Keynote and Expert pitches

Prof. Ronald Beghetto, Universtity of Connecticut

Unfreezing Creativity: Toward a More Dynamic Approach to Understanding Creativity in Classrooms
How might researchers move away from the typical, static approaches for conceptualizing and studying creativity in classrooms?  Why might it be beneficial (and even necessary) to approach creative thought and action more dynamically? What are the methodological challenges, opportunities, and implications of approaching creative thought and action from a more dynamic perspective?  The purpose of this interactive talk is to explore these and related questions. Emerging examples, provocations, and considerations will be offered in an effort to induce dialogue, productive debate, and new directions in theory, research, and practice.

Drs. Pieter Fannes, University of Leuven

The domesticated imagination
The literature on creativity often starts out from anxiety – about the decline of creativity, but also, more surprisingly, about the imagination itself. Based on educational sources from  the late 19^th century until today, I will argue that the emergence of creativity as an educational goal is inextricably linked to these fears. The history of creativity should be understood as a process of “domestication” rather than as one of “liberation”.

Prof. Evelyn Kroesbergen, Radboud University

Creativity and executive functions: Friends or enemies?
Executive functions, including focused attention and goal-directed behaviour, have been found to be good predictors of academic abilities. However, the smartest children often show high levels of creativity, which requires distributed attention and divergent thinking. This raises the question how creativity and executive functions interact during academic tasks.

Drs. Bart Vranckx, University of Leuven

The history of creativity in education as a history of the present: Not all that glitters is gold
Very few concepts have gotten such a positive press as creativity. It is mostly seen as a given; a timeless, universal and “natural” concept. By looking at the conditions that made it possible for creativity to arise as an independent educational concept, this view will be problematized and historicized through a genealogical approach (Foucault).

Prof. Ronald Beghetto, Universtity of Connecticut

From product to process: Documenting the messiness of creative work in schools and classrooms
This brief pitch will highlight the importance of revealing the behind-the-scenes messiness of creative endeavors.  An argument will be made for helping young people become better acquainted with the to-be-determined process in their own and other’s creative endeavors.