Post by sarahcritchfield on Aug 4, 2011 21:23:19 GMT -5
I have never been a very creative person. I secretly envy those who can draw or play an instrument or come up with really good ideas on the spot. They have amazing talents. A recent IBM poll of 1500 CEOs said that creativity is a top leadership quality of the future. So the future is looking good for all of my creative peers. But wait! According to “The Creativity Crisis” and Jonathan Plucker of Indiana University, the American creativity scores are falling. So maybe your kids won’t be so lucky. Something has to be done about the creativity-lacking children of today. The article mentioned that the decline in creativity may be due to the number of hours kids play video games or watch TV. But “The Creativity Crisis” seemed to focus on the lack of creative development in schools. Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, authors of the article state that, “It’s left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative: there’s no concerted effort to nurture creativity of all children.” What will the solution be? Well, here are some ideas. First, encourage creativity at home. Parents could set up crazy little tasks to encourage their children to think creatively and quickly. All kids love scavenger hunts, right? YES! Set up clues and questions to get those kid’s minds spinning with creativity. Or parents could encourage creativity through an hour of drawing, writing, or coloring. Trick your kids into being creative by fun activities. It will help them in the long run. Second, teachers should be required to teach through project based learning. We students don’t like book work anyway. “The Creativity Crisis” provided a useful anecdote to show the helpfulness of project based learning. Fifth grade students at The National Inventors Hall of Fame School in Akron, Ohio, were given the seemingly complex task of finding a way to reduce the noise in the library due to a window facing a public space. The kids first researched important information like how sound travels through things and what materials reduce noise best. Then they put their newly learned knowledge to the test. The National Inventors Hall of Fame School administrator, Maryann Wolowiec says, “You never see our kids saying ‘I’ll never use this so I don’t have to learn it.’ Instead kids say ‘Do I have to leave school now?” I know that if more kids said that across the nation that school would be a more enjoyable atmosphere for every kid and teacher. So, let’s enforce the use of project based learning. Yes, I know, that’s easier said than done, but saying something (or writing it down) is always the first step. The creativity scores are getting lower and lower each year and that has to be fixed to better the future! Everyone dreams of flying cars and robot maids who do everything for us and a little brother named Elroy, right? YES! Then let’s get our creativity on track people. Encourage creativity in every young person and in yourself as well. Don’t leave it up to the luck of the draw.