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greetings from dpi


Through earlier work on student-centered learning, the teachers were aware that classroom environment and motivation were vital to student learning, and this was also true for developing creativity. For more detail on these two factors, see “Motivation, Thinking Skills and Class- room Climate,” under “Issue Papers” at http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/musiced.html.


Developing Students’ Innate Creative Thinking Skills For the first research question, the teach- er-researchers have found a variety of approaches to help students develop and use their creativity. Although some of these strategies are specific to art or music, teachers can easily (by thinking creatively!) adapt one to the other.


Questioning. Used carefully, this strategy can cause students to think more deeply, come up with more innovative solutions and search beyond the ready answer. “What if ____?” “Why?” What is ____?” help student rediscover their pre-school disposition for curiosity. “What’s another way?” pushes students to go beyond the impulse to take the obvious solution and instead explore other possibilities, even unlikely ones. Comparing two dissimilar entities and finding similarities (“In what way is this like that?”) promotes meta- phoric/analogic thinking. This habit of mind, and the preceding one, impulse con- trol, are important in creative thinking.


As a native Minnesotan, I am thrilled to return to my roots! At The College of


Creative Teaching Strategies. There are many creative strategies, but here are four. Giving students choices in the way the class or individuals approach problems is motivational and promotes different perspectives and solutions. Collaboration within small groups develops creative thinking as students build on each other’s ideas. Whenever possible, some teachers answer students’ questions with another question that gives the decision back to the student. Finally, involving students actively in problem solving instead of “teacher telling” provides students a venue for developing creative thinking as well as deep understanding.


Wisconsin School Musician


St. Scholastica, I have joined an extremely talented music faculty and am greeted by a long history of quality musicianship and exceptional teaching. It is my goal to build upon this


strong tradition by providing students with musical outlets that encourage them to recognize beauty, understand excellence and to pursue creative inspiration.


– Bret Amundson, Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Music Education


Sister Monica Laughlin Music Ensemble Scholarship Application deadline is January 20.


Open to students of any major who perform in band, choir or orchestra. www.css.edu/music.xml


(218) 723-6194 or (800) 447-5444, ext. 6194


Teaching the Skills. While many of the factors in creative thinking are caught, not taught, or are learned indirectly through questioning, certain skills utilized in cre- ative thinking can be purposely developed. Ellis P. Torrance in 1966 described four thinking skills that he found in creative individuals – fluency, flexibility, elabo- ration and originality – and teachers can


help students consciously develop and use them. For instance, the well-known strat- egy, brainstorming, helps students develop fluency, and many teachers use this regu- larly with their students. An elementary art teacher encourages flexibility in students by occasionally not allowing erasers to be


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An equal opportunity educator and employer.


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