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Can We Teach Creativity? Extending Socrates's Criteria to Modern Education

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When is creativity teachable? Is it a single scientific field, and who is appropriate to undertake its teaching? What are Socrates's criteria, and how can we apply them to creativity? This paper examines the value of creativity as it arises through scholars historically in the fields of philosophy and education. It also examines forms and theories of creativity in education. Gradually, curricula began to consider the cultivation of students' creative thinking, and interest was shifted form “gifted” children to creativity for all. Are heuristics sufficient to contribute effectively to the adoption of techniques that promote creative thinking within the school environment and make it a separate lesson in the curriculum, or should we try some “risky” scientific choices?
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Θὰ μποροῦσε κάποιος εὔκολα νά φανταστεῖ ὅτι τὸ ἀνά χεῖρας πόνημα ἀποτελεῖ ἄλλο ἕνα προϊὸν τῆς δουλειᾶς κάποιου Φιλολόγου ἢ Γλωσσολόγου, ὁ ὁποῖος ἐπιχειρεῖ νὰ δώσει στὸ εὐρὺ κοινὸ ἕνα ἀκόμη βιβλίο μὲ ἀντικείμενο τὴν ἱστορικὴ ἐξέλιξη τῆς γλώσσας ἀπὸ τὴν ἀρχαιότητα ὡς σήμερα. Τέτοιου εἴδους εἰδικὲς μελέτες εὑρίσκονται εὔκολα στὶς προθῆκες τῶν βιβλιοπωλείων καὶ ἀφοροῦν κατὰ κύριο λόγο, μία μερίδα εἰδικῶν ἐπιστημόνων, ποὺ εἶναι εἴτε Γλωσσολόγοι, εἴτε Φιλόλογοι καὶ Ἐκπαιδευτικοὶ καὶ ἐπιζητοῦν νὰ ἐντρυφήσουν στὰ γλωσσικὰ φαινόμενα γιὰ ἐρευνητικοὺς ἢ γιὰ ἐκπαιδευτικοὺς σκοποὺς ἐν γένει. Ὁ συγγραφέας ὅμως αὐτοῦ τοῦ βιβλίου ἐπιχειρεῖ κάτι ἐντελῶς διαφορετικό: νὰ ἐμφυσήσει τὴν εἰλικρινῆ ἀγάπη γιὰ τὴν βαθύτερη ἀλήθεια τῆς Γλώσσας καὶ νὰ δώσει κίνητρα στὸν ἀναγνώστη νὰ κοιτάξει προσεκτικὰ αὐτὰ πού, συνήθως λαθεμένα, θεωρεῖ ὡς «αὐτονόητα» ἢ «παρωχημένα» στοιχεῖα ἑνὸς ζωντανοῦ ὀργανισμοῦ, ποὺ ζεῖ, κινεῖται, ἀναπνέει, πάσχει καὶ ἐλευθερώνεται καθημερινὰ μαζὶ μὲ ἐμᾶς, τὴν Ἑλληνικὴ μας Γλῶσσα. Ἀπὸ τοὺς ἁπλούς, φθόγγους ἕως τὴν ἔκφραση τοῦ λόγου (discourse)...
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