This paper first reviews existing models of creative problem solving in art and then proposes the Model for Idea Inception and Image Development in Art. This model consists of five stages: (1) associative exploration; (2) problem parameter exploration; (3) multiple focus exploration; (4) primary focus exploration; and (5) refinement. (Author/DB)

This discussion examines elements of intrapersonal dialog (the self, the other, and the relationship) which can enhance personal creativity. (DB)

The lack of a common understanding of the construct of creative thinking is noted, and the cognitive spiral model is presented, which conceptualizes creative thinking as an integral component of all cognitive processing. This article details the synthesis of a definition and the structure of a model of cognitive processing. (Author/DB)

Discusses the requirements of information retrieval systems to support creative thinking as well as more convergent thinking. Highlights include the nature of creative thinking; similarity relationships; serendipity; machine processing of similarities; high order knowledge representation; and fuzzy and parallel information retrieval. (Contains 34…

Argues that Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso possessed similar artistic thought processes, maintaining that their influential discoveries (relativity theory and cubist painting), which launched 20th-century modernism, were amazingly similar in concept. (SR)

In their new book, "Genius Denied" (2004), Jan and Bob Davidson paint a bleak picture of the educational scene for gifted and talented children in the United States. They also do a thorough job of presenting and describing the many school programs and services available and the good research bases for those programs and services. What…

Should students only be exposed to basic content in schools? Of course not, an educator's job is to teach students how to become self-sufficient learners. In the medical profession, doctors lose their license for malpractice. In the legal profession, attorneys lose their ability to practice law for misconduct. Many times in the education…

The paper will discuss research insights into student academic goals. Cognitive psychologists have found that effective goal setting procedures involves establishing specific and challenging learning objectives. Students who set difficult goals must be persistent while facing the risk of potential failure that could diminish their intrinsic…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Teaching 21st Century Skills: What Does It Look Like in Practice? (Nancy Walser); (2) Getting and Spending: Schools and Districts Share Lessons on the Effective Uses of…

A relationship is commonly reported between high levels of artistic creativity and mental health problems (e.g., depression or psychosis), and it is now becoming clearer that the divergent cognitive style associated with creativity has commonalities with some of the processes involved in the development and maintenance of some psychological…

Very often, some type of writing assignment is required in college entry-level Human Anatomy and Physiology courses. This assignment can be anything from an essay to a research paper on the literature, focusing on a faculty-approved topic of interest to the student. As educators who teach Human Anatomy and Physiology at an urban community college,…

Creativity can be broadly defined as a combination of interacting individual and environmental resources leading to the production of valuable solutions. This paper concentrates on the type of creativity that can be expressed in solving social problems. After reviewing the potentially relevant psychological and contextual variables intervening in…

"Teaching Kids to Change the World: Lessons to Inspire Social Responsibility for Grades 6-12," by Jennifer Griffin-Wiesner and Chris Maser, is a practical guide that provides educators with the essential tools to inspire young people to change the world for the better. Focusing on eight principles of change, it includes lessons, examples and…

To help practitioners integrate skills into the teaching of core academic subjects, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective vision for learning known as the Framework for 21st Century Learning. This Framework describes the skills, knowledge and expertise students must master to succeed in work and life; it is a…

This study examines the relationship between creativity and tolerance of ambiguity. Participants were parents and their adolescent children. Three measures of creativity were used: a divergent thinking task, a story-writing task and self-evaluation of creative attitudes and behavior. Participants completed two self-report measures of tolerance of…