Developing Creativity in the Classroom: Learning and Innovation for 21st-Century Schools

Developing Creativity in the Classroom applies the most current theory and research on creativity to support the design of teaching and learning. Creative thinking and problem solving are at the heart of learning and application as students prepare for innovation-driven careers. This text debunks myths about creativity and teaching and, instead, illustrates productive conceptions of creative thinking and innovation, including a constructivist learning approach in which creative thinking enhances and strengthens conceptual understanding of the curriculum. Through models of teaching that support creativity and problem solving, this book extends the idea of a creative pedagogy to the four core curriculum domains. Developing Creativity in the Classroom focuses on explanations and examples of how creative thinking and deep learning merge to support engaging learning environments, rising to the challenge of developing 21st-century competencies.

Todd Kettler, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. He has been a teacher of gifted students and a gifted program director. In his current role, he teaches graduate courses in gifted education.

Kristen N. Lamb, Ph.D., is a research associate for the Robinson Center at the University of Washington. She studies equity issues in gifted education and talent development as well as the role of creativity in talent development of high ability students and classroom conditions conducive to developing creative thinking and advanced academic achievement. Her research on teacher perceptions of creativity has been published in Creativity Research Journal and Thinking Skills and Creativity.