teachers to emphasize the enjoyment and the “process” of creating art, rather than simply valuing the end result. Students are often only rewarded for the final product. However, if teachers create a classroom that encourages the entire process of creation, students will learn to value the exploration and experimentation that goes into completing assignments. When teachers are presented with a drawing by a student, they should ask students to explain their piece of work, rather than guess what it is suppose to be. This allows students to evaluate their own creativity and initiates conversation about their creations. Fostering Creativity “A-ha” Moments

How to Incorporate Art into the Classroom This article provides tips on how to successfully incorporate art into the classroom. Suggestions include: Assign hands-on projects that allow students to express their creativity Work with the art teacher Ex) students could learn about Frida Kahlo while studying about Mexico Decorate the classroom with art Allow students opportunities to interact with a variety of artists. This could include bringing in professional artists to talk with students. Extend the classroom by bringing students on field trips to cultural arts events and museums. (2010). How to incorporate art into the classroom. eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/ how_2205268_ incorporate-art-classroom.html

How to Incorporate Art into the Classroom Teachers will need the following things in order to succeed in incorporating art into daily classroom life. Flexible assignments Cooperation with the art teacher Replications of art pieces School-wide arts programming Commitment to field trips The article also provides a few tips and warnings that should be considered while creating lessons. Art should be meaningful. Try to avoid projects whose primary goal is to be “fun.” Try to avoid grading students on aesthetic aspects that are unrelated to its content.

How to Incorporate Art into the Classroom “A-ha” Moments The article suggested bringing in professional artists to speak with the students. I had never considered the possibility of bringing actual artists to work with students. It would be such a great experience for students to see all of the possibilities art has to offer. The article also mentions “extending the classroom” by taking students on field trips to museums or other cultural arts events. When thinking of the typical field trips for students, I remember going to the zoo and a few plays. Taking students to events that could further their appreciation of the arts would be extremely beneficial. The article suggests that teachers avoid grading assignments on aesthetics, rather than content. Although it is important to encourage students to create pieces of work that appear neat and clean, the content of the project is far more important.

Ten Creative Ways to Teach Math This article provides interesting tips on how to incorporate creativity into math lessons. The tips include the following: Use Dramatizations: allow students to use scenarios and dramatizations, such as “three frogs jumped in the pond, then one more, how many are there in all?” Use Children’s Bodies: invite students to show numbers with fingers Use Children’s Play: allow children to play with blocks and other tools to demonstrate sorting, seriating, creating designs, making patterns, etc. Use Children’s Toys: encourage children to act out situations involving math Use Children’s Stories: share books that address mathematics in creative ways (2003). Ten creative ways to teach math. Scholastic. Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic. com/ browse/ article.jsp?id=4059

Ten Creative Ways to Teach Math Use Children’s Natural Creativity: allow children to engage in mathematical conversations Use Children’s Problem-solving Abilities: encourage children to use math when solving daily problems, such as getting enough scissors for their table Use a Variety of Strategies: incorporate math into every aspect of the classroom Use Technology: use computers wisely to provide individualized instruction Use Assessments to Measure Children’s Mathematics Learning: use observations, discussions with children, and small-group activities to measure students’ comprehension of math concepts

Ten Creative Ways to Teach Math “A-ha” Moments The article encourages teachers to use a variety of ways to assess students’ learning. Teachers need to use multiple ways to assess learning, rather than just testing students. Teachers could use observations or small group discussions to get a better understanding of students’ comprehension. The article suggests using children’s bodies to teach math concepts. Children would be much more interested in learning if they are actively engaged. The article suggests using children’s problem solving abilities. This could include asking children to use math concepts to determine how many scissors they will need to get for their table. It’s amazing how math can be incorporated into daily actions in the classroom!

Creativity is a necessary component of a successful classroom. Teachers must expose students to creative experiences in order to create a foundation for a lifetime of creative expression. Creativity comes in many forms and can be integrated into all aspects of the classroom. Children need an environment in which they feel free to discover and explore their own creativity. “Fostering creativity” provides great tips for teachers to incorporate creativity into the classroom. Although creativity is not limited to the arts, art lessons are a great way to encourage creativity. Creativity can also be extended to other subjects, such as math, in order to gain an interest among students for learning. “How to Incorporate Art into the Classroom” and “Ten Creative Ways to Teach Math” suggest many helpful tips for teachers to teach meaningful, creative lessons. Conclusion

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W200 Final Project

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W200 Final Project