Inventiveness

How do we encourage, teach and reward creativity and imagination in our schools?

I would like to preface my answer to this question with the statement that I believe schools do not universally encourage, teach and reward creativity, however such activities do exist. As far as encouraging creativity is concerned, I think this is quite prevalent in schools. I can remember so many instances with teachers of math, social studies, English, and science after presenting directions for an assignment, project, or paper say, "and be creative" or "make it look nice," "use your imagination" or even "make it interesting." These are all examples of a teacher asking for/encouraging creativity. This is not to say that all teachers do this. There are teachers that have strict guidelines and expectations that did not include room for creativity.

The above point lends itself well to being related to schools rewarding creativity. Rewarding creativity is just as consistent in schools if not more so than encouraging it. Many different rubrics for projects, papers, contests, speeches, and assignments have a category for presentation, creativity, interpretation, etc. All of the noted categories require creative energy in order to be successful or to receive high marks. Furthermore, I both feel and have found that teachers seem to reward creativity, even when the content is not perfect.

What schools lack the most is instruction in the art of creativity. Since creativity manifests in so many different ways, it is hard to teach a particular school of thought about what it means and how to be creative. Despite this, music, art, drama, and creative writing classes can be places where students are given techniques and strategies for fostering their creativity. Still, some fine art and creative writing courses require a large amount of copying a technique given by an instructor. Though this could be easily argued as a way of harnessing creative energy or channelling a student's creativity, however, I, personally, feel that in order for a project to be truly creative, a student must work to develop their own creative techniques to be implemented into the project. Instructors in such circumstances should identify more with the role of guide then of director.



How important is creativity as a skill for the 21st Century?

Creativity is so important in the 21st Century. Employers are always looking for someone that stands out from the crowd. As my father always tells me, "You know, presentation and first impressions aren't everything, but they sure do count for a lot." Both giving a good presentation and making a good first impression take creative energy, and a little professionalism, but even that has its creative side. Moreover, being creative, indicates innovation, which tends to do two important things. One, it keeps things interesting and two, it assists in problem solving. This is no secret, good problem solving skills are sought after by employers. These points just skim the surface of why creativity and innovation are essential skills of the 21st Century.