In a recent article on TES, Times Educational Supplement, it is suggested that now it is time to give all children the chance to develop their creativity. School should be determined as well as creative in their ways to help students develop creative habits.
Creativity was defined twenty years ago in the report All Our Futures: Creativity, culture & education as: “Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value.” It was emphasised that creativity was relevant in every subject, yet, there was not much practical advice on how teacher might ensure that every child can develop creative habits. But perhaps things are changing . . .
The Pisa 2021 test of creative thinking has attracted a lot of attention. Educators are always keen on assessing skill. A five-dimensional model for creativity in schools was developed by OECD, and it is used across the world.
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Bill Lucas suggest 10 key aspects that are vital for the ecology of creative schools, for example, learning is almost always framed by engaging questions which have no one right answer, there is the opportunity for play and experimentation, and students are actively engaged, as co-designers.
Biomimicry boots students’ observation skills, creativity, and critical thinking. An opportunity to breathe in nature, be inspired, solve problems, dream, build! Assessing ideas that have been created using a biomimic lens should also be possible by using a sustainability framework. I feel excited! The world desperately needs new sustainable ideas and just like David Attenborough is excited about the youths of the world, so am I!
And at last, the Kindle version of the book Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva: Nature spotting inspires new ideas is now available. Enjoy!
thinkibility 
Dear Asa,
I am somewhat delayed, so I got the pleasure to read the post. Great the ad for your book.
I have some great NO’s on the test. I assume that teachers in general are not the persons that are able to assess creativity, and in particular of children. Do you agree if I put my arguments on paper and publish it on Thinkibility, as a sequel?
In short: teachers are able to asses math skills of pupils, because there are definite answers. teachers are able to asses skills in f.i the French language, because they have themselves a grade in French
It becomes more problematic when pupils have to write a poem, an essay. But a teacher maybe somewhat more experience in writing poems and essays, but it stays rather subjective assessment.
More problematic is the assessment of an historical analysis of a pupil. However, we assume that a history teacher know the facts, AND have some ideas on how to analyse historical analysis.
And creativity? A teacher don’t know what creativity is, don’t know the vocabulary, don’t know how it works, misses the skills and experience required He is not qualified to assess a pupil, because he lacks any education and training.
In my practice I see very often people completely miss brilliant ideas, and I assume that it will not be different. Moreover, teachers are conditioned to teach what is right and what not.
Besides, it is the same with Critical Thinking skills. Teachers have studied a subject, but that doesn’t mean that they are critical thinkers, because they were not taught in it. The same for law makers, judges, police officers.
And my main objection. It gets stuck in vague, complex concepts, not in objective observable actions. Like in Critical Thinking the call for “openness”. How to teach that?
I feel sorry for the well-meaning teacherwho wants to introduce creative thinking into the curriculum, and who also wants to assess whether the student is making progress.
Dear Asa,
great post, but I have some great NO’s. If you don’t mind I will put in on paper as a sequel and publish it as a post. Main objective: teachers are not educated to be able to assess pupils on creativity. Moreover, they are the least ones.
Kindest regards, my trip is somewhat delayed. Gijs
I saw this now. Of course, you can write a sequel!