Transcript Using Work Samples to Look at Creativity “Writing meaningful observations as they are occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom. The teacher is too.

Using Work Samples to
Look at Creativity
“Writing meaningful observations as they are
occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom.
The teacher is too busy.”
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
WORK SAMPLES
 Children’s drawings, writings, products, inventions
 Media: Photos, video, audio tapes
 Transcripts of conversations
 Anecdotal records of dramatic play episodes
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Development Revealed in
Work Samples
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Uses of Work Samples
Advantages
Disadvantages
In natural setting,
non-teacher directed
Compared over a
period of time
Expression of child’s
thoughts and feelings
Children’s products
are works in progress
May lead observer to
draw wrong
conclusions
Collection and
storage
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
What to Do with It
 Depending on medium, it can be duplicated for child’s
portfolio
 Shared with child and family as a point of discussion
and comparison to work over time
 Displayed in classroom (without competition)
 Used to explore children’s interests and extend with
planned activities
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
LOOKING AT CHILDREN’S
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Stages of Children’s Art
1. Making marks – 0 to 2 years,
experimentation
2. Scribbling – 2 to 4 years, exploration
3. Preschematic – 4 to 7 years,
nonrepresentational
4. Schematic – 7 to 9 years, more realistic
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Early Stages of Drawing
Mandala – combination of a cross
inside a circle
Suns – the circle with radiating
lines
Radial – Straight lines radiate from
a central point to form a circle-like
shape
Tadpole Man – representing
humans, combining the circles and
lines into a head with features
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved.
Observing Creativity in Infants and
Toddlers
 Learning how to create something from “raw”
materials: they can draw w/ chubby crayons and
markers; they can paint with non-toxic paint (pureed
food like spinach, beets, peaches, or applesauce)
 Exploring materials with their senses
 Learning different ways to express thoughts and ideas
 Learning to make decisions
 Developing the ability to share materials and
appreciate others’ work
 Developing a positive self-concept
 Developing and refining fine motor and cognitive
activities
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Process vs. Product
Materials presented
for exploration
Unique outcomes
Child has freedom to
select materials and
work
Only child’s hands
and ideas in the work
Finished work shown
as a model
All works look
similar
Teacher/Adult gives
directions
Adult “helps” child
by contributing to the
work or restricting
the child’s ideas
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Blocks as a Creative Medium
Types of Blocks
Stages in Block Play
Plastic interlocking
Unit blocks
Hollow blocks
Cardboard blocks
Foam blocks
Special building sets
Cube blocks
Carry, fill, dump
Stacking, laying
Bridging
Attachments
Patterns
Naming, representing
Reproducing
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Creativity and Development
 Cognitive – Problem solving, logico-mathematical skills
 Social/Emotional – Expression, sharing, cooperation
 Physical – Involves refinement of large and small
muscles
 Language – Expands descriptive vocabulary, symbolic
representation
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Helping All Children
with Creativity
 Giftedness
 Divergent Thinking
 Cultural Diversity
 Ability Diversity
 Helping Professionals
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Talking with Children
about Their Work
CONSIDER NOT…
 Complimenting (Very nice.
Beautiful)
 Judging (Great. That’s
wonderful)
 Valuing (I love it)
 Questioning (What is it?)
 Analizing (Is this a car?)
 Correcting (grass isn’t orange.
Here is green crayon for grass)
 Modeling (making a model for
the child to follow)
PRACTICE
Describing
 Color (you used a lot of
red)
 Patterns (You made a lot
of blue and yellow lines)
 Process (Can you tell me
how you did it? What
part did you do first?)
 Attention (you worked a
really long time at that)
 Relationship to
experiences
 Concepts
©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.