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The Harvard EdCast

Think You're Creative? Think Again

Oct 30, 2024
Edward Clapp, a principal investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero and co-author of "The Participatory Creativity Guide for Educators," advocates for redefining creativity as a collective experience. He discusses the pitfalls of viewing creativity as an individual trait and explores the crises individualism brings to education. Clapp emphasizes the importance of social dynamics and cultural backgrounds in fostering creativity, promoting a participatory approach where every student can engage meaningfully. He also highlights how a growth mindset can unlock diverse creative potentials.
21:47

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Creativity is a socially distributed process where participation from all students, leveraging their diverse backgrounds, enhances collaborative learning.
  • Challenging the individualistic view of creativity helps address crises that alienate students, fostering inclusive educational experiences and encouraging exploration.

Deep dives

Shifting Perspectives on Creativity

Creativity should not be viewed as an individual trait but as a socially distributed process that everyone can engage in. Emphasizing a participatory approach allows educators to foster environments where all students can contribute to creative exercises collectively. This shift away from an individualistic perspective challenges the harmful notion that some people are inherently more creative than others, which can alienate students who do not fit traditional creative molds. Adopting this new framework democratizes creativity, encouraging participation in various forms rather than restricting it to a select few.

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