Post by amandarussell on Aug 8, 2011 11:33:21 GMT -5
Creativity is something we all learn, or adapt to have, at a very young age. However, in today’s rocky economy, many parents struggle to be at home with their children let alone teach and nurture their kids’ creativity. In light of this, many schools are now switching to project based learning, which promotes a child to use every part of his/her brain. However, project based learning does not continue in many universities, so it is still very important to have lecture style learning in the latter years of lower education. Projects may encourage creativity, but a person needs to learn to be able to sit down, take notes, and pay close attention.
Project based learning in schools is filling holes in a child’s education that would otherwise be left void. The hands-on experience is very helpful for children in the sense that it allows them to use all parts of the brain. Bronson and Merryman point out that “…creativity should be taken out of the art room and put into [the] homeroom. The argument that we can’t teach creativity because kids already have too much to learn is a false trade-off.” There can be a marriage between education and creativity; and the baby is called project based learning. Students are given the knowledge they need to get started, but they are challenged to present the information in unique ways. At the National Inventors Hall of Fame School, Principal Buckner instituted this style of teaching and learning and “with as much as three fourths of each day spent in project-based learning, principal Buckner and her team actually work through required curricula…” Some children even complained about having to leave school!
Despite the successes of project based learning, there is a downfall that affects the older school-goers: the fact that many universities do not engage in project based learning, but rather lecture style. This could come as a huge shock to those who have learned to learn in a hands-on manner. In order to counteract this shock, I would suggest using more lecture and lab style teaching and learning in high school. Students would then be accustomed to the lectures, but at the same time, the labs would allow students to have a hands-on approach with projects so that their creativity would not be lost. Also, parents should be encouraged to use the “home-game” version of creative learning. As Bronson and Merryman say, parents should try not to give straight answers. Answer a child’s question with a question to get them thinking. With the added input of parents, older children and young adults should retain their creativity well into their lives.
All in all, as long as both parents and schools put in the effort and cooperate to influence creativity, the whole crisis will be averted. After all, there is a huge gain from creative learning, not for just the student, but for the rest of the world as well. If a creative child can grow up to design cheaper ways for others to have spine implants, then why would we want to stifle that?
Project based learning in schools is filling holes in a child’s education that would otherwise be left void. The hands-on experience is very helpful for children in the sense that it allows them to use all parts of the brain. Bronson and Merryman point out that “…creativity should be taken out of the art room and put into [the] homeroom. The argument that we can’t teach creativity because kids already have too much to learn is a false trade-off.” There can be a marriage between education and creativity; and the baby is called project based learning. Students are given the knowledge they need to get started, but they are challenged to present the information in unique ways. At the National Inventors Hall of Fame School, Principal Buckner instituted this style of teaching and learning and “with as much as three fourths of each day spent in project-based learning, principal Buckner and her team actually work through required curricula…” Some children even complained about having to leave school!
Despite the successes of project based learning, there is a downfall that affects the older school-goers: the fact that many universities do not engage in project based learning, but rather lecture style. This could come as a huge shock to those who have learned to learn in a hands-on manner. In order to counteract this shock, I would suggest using more lecture and lab style teaching and learning in high school. Students would then be accustomed to the lectures, but at the same time, the labs would allow students to have a hands-on approach with projects so that their creativity would not be lost. Also, parents should be encouraged to use the “home-game” version of creative learning. As Bronson and Merryman say, parents should try not to give straight answers. Answer a child’s question with a question to get them thinking. With the added input of parents, older children and young adults should retain their creativity well into their lives.
All in all, as long as both parents and schools put in the effort and cooperate to influence creativity, the whole crisis will be averted. After all, there is a huge gain from creative learning, not for just the student, but for the rest of the world as well. If a creative child can grow up to design cheaper ways for others to have spine implants, then why would we want to stifle that?