Creativity And Education Practice In American Early Childhood Art Activity

This study focus on the creativity of children and creativity education in American early childhood art activity employing qualitative research method.The field work lasted for a year and four months,the data were collected through participatory observations,interviews,field note,literature analysis,etc.,and these obtained data were analyzed by coding.The paper presents and interprets the "native concepts" and "typical behaviors" of the early childhood art teacher in his creativity education practice and based on American social and cultural history and experience of the teacher.And hence,the overall characteristics of the creativity education practice of the early childhood art teacher and the role of culture in the practice were obtained.The teacher mainly uses the "original works","self-expression" and "creative problem solving”to express his understanding of children's creativity.Due to the influence of various art education positions,the teacher grasps the core spirit of the conception of child's creativity,while the three orientations of understanding creativity are blurred.Teacher's understanding of creativity fully reflects their respect for individual child and the development of child's creativity.Although this understanding does not fully coincide with the concept of creativity in American individualistic culture,it reflects the distinct individualistic culture to some extent.Under the influence of the "Child-centered orientation" and the“Subject-matter-centered orientation","official voice" and "folk voice",the teacher gives the highest value of child's creativity at the conceptual level.And in the goals of art education and the plans of art activities which are closely related to the educational practice,the emphasis and attention of the teacher on the importance of child's creativity is gradually weakening and concealing.In the expression and interpretation of educational goals and activity plan,the teachers does not prioritize the various development dimensions,including child's creativity,but links the child's creativity with child's artistic ability in order to clearly highlight the importance of child's creativity.Ultimately child's creativity is "invisible" in the teacher's art education activity plan.The teacher's creativity education action is demonstrated through three aspects:support,teaching and evaluation of child's creativity.On the one hand,the teacher supports child's creativity by "having fun","encouraging",and "providing appropriate and optional materials".On the other hand,these educational strategies are not solely aimed at supporting child's creativity.Affirming that every child is creative is the conceptual basis of supporting from the early childhood art teacher.The teacher confirms and promotes the development of children's creativity through "transforming activities" and "designing activities".During the activities,the teacher emphasizes the combination of children's experience and imagination,and regards the development of child's creativity as the natural result of child's art ability development.At the same time,the teacher has not implemented specific teaching strategies that specifically promote the development of child's creative thinking,and are not wary of the details of education that may limit the development of child's creativity.Like many American art teachers,he is also faced with the problem of how to achieve the coordinated development of 'child's art ability' and 'child creativity' in educational practice.The spiritual core of the teacher creativity teaching is restraint and freedom.The "constraint" mainly comes from the limitation of art subject teaching and it is mainly reflected in that the teacher decides which content and task should be in the activity plan."Freedom" is mainly from American culture,as the pursuit running throughout the activity.The evaluation of child's creativity is a kind of"like-and-nothing" existence in his practice.On the one hand,it is reflected in the frequent affirmation and praise of the performance and development of child's creativity during activity.On the other hand,the teacher does not record the process and product of child's creativity,without assessing the child's creativity level.With trusting and respecting for the child's creativity,the teacher does not advocate the quantitative assessment of children's creativity during the art activities.In general,the characteristics of the American early childhood art teacher' creativity education practice are "showing" and "hiding".In his consciousness,such as concept and attitude,the teacher fully demonstrates the core of child's creativity,the importance of child's creativity and education strategies.However,the teacher's education actions that specifically promote the development of child's creativity are hidden in the teaching of child's art ability.This kind of "hiding" does not mean disappearing.In the space between the "showing" and"hiding",child's creativity is representing the main direction of the teacher' practical value,and it also reflects the complex reality of teacher's practice and that there may be some problems.The formation of the teacher's practice is related to the teacher's own experience and the characteristics of the art subject discipline.It also discusses that the creativity in the cultural community,the attitude towards creative children,the discussion about child's creativity in the history of American art education,the reality of early childhood education practice in America also have influence on that.To sum up,the art subject in the school educational system as the medium,teacher's creativity education practice is driven by the culture,based on the individual choice of the teacher.