Nurturing creativity in the classroom /

While general culture pays lip service to the importance of creativity and developing creative minds, for the past decade educational practices have concentrated on testing and establishing state and national standards. Kaufman (California State Univ., San Bernardino) and Beghetto (Univ. of Oregon) are both fathers and express deep concerns for the future learning of their children in formal education, as they fear creative thinking may be devalued, deemphasized, or even missing in today's classrooms. The authors' concerns extend to the quality of teaching in K-16 and into their own teaching as college professors who have struggled with how to best bring creative learning into their university classrooms. They have compiled a series of 19 essays about how to bring creativity into any classroom; the ideas presented are broadly applicable, clearly and concisely presented, well researched, and very readable. The collection is focused on misperceptions about creativity, and on identifying current barriers to creativity in schools, but more importantly on offering examples of creative classrooms and of how changing practices can help bring creative thinking and creative problem-solving back to K-16 learning. The authors also offer a concise, highly valuable coda of creativity in 20 essential points at the end of the book. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. L. O. Wilson emerita, University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point