The intention of this article is to explore, challenge and expand our understandings of children's improvised vocalisations, a fundamentally human form of expression. Based on selected examples from observation and recording in non-institutional settings, the article outlines how this phenomenon can be understood as learning and as communication.…

In this study, the author investigated factors underlying vocal improvisation achievement and relationships with the singers' musical background. Participants were 102 college students in Australia and the United States who performed 3 jazz improvisations and 1 free improvisation. Jazz improvisations were rated on rhythmic, tonal, and creative…

This article investigates the role of play and playlike activities (imagination, art) in developing and using symbolic tools. We understand processes of development of symbolic tools as coordination between two types of relationships: the subject-object relationships and the subject-subject relationships. This coordination begins when a new,…

When children come together to play dramatically they are involved in the creation of an improvised text. This text emerges spontaneously via the moment-by-moment contributions of individual players who must operate in a highly collaborative way in order to achieve cohesion. This paper reports on a research project involving several groups of 11-…

This paper reports focused findings from a qualitative scoping study undertaken in four sites in England focusing on progression in creative learning (PICL) (February 2005-January 2006), funded by Creative Partnerships, a national development programme. The study sought to explore how progression in creative learning can be described in two…

In this paper, we discuss a creative role-play approach to the use of think-alouds focused on exploring multiple perspectives. The teaching idea presented here draws on transformative and critical theory in education and research-based practices. It encourages children to see the world through the eyes of diverse fictional characters or, in the…

In this article, the author offers a brief history of the Academy for Creative Media (ACM)--the University of Hawai'i's primary academic program for the production and study of film, animation, and computer game design--and its mission to fulfill the Hawai'i state government's agenda to diversify the economy with creative media and high…

This article presents ideas and views of educators regarding the role of dance in the secondary physical education program. One educator believes that dance education is an excellent complement to the traditional physical education program at the secondary level. Another educator defines physical education as the "art and science of human…

With skills such as flexibility and originality increasingly required by an economy struggling to adapt to sudden and seismic change, there is renewed interest in what engagement in culture and creativity can offer. This author discovered that the difference such engagement can make to people's lives has long been recognised at Morley College.…

This paper examines two improvisational processes, Authentic Movement (AM) and automatic drawing (AD), the possibility of their presentation to the viewer and the meanings such presentation may bring to the work presented. Improvisation has traditionally been used in the process of creating a finished work of art rather than in the finished art…

This article explores the deep-rooted "night owl" image of art practitioners and calls for attention on a consideration of the time for learning in art. It has been recognised that the human body has its own internal timings and knowing the "time" pattern is important for better productivity in conducting creativity-related activities. This study…

Understanding the tenets of copyright in general, and in particular, in online communication and publishing with Web 2.0 tools, has become an important part of literacy in today's Information Age, as well as a cornerstone of free speech and responsible citizenship for the future. Young content creators must be educated about copyright law, their…

This article describes a project that can help students learn more about historic figures-or remember lost loved ones--with this Day of the Dead project from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The purpose is to remember the wonderful things the person did, and to celebrate his or her life. Directions for construction, as well as a suggested list of…

This paper explores ways in which data collected during designerly activity in a Secondary Design and Technology Classroom in the UK, can be analysed with a view to ascertaining the features of the classroom interactions which facilitate the development of designerly activity in "fledgling designers" (Trebell, 2007). The paper builds…