Microsoft Word lilly creativity (early childhood) done docx

THEORIES:
Learning to be creative has been studied from a learning perspective, a cognitive perspective, a 
humanist perspective, and an evolutionary perspective. Early theories of learning were often 
based on contiguity theory, also called associationist/connectivist or behaviorist perspectives. 
Here the learner is viewed as a passive absorber of stimuli controlled by prior stimuli (Ormrod, 
2009). More contemporary learning theories view learning as a goal oriented process. Learning 
as a goal oriented process makes learning purposeful. Tying information to prior knowledge, 
understanding and affect makes it meaningful. Learning ties made by each student are original, 
and if goal oriented, are appropriate to meet the goal, then the processes of learning themselves 
can be considered creative (Starko, 1995).
Learning and problem solving became associated with the study of creativity as cognitive 
approaches to research became more prevalent. First approaches viewed the learner as needing to 
locate a difficulty, then the difficulty is defined, then possible solutions are considered, then 
consequences are weighed, and finally one of the solutions is accepted. Later, the creative 
problem solving process was viewed as first involving preparation, then incubation, then 
illumination, then verification. Later theoretical models of the creative problem solving process 
were also made up of logical steps resembling the scientific method (i.e., sensing a problem, 
making hypotheses about the problem, evaluating the hypotheses and communicating the 
results). However, the Parnes/Osborn model of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) was different in 
that it contained three components (i.e., understanding the problem, generating ideas, and 
planning for action). These components are implemented in six stages (i.e., mess-finding, data-
finding, problem-finding, idea-finding, solution-finding, and acceptance-finding). More recent 

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cognitive approaches take on a more technological terminology and include analyses of retrieval, 
synthesis, transformation, analogical transfer, and categorical reduction of mental processes 
(Sternberg 1999). 
A more confluent approach hypothesizes that multiple components must converge for 
creativity to occur. The systems approach includes the domain, the field, and the individual. 
Profiles emerging out of this research suggest creative individuals possess somewhat 
contradictory characteristics. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) describes this phenomenon as complexity 
of personality experienced through the concept of “flow”. Flow states are enjoyable experiences 
whereby the individual “loses themselves” in an activity. The activity is believed to be 
characterized by clear goals, immediate feedback to one’s actions, a balance between challenges 
and skills, action and awareness merge, distractions are excluded from consciousness, there is no 
worry of failure, self-consciousness disappears, the sense of time becomes distorted, and the 
activity becomes autotelic (i.e., doing the activity for its own sake). 
Current research views creativity from a positive psychology perspective. Instead of 
studying behaviors and characteristics of humans involving maladies, or a select population of 
intelligence, positive psychology views creativity as something all humans possess to varying 
degrees and something that can be nurtured and developed (Linley, Harrington, & Garcea, 2010). 
The lens of positive psychology focuses on the positive aspects of human behaviors. This 
perspective focuses on how we can increase our understanding of authenticity, abundance, 
optimism, appreciative inquiry, social responsibility, commitment, leadership, and resilience. 
Researchers in positive psychology suggest that when we identify our strengths, we feel better 
about ourselves and those around us. When we feel better about ourselves, we develop the 
competence (ability to learn) and the commitment (willingness to learn). Students who are 

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competent to learn, but not willing to learn will not perform to their full potential and thus not 
demonstrate creative behavior. Commitment emerges from building an individual value position 
that engages students to use their energy to pursue the institutional goals.
Therefore, when schools need to develop strategies to address curriculum and instruction, 
or teacher commitment, organizational development (OD) needs to occur. Appreciative Inquiry 
(AI) is a creative process of discovery (an issue or perceived problem), dream (about possible 
solutions), design (implement a strategy), and destiny (creating the ideal solution) to address 
problem solving. This OD model teaches teachers, administrators, and employees to value the 
most positive setting possible. To use this model successfully to conduct system change, the field 
of demographics studies what engages each generation to commit to their full potential, what 
affects how they define fulfillment at school. With scarce resources in education and industry, 
many schools are becoming socially responsible, concerned about their carbon footprint, 
philanthropy, and core values. As the nature of school and work become more complex, often 
individuals work together in teams. High performing teams operate with the ability to learn, clear 
purposes, good governance, and positive member relationships (in work and school settings). 
This leads to more happiness in school settings, family and community settings and career 
settings. Therefore, the positive psychology approach studies how to achieve abundance in 
multiple settings (Lopez & Snyder, 2009; Linley, Harrington, & Garcea, 2010). Positive 
psychology offers a new theoretical perspective for the study of creativity in children by working 
to increase potential in the child, the parent, the teacher, the administrator, the school district.