Optimizing Individual Capacities for Creativity Development Within Heterogeneous Learning Groups

Choice based art teachers are committed educators who are not afraid to diversify curriculum in order to optimize children's opportunities to pose artistic problems of which they can then go about solving. When one thinks of the typical creative learning opportunities in most classrooms, children are not afforded the opportunity to pose or solve their own problems. They are typically solving teacher directed problems. This means that primarily in choice based art rooms, children are practicing questioning and problem posing. Children, when able to pose their own problems, will enter into states of creative consciousness sooner, because the teacher trusts the child to design learning activities based on their strengths and interests. The sooner and longer this process goes on, the more practice children receive in questioning, problem posing and solving problems. This is the process of discovery. The basis for scientific inquiry. The beauty of emergent curriculum within rhizomatic learning structures is children become really good at problem posing. Problem posing and developing good questions is a critical thinking skill of immense importance!