Post by oliviamoler on Aug 9, 2011 22:06:17 GMT -5
In the article “The Creativity Crisis” we are shown that the creativity level in Americans is slowly declining. Researchers have looked at the creativity experiments that professor E. Paul Torrance conducted in 1958 and have compared them to creativity IQ’s in students’ today and found that “with creativity, a reverse trend has just been identified and is being reported for the first time here: American creativity scores are falling.”
Personally, I agree with the article when it states “enriched environments are making kids smarter.” I think that today we don’t ever have to be creative if we don’t want to be. Technology, like the Internet, has given us links to websites for creative essay topics and award-winning science fair projects. As long as we are smart enough to know where to search, creativity can be ours in an instant.
In the world today, young adults are be immersed in an environment filled with video games, TV shows and smart phone apps, it’s no wonder that our creativity is crumbling because instead of having nights filled with board games, and gathering around telling stories, we are more interested in Facebook updates, and Twitter responses.
However, I will say that in the students’ defense, the school environment is not always conducive to creativity. I know that in some of my classes I experience little to no ability to be creative because the teacher has already assigned a strict rubric that I feel doesn’t allow for flexibility. I am afraid to be creative because I don’t want to be counted off for not adhering to the strict rubric guidelines.
Another great example that I can think of that completely kills all creative juices in students’ is standardized testing. Not every student learns the same way. By using a cookie cutter approach to testing it ignores the students’ who naturally think creatively, thus, not allowing them to show of their skills.
I remember when my brother was upset about his schedule because he didn’t want to be enrolled in the Project Based Learning classes. My brother is a prime example of why American creativity is declining because he hasn’t gotten the chance to hone in on his creativity skills in previous grades. When creativity isn’t familiar in a students’ study style, it makes classes that are Project Based difficult and extremely scary.
I think that Project Based Learning will be a great choice for my brother because it will allow him to take the black and white facts and apply creative approaches that will increase retention of what is trying to be taught. By being creative, he will start to use that part of the brain that he has neglected.
I am happy that DHS is doing its part by providing students’ with the opportunity to express themselves in classes that would normally be fact-based and not allow for creativity. Unfortunately, this is the only class that offers this, I hope that in the future, public schools will create more classes like this to help their students become the best that they can be!
Personally, I agree with the article when it states “enriched environments are making kids smarter.” I think that today we don’t ever have to be creative if we don’t want to be. Technology, like the Internet, has given us links to websites for creative essay topics and award-winning science fair projects. As long as we are smart enough to know where to search, creativity can be ours in an instant.
In the world today, young adults are be immersed in an environment filled with video games, TV shows and smart phone apps, it’s no wonder that our creativity is crumbling because instead of having nights filled with board games, and gathering around telling stories, we are more interested in Facebook updates, and Twitter responses.
However, I will say that in the students’ defense, the school environment is not always conducive to creativity. I know that in some of my classes I experience little to no ability to be creative because the teacher has already assigned a strict rubric that I feel doesn’t allow for flexibility. I am afraid to be creative because I don’t want to be counted off for not adhering to the strict rubric guidelines.
Another great example that I can think of that completely kills all creative juices in students’ is standardized testing. Not every student learns the same way. By using a cookie cutter approach to testing it ignores the students’ who naturally think creatively, thus, not allowing them to show of their skills.
I remember when my brother was upset about his schedule because he didn’t want to be enrolled in the Project Based Learning classes. My brother is a prime example of why American creativity is declining because he hasn’t gotten the chance to hone in on his creativity skills in previous grades. When creativity isn’t familiar in a students’ study style, it makes classes that are Project Based difficult and extremely scary.
I think that Project Based Learning will be a great choice for my brother because it will allow him to take the black and white facts and apply creative approaches that will increase retention of what is trying to be taught. By being creative, he will start to use that part of the brain that he has neglected.
I am happy that DHS is doing its part by providing students’ with the opportunity to express themselves in classes that would normally be fact-based and not allow for creativity. Unfortunately, this is the only class that offers this, I hope that in the future, public schools will create more classes like this to help their students become the best that they can be!