Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom

As interest in creativity explodes, it has become more complicated to decide how to best nurture creativity in our schools. There are the controversial Common Core Standards in many states. Meanwhile, the classroom has become increasingly digital; it is easier to access information, communicate ideas, and learn from people across the world. Many countries now include cultivating creativity as a national educational policy recommendation, yet there is still debate over best practices. Indeed, many well-intentioned educators may institute programs that may not reach the desired outcome. The notion that schools 'kill creativity' has become a widespread social meme. We view such beliefs as both hyperbolic and problematic: they allow us to recognize there is a problem but not solve it. In this book, a wide array of international experts addresses these issues, discussing theories and research that focus on how to nurture creativity in K-12 and college-level classrooms.

Ronald A. Beghetto is Professor of Educational Psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, Dr Beghetto served as the College of Education's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Education Studies at the University of Oregon. He is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Creative Behavior and serves as an associate editor for the International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving. He also serves on the editorial boards of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, the Journal of Educational Research, Gifted Child Quarterly, and Creativity Studies. Dr Beghetto is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. He has also received numerous awards for excellence in research and teaching.

James C. Kaufman is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. An internationally recognized leader in the field of creativity, he is the author or editor of more than thirty-five books, including Creativity 101 and The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity. Kaufman is a past president of the American Psychological Association's Division 10, devoted to creativity. He coedits the International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving and cofounded two APA journals. He has won numerous awards, including the Torrance Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, the Berlyne and Farnsworth Awards from the APA, and Mensa's research award.