This article re-states the importance of the arts and humanities for education, highlights the declining provision for them in schools, and argues that a fundamental re-think of the purposes of education is required to re-establish creativity at the heart of formal learning.

This is the text of Michael Armstrong's address to the Brian Simon Centenary conference, held at the Institute of Education on 26 March 2015. Michael Armstrong celebrates the humanism that underlay Brian's belief in a common system of education, democratic and non-selective, and finds its counterpart in the creative practice of school children.

We have not learned to experience beauty as an essential, pervasive dimension of our actions. Aesthetic sensibility represents the child in us imbued with spontaneity, imagination, and unity of soul and action. This sensibility makes it possible to reevaluate the world in terms of metaphor, image, fantasy, and dreams. (PP)

Chapter 1 of this document on learner outcomes in early childhood education (ECE) discusses the values, educational philosophy, mission, and goals of the Minnesota State Board of Education. Chapter 2 describes components of an effective early childhood program, the role and purpose of ECE, and emerging issues in ECE. An overview of learner…

Focuses on ways to foster and access creativity in engineering students. Presents three case studies that demonstrate the importance of establishing freedom in the learning process as well as providing motivation be it extrinsic or intrinsic. Describes how to monitor the level of success in fostering creativity in students. (Author/PVD)

Describes the use of final-year projects as a showcase for engineering students' creativity. The project may be any combination of research, design, or developmental work and culminates in a written, oral, and visual presentation to a professional audience. The students' own creativity determines the format of the three presentation forms and…

In this special section on creativity and learning, several articles discuss practices of schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Topics include the role of reciprocity between child and adult in creative learning; the importance of play for adults; and ideas directors can use to help teachers translate creativity into classroom practice. (AC)

Describes the early childhood system in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in which educators (1) ensure that children live in "a community of well-being"; (2) create a supportive environment; (3) respect individual rhythms; (4) maintain work areas for the visual arts; (5) respond flexibly to children; and (6) foster peer support. (AC)

In engineering education, creativity and communication processes have become necessary in complex structures such as technological networks and virtual reality. A new sociotechnical approach describes the engineering profession in aspects other than technology such as tasks, views, organization structures, and cooperation. Describes a…

Describes a student project of the Anna Frank school for three to six year olds in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in which students developed creativity by exploring the world of dinosaurs. Underscores the reciprocity between children and teachers in guiding the project. (AC)

Discusses the use of assessment to stimulate creativity and communication skills in engineering students. Describes full-scale studies for students in engineering, physics, computer science, and mathematics at two universities in Sweden. New examination methods include continuous assessment, seminars, mini-conferences, oral presentations, written…

Providing information on the important role that the arts and humanities can play in prevention efforts, this document offers several activities that draw upon the arts and humanities to increase young people's resiliency. Resiliency refers to children's ability to successfully adapt and develop in healthy ways, despite exposure to risk and…

This project was undertaken to develop programs for gifted/talented students in vocational education. The primary considerations were to investigate methods to identify highly creative students and to develop a curriculum model to nurture creativity. A seminar on creativity was held at Glassboro State College for the purpose of assisting in the…

This evaluation of the Twin City Institute for Talented Youth, a summer program for gifted students in grades 9 through 12, consists of two parts: a description of the program; and the evaluators' assessments, including advocate and adversary reports. Achievement tests were not used for evaluation. Evaluative comments follow each segment of the…