| As a final point, creativity has been acknowledged as | | | | viewpoints |
| an open part of Design and Technology education. | | | | before making decisions. This is the essence of |
| This report examines the meaning, importance and | | | | creativity - the |
| value of creativity | | | | ability to find new and ingenious methods of looking at |
| and the reasons why it has been undervalued by the | | | | things and |
| education system in | | | | then acting upon them. This 'sideways' method of |
| England for so long. It then leads on to suggest | | | | thinking is better |
| methods that should | | | | known as lateral thinking, developed by Edward De |
| be used to value and integrate creativity as common | | | | Bono over 40 years |
| practice in D&T. | | | | ago.Though many have tried since the twentieth |
| The report ends with a rationale for developing design | | | | century, creativity has |
| and makes | | | | been difficult to accurately measure and analyze. |
| projects that have been formulated from the key | | | | Essentially, |
| research findings.The development of the human | | | | creativity plays upon human feelings and it seems it |
| civilization has depended wholly upon the | | | | can only be |
| creativity and ingenuity of mankind to bring about | | | | 'measured' by the amount of satisfaction it gives our |
| purposeful focus, | | | | emotions.3. THE MEANING OF CREATIVITY IN |
| change and order into our world. Human creativity is a | | | | DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGYDesign and Technology |
| very unique and | | | | (D&T) is a practical subject with a hands on |
| powerful characteristic that lies at the heart of what it | | | | approach that offers pupils something that no other |
| means to be | | | | curriculum subject |
| human. For mans continual desire to fulfill the needs of | | | | offers; the opportunity to create their imagined |
| the human race | | | | thoughts in the real |
| by creating and developing artifacts from the raw | | | | word. D&T empowers pupils to change the made |
| materials of our | | | | world. To quote James Dyson, "D&T is about making |
| world has ultimately shaped the way we live, work, | | | | things that people want and that work well".Creativity |
| play and learn | | | | lies at the very heart and soul of D&T education at |
| today. Creativity can therefore be said to be the most | | | | secondary level. Creativity is what D&T seeks to |
| powerful and | | | | develop in all pupils. For through being creative in the |
| fundamental natural human resource that empowers | | | | work they do, youngsters demonstrate their |
| us, as humans, to | | | | understanding of this now |
| freely create what has never been seen. In | | | | pivotal subject in the curriculum. Creativity and D&T |
| Bronowski's 'The Ascent of | | | | go hand in hand; |
| Man', he described man as the species who's | | | | not having creative activity within D&T is like having a |
| imagination and toughness | | | | car with no |
| make it possible for him not to accept his environment | | | | petrol in it - you have the means to move forward but |
| but to change | | | | you don't have |
| it.There are many misrepresentations about creativity | | | | the input or driving force that makes you capable of |
| and the creative | | | | driving forward. |
| individual, which I will now clarify. Firstly, creativity is not | | | | Creativity within D&T is seen in the same light, for |
| the | | | | D&T is the |
| reserve of the creative elite industries such as the | | | | vehicle that allows pupils to be carried forward but |
| arts, music, | | | | creativity is the |
| design or technology businesses, it is a natural and | | | | fuel that empowers them to progress. If creative |
| unique human | | | | learning and teaching |
| attribute that occurs as a function of our intelligence | | | | runs out then the vehicle (D&T) ceases to progress |
| and, can | | | | its occupants |
| happen in any activity in which the human intelligence | | | | (pupils).Creativity within D&T implies a whole host of |
| is actively | | | | attributes that pupils |
| engaged. By definition, every human, from David | | | | can use to learn to become creative, including, the |
| Beckham to Tony Blair, | | | | freedom to |
| has the capacity to be creative - it is just a matter of | | | | explore, to take risks, to be innovative, to be inventive, |
| finding the | | | | to |
| medium that unleashes your creative talents - | | | | experiment, to learn from mistakes, to learn through |
| whether that be in | | | | making, to play, |
| politics, writing, sport, dance or whatever. However, | | | | the list goes on and on. As this list suggests, being |
| in saying that, creativity (in most cases) is not | | | | creative is not |
| something that self | | | | a linear path but a path you create yourself. This path |
| develops; it needs to be carefully nurtured, developed | | | | can take many |
| and worked at | | | | forms and take you in many directions, thus creativity |
| in the correct environment and with the appropriate | | | | is a |
| support and | | | | multi-faceted process where your creativity is only |
| guidance. It is has been often quoted that creativity is | | | | limited by your |
| 5 per cent | | | | imagination and skill. However, for far too long such |
| inspiration and 95 per cent perspiration, in other words, | | | | crucial creative |
| you have to | | | | activities within D&T have been undervalued, frozen |
| work hard to be creative.Secondly, some have | | | | out and ignored by |
| believed that you can't teach creativity, i.e. you | | | | current methods of stringent teaching, assessment |
| are either creative or you are not. This is a common | | | | and inspection which |
| misconception and, as stated earlier, creativity is a | | | | allow for little or no creativity. Too much emphasis has |
| natural human | | | | been put upon |
| attribute that we all possess to a lesser or greater | | | | creating a well-presented and sequenced portfolio of |
| extent and thus | | | | evidence where, |
| should be recognized and promoted in all. Robinson | | | | projects are constructed through a culture of |
| describes | | | | spoon-feeding and how to |
| creativity as something that is not a 'special quality | | | | do instructions that do little to show any hi-order |
| confined to | | | | creativity skills |
| special people and it can be taught'. However, it | | | | and progression of the pupil. Instead, the projects are, |
| is true to say that some are more creative than | | | | apart from a |
| others - it all | | | | few mundane differences, virtually identical in their |
| depends upon the chosen creative medium, the | | | | construction and |
| intelligence, | | | | content. These practices in the opinion of many stifle |
| understanding and skill of the individual(s).It is important | | | | and inhibit the |
| to add at this point that creativity is not a purely | | | | creativity and ingenuity of pupils and go against the |
| intellectual process. It is multidimensional and is | | | | core principles |
| enriched by other | | | | of creative activity in D&T.Creativity, according to the |
| capacities, these include feelings, skills, personality | | | | Qualification and Curriculum Authority |
| attributes, | | | | (QCA), can help to improve pupils' self esteem, |
| intuition and by a playful imagination to name but a | | | | motivation and |
| few. Furthermore, creativity is not a separate faculty | | | | achievement. It has been found that when creative |
| so much as an attitude: a willingness to continually | | | | activity is taking |
| reconsider what we take for | | | | place, pupils become more curious to discover things |
| granted . For this reason, creativity is neither a | | | | for themselves; |
| static or linear activity, it is instead a 'curved path' | | | | are more open to ideas; are keen to collaborate with |
| where the | | | | others to explore |
| individual looks at or considers things from all different | | | | ideas and often want to work beyond the lesson time. |