Teaching strategies that overcome the brain's natural tendency to limit information can open students' minds to new ideas and creative mental habits. Seven strategies to provoke divergent thinking and deepen understanding are hypothetical thinking, reversal, application of different symbol systems, analogy, viewpoint analysis, completion, and web…

Bibliographic information on 98 recent books on creativity and problem solving is presented, arranged alphabetically by author. Each listing notes the major topics addressed. Topics include creative ability in business, organizational change, gifted students, technological innovations, psychological aspects of creativity, and social aspects of…

Examines teachers' judgments of the difficulties of algebra problems. Offers classroom-tested instructional approaches that build directly on students' mathematical intuitions and inventions. (KHR)

This article compares the characteristics of high achievers, gifted learners, and creative thinkers. It discusses the complexity of gifted student's thinking and the wild ideas of the creative thinker. A chart that lists the different characteristics and cartoons depicting the three different mindsets of the students are provided. (Contains 1…

A survey of 98 college professors regarding their creative writing habits and productivity found that creative productivity was significantly correlated with the use of forced incubation (deliberate time delay to allow naturally unenhanced incubation of ideas to occur). Professors who intentionally set aside manuscripts for a period of time to…

Presents solutions at several different levels of sophistication for a problem involving 10 stools arranged in a row at a diner: how many different ways can the ten stools be occupied, discounting which of three persons sit on any stool, so that at least one stool is between two people? (AIM)

Undergraduates (n=195) were asked to work on three creative problem-solving tasks. Beliefs consistent with the nature of the task were found to be those most likely to be related to performance. Belief measures were found to be reasonably powerful predictors of the production of original, high-quality solutions. (Contains references.) (CR)

Focuses on ways to develop student creative thinking, improvisation, and composition skills in instrumental classes. Provides suggestions, such as the importance of offering students creative opportunities, supplying examples, giving control to students, and encouraging expressive integrity. Includes a bibliography of resources for developing…

A study examined the relationships among 109 children's creative performances in three domains and the relationships between those children's general creative thinking skills and their creative performances. Three case studies also examined domain-specificity of creativity. Results found considerable intra-individual variation in creativity…

Describes an art unit for middle school students where they created their own original pattern through the use of "ClarisWorks Paint." Discusses the procedure for the project and the evaluation used at the end of the unit. Emphasizes the importance of learning about computers. (CMK)

Discusses how to teach improvisation, creativity, and movement to beginning music classroom students. Includes background information on teaching each concept and lesson plans to be used with beginning string students. Provides rhythm patterns, exercises, and an assignment used in the lessons. (CMK)

Focuses on the study of personal containers and their uses in art creation for children. States that children are fascinated by boxes and containers. Provides examples of personal containers, such as lunch boxes, pencil cases, purses and valets, and school bags. (CMK)

Focuses on teaching students how to compose music. Addresses issues, such as how to get the students started and types of questions to ask students about their compositions. Discusses the musical elements involved in composition, such as melody, harmony, rhythm and meter, timbre, texture, and formal design. (CMK)

Discusses two steps, focusing on improvisation, that teachers can follow in planning music lessons. Addresses how to include improvisation in the general music classroom by focusing on two different age groups: (1) kindergarten through grade three; and (3) grades four to six. (CMK)

Discusses how to encourage creativity in the music classroom for upper-elementary students by focusing on musical composition. Includes a description of a nine lesson unit that focuses on creativity in musical composition. States that students can continue working on compositions at home. (CMK)