1. Creativity Creative Thinking & Creative Problem-solving
2 Models of Creative Problem Solving plus The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Additional Creative “Qualities”

2. Creativity is not: The domain of a few individuals
Not known to be linked to specific factors or traits
Exclusive of many individuals
Shared by all, varies by many factors
Exclusively “world-altering”
Personal vs Cultural creativity
Importance of distinguishing between these 2
Need to develop Personal to achieve Cultural

3. Creativity is: Universal Continuous
All people have this capacity, as with intelligence
Continuous
Varies by degree, type, as with intelligence
In Potential (subject to “training”)
Identifiable via types of “performances”
Performance competencies can be developed

4. 2-Factor Model
Novelty: Unique, distinct, “original” responses to environment, experience, circumstances
Usefulness: Serves a purpose; responds to perceived need; solves identified problem/s

5. 4 Factor Model
Fluency:
Frequency of response; actual total number of responses to a stimulus
Flexibility:
Frequency of categories of responses; actual total number of types of responses
Originality:
Statistical infrequency of response for a given individual in a given group at a given time
Elaboration:
Development of responses
Completion of ideas
Integration across ideas
“Marketing” ideas/alternatives

6. Application of Models Working in your group, do the following:
Identify a situation in a curriculum (content to be taught/learned) in which you could apply these models
Briefly describe the instructional situation:
Who, what, when, why, how long, what’s expected…
Plan/state an activity that would develop each step of the 4 factor model

7. The Incubation Model of Teaching: Getting Beyond the Aha. E. P
The Incubation Model of Teaching: Getting Beyond the Aha! E. P. Torrance & H. T. Safter (1990)
What is the “aha”?
Moments of “insight” “intuition” “revelation”
Moments of “wholeness” or “oneness” uniting with everything
Rational vs Supra-rational view of Creativity
Non-linear sequence/-ing of creative events

8. The Incubation Model of Teaching
Creative “indicators” beyond the “big 4” factors: 13 additional “qualities”
Highlighting the essence (abstract titles)
Keeping open (resist premature closure)
Emotional awareness
Putting ideas into context
Combining & synthesizing
Visualize richly, colorfully
Using fantasy
Using movement & sound
Unusual visual perspective/s
Internal visualizations
Extending/breaking through boundaries
Using humor
Getting glimpses of infinity

9. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 3 Additional Issues
Problem-finding
Pervasive impediment: Assuming the problem is known, therefore, focus on finding the solution
Producing Alternatives
At all levels of problem-solving, increased fluency supports the processes; the more alternatives, the greater the probability of creative solution/s
Originality: Acceptance of being “different”
Adequate time
Play with ambiguity/uncertainty
Heightened awareness of importance
Make legitimate

10. The Incubation Model: Information Processing Strategies for Creative Teaching & Learning
Stage 1: Heightening Anticipation
Stage 2: Deepening Expectations
Stage 3: Keeping it Going

11. The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning
Stage 1: Heightening Anticipation (see p.9)
Create desire to know
Heighten anticipation/expectation
Get attention
Arouse curiosity
Tickle imagination
Give purpose/meaning

12. The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning
Stage 2: Deepening Expectations (see p.10)
Digging deeper
Looking twice
Listening for smells
Crossing out mistakes
Cutting holes so see through
Cutting corners
Getting in deep water
Getting out of locked doors

13. The Incubation Model: Creative Teaching & Learning
Stage 3: Keeping it Going (see pp.11-12)
Having a ball
Singing in one’s own key
Building sand castles
Plugging in the sun
Shaking hands with tomorrow

14. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Highlighting the essence
Retaining sense of importance
Staying focused
Discriminate relevant from irrelevant information

15. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Elaboration
Add details
Develop a plan
Implement/sell a solution

16. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Keep Open
Resistance to premature closure
Need for & use of time
Practice with ideas in variety of circumstances w/o time constraints

17. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Emotional Awareness
Acknowledge role/significance of affective experience/s
Adds to, not replaces, rational-cognitive experience/s
Personal insight/s

18. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Putting Ideas into Context
Meaningful synthesis of ideas & experiences
Personal, individual
Abstract analysis/synthesis:
Part-part relationships
Part-whole relationships
Generalizations across concepts

19. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Combine & Synthesize
Combine types & modes of information acquisition, processing & retrieval
“Brain laterality”: Right- vs Left-brained
Visualize Richly & Colorfully
Alternative perceptions

20. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Using Fantasy
Future possibilities
Varying point-of-view
Feeling comfortable with the “unknown”
Unconstrained by “reality”

21. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Using Movement & Sound
Experience via multiple modalities deepens concept learning
Kinesthetic & auditory experiences: Natural modalities for children (& experienced adults)

22. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Unusual Visual Perspectives
Ability to “see in different ways” heightens experiences of innovation & inventiveness
Internal Visualizations
“Seeing the insides” of objects, events, people, experiences can lead to new, deeper insights; seeing “multiple perspectives”

23. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Extending/breaking through Boundaries
Confronting the “what’s given” limitation/bias
Recognizing that new possibilities always exist
Acknowledging the potential for & ambiguity of the “incomplete” idea, object, etc, & continuing problem-solving work

24. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Using & Enjoying Humor
Integrates or synthesizes physiological, psychological & social processes
Accepting/understanding perceptual, conceptual incongruities
Recognizing unusual, unexpected combinations, surprises

25. The Incubation Model of Teaching: 13 Qualities
Glimpses of Infinity
Open-ended environment
Positive focus on the future
Actively engaging one’s self as part of perceived future for ideas to transcend the present
Developing anticipation for an open-ended, multi-possibility future

26. The Incubation Model of Teaching
Creative “indicators” beyond the “big 4” factors: 13 additional “qualities”
Highlighting the essence (abstract titles)
Keeping open (resist premature closure)
Emotional awareness
Putting ideas into context
Combining & synthesizing
Visualize richly, colorfully
Using fantasy
Using movement & sound
Unusual visual perspective/s
Internal visualizations
Extending/breaking through boundaries
Using humor
Getting glimpses of infinity