Essential Questions: Week 2

How does culture shape the definition of creativity?	People who are from different cultures have different values with regards to education as a whole. They also would have different values of creativity as well. Not all people understand the word creative because they may not have a corresponding word in their first language.
How would you discuss some of these definitions with the students that you will teach?	When I teach, I would discuss creativity with the entire class. I would encourage students to discuss other ideas or words that may correspond with creativity. By trying to understand the students’ cultural background, I can trigger more thoughtful and related definitions from the students. Because cultures value different aspects, I would give students the opportunity to “create” their own definition of creativity. I would be able to assess their background from this simple assignment.
What opportunities could students have to demonstrate creativity in school? What would you have to consider as you develop learning activities for students?	As I mentioned in the previous question, I would have to assess what the students believe creativity is and what aspects of it that they value. From this information, I can develop a variety of activities that can meet the values of each student in my classroom.
What forms of creative expression are most valued by the culture of students? Are they the same as what you value?	“In the United States, the notion of originality and inventiveness… is deeply embedded in the culture” (Starko, 2012, p. 23). People believe that in order to be creative, we need to do something out of the ordinary or out of the norm to be creative. I have a wide range for what I value in creativity. I do believe that originality and inventiveness are characteristics of creative people. I think, however, that there is more to creativity. Creativity is based on the students’ perception, and I should encourage students to be creative in their own ways.