Post by wrightwilliams on Aug 9, 2011 16:46:16 GMT -5
Creativity is often viewed as a defining characteristic and one that has led many to success. Creativity ranges from the act of solving new problems to coming up with interesting ways to do things. However, I am not fully convinced you can measure creativity in a test or that Torrance has the science down exactly. Creativity tends to be part of someone's personality and is usually not taught. The idea of teaching problem-solving though, is a good one. Regardless of the creativity ratings by different tests, problem solving is important because it allows people to make connections between two difference ideas and, as the name suggests, solve a problem. The process of thinking analytically is very important for success in life and the development of ideas. While I do not believe Torrance necessarily has the creativity testing down pat, it is important to teach students more than just objective facts. Facts are very important for problem-solving and analytical thought, but on their own they only serve to create recorders that repeat back information to the teacher.
Personally, I would like creativity to be viewed as something requiring complex thoughts and ideas, rather than just painting a picture. Which I've never been very good at. The article "The Creativity Crisis" brings up a legitimate issue and one that could be addressed, as it states, by encouraging students to think about a problem from multiple angles and assigning problems that have more than one answer. The real world is full of issues and problems that won't be solved by reciting facts and memorizing dates. Real effort needs to be put in in order to fully solve the creativity crisis, and it starts with teaching real-world issues that require real problems. The seemingly hundreds of DBQs and FRQs in my AP history classes required more than memorizing dates. I was forced to think analytically and create connections between different periods in history. The constant connections I was forced to create led me to approach problems from multiple angles think of multiple solutions. Classes that force you to think instead of recite are among the many solutions to the creativity crisis. While the tests for creativity in the article seem less than reliable, it seems schools are starting to go a long way towards encouraging problem solving and helping with creativity. In many classes they have begun installing new lessons where the student is forced to approach a problem from different angles and use analytical skills to figure out the solution. It seems that schools are beginning to understand what it takes to solve the creativity crisis, and what is needed to maintain a steady increase in it.
Personally, I would like creativity to be viewed as something requiring complex thoughts and ideas, rather than just painting a picture. Which I've never been very good at. The article "The Creativity Crisis" brings up a legitimate issue and one that could be addressed, as it states, by encouraging students to think about a problem from multiple angles and assigning problems that have more than one answer. The real world is full of issues and problems that won't be solved by reciting facts and memorizing dates. Real effort needs to be put in in order to fully solve the creativity crisis, and it starts with teaching real-world issues that require real problems. The seemingly hundreds of DBQs and FRQs in my AP history classes required more than memorizing dates. I was forced to think analytically and create connections between different periods in history. The constant connections I was forced to create led me to approach problems from multiple angles think of multiple solutions. Classes that force you to think instead of recite are among the many solutions to the creativity crisis. While the tests for creativity in the article seem less than reliable, it seems schools are starting to go a long way towards encouraging problem solving and helping with creativity. In many classes they have begun installing new lessons where the student is forced to approach a problem from different angles and use analytical skills to figure out the solution. It seems that schools are beginning to understand what it takes to solve the creativity crisis, and what is needed to maintain a steady increase in it.