Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight [Paperback]

Alane Jordan Starko (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080584791X | ISBN-13: 978-0805847918 | Publication Date: July 22, 2004 | Edition: 3

The third edition of this well-known text continues the mission of its predecessors - to help teachers link research and theory regarding creativity to the everyday activities of classroom teaching. Part I (chapters 1-4) includes information on theories of creativity, characteristics of creative individuals, talent development, and motivation and creativity. Part II (chapters 5-8) includes strategies designed to explicitly teach creative thinking, to weave creative thinking into content area instruction, and to organize basic classroom activities (grouping, lesson planning, assessment, grading) in ways that support students' creativity. Pedagogy - Within each chapter reflection questions and sample lesson plans help the reader adapt ideas to their own teaching situations. Changes - In addition to general updating, there is new material on cross-cultural concepts of creativity, on teaching for creativity in an age of standards (including lessons tied directly to state standards), and on collaborative creativity. Audiences - This book is suitable for any course that deals wholly or partly with creativity in teaching, teaching the gifted and talented, or teaching thinking and problem solving. Such courses are variously found in departments of special education, curriculum and instruction, or educational psychology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In 'Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight,' Starko takes the reader from theory to classroom practice in a very clear and engaging manner. The text is also appropriate for university instructors searching for ways to enliven their own approaches to teaching....a 'must read' not only for teacher educators but also for all who teach!

—Education Review

'Creativity in the Classroom' is a rare example of book that is both a solid review of the theoretical and empirical research on its topic and a practical application book....an informative book.
—Journal of Phenomenological Psychology

About the Author

Alane Jordan Starko is currently a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University. A former elementary school teacher, teacher of the gifted, and head of the Teacher Education Department, she also served on the board of directors of the National Association for Gifted Children. She writes in the areas of creativity, education of the gifted, and curriculum.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 3 edition (July 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080584791X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805847918
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable resource for teachers, students, & parents, March 23, 2001

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight (Paperback)

I am always fascinated by creativity. Whenever I come across a creativity book, irrespective of whether it is intended for the business or academic world, I will always scan it first and if it appears "intriguing" judging from the front/back covers, table of contents and index page, I will often peruse - and reflect on - it. I will often adapt the ideas to my consulting work. In this case, this book did not disappoint me.

In a nut shell, this is a book about practical strategies for teaching and learning creative thinking skills. Although it has been written primarily for teachers and students, I find that many of the information on theory, strategies and assessment covered by the book are applicable and useful for anyone who is interested in exploring creativity, even in non-academic areas.

The main bulk of the book pertains to approaches to teaching the basic curriculum - mathematics, science, social studies, language - that encourage creative problem solving, and information on how research on motivation and creativity applies to decisions about classroom management, organisation and assessment.

The book is divided into two parts: "Understanding Creative People & Processes" and "Creativity & Classroom Life.". The first part gives an excellent grounding in creativity fundamentals. The second part gives practical suggestions for creativity design, development & assessment in a classroom setting. For teachers, this part, especially the assessment tools, is a real gem.

Very fortunately, the author's fluid writing style, coupled with her interesting case studies and numerous applications, makes the book easy-to-follow.

The author has very masterfully organised practical activities, such as "Thinking about the Classroom" and "Journeying and Journalling" in every chapter. For readers, there are a lot of points to ponder, several questions to ask and many things to do. This is the part I enjoyed "playing" with them the most.

At the end of each chapter, and also in the bibliography, the author has listed many useful references for further exploration. For research purposes, this is a gold mine.

For parents, who are looking for simple ideas and practical strategies to develop creative activities for their children, I dare say this book is definitely a very helpful guide.

As a matter of fact, if you are just looking for creative opportunities in your own life, this book (particularly chapter 6) can be a valuable source of curious delight.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, February 11, 2009

By 

Ashley Holder (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creativity in the Classroom: Schools of Curious Delight (Paperback)

Thank you so much. The book arrived shortly after I ordered it and matched the description.