It would be great if schools focused on developing every ounce of every student's creativity from the very moment they entered school.
Our communities need to develop as many resourceful, imaginative, inventive and ethical problem solvers who are able to make as significant a contribution, as is possible.
Creative individuals are able to tolerate ambiguity and pick up on ideas others may not notice. If creativity is developed early, young people will grow into adults who remain open to ideas; able to respond to situations in non-stereotypical ways. Pablo Picasso observed that it had taken him a lifetime to learn draw as a child and that every child is an artist.The problem, Picasso said, was how to remain an artist once grown up. Like wise, every students is a potential scientist until they learn not to question. Far too many adults, as a result of imposed judgements, have been discouraged from the risk taking that is necessary to both learn and to be creative. All too often the focus and intensity, observed in young people who are involved in following their curiosity in early years , is lost
Creativity will not emerge unless students are placed into an environment where it is socially supported and collaboratively achieved. Student creativity, in any field,will not be developed unless they are assisted to gain the ability to execute their particular talent well.
Parents must insist that school respects their hopes and dreams for their children and insist that, whatever talents and gifts their children have, they need to be given every opportunity to having them developed. If this were to eventuate then we would need to redefine teaching and confront misconceptions about creativity.
If schools placed their emphasis on capitalizing on the wonderment, curiosity and playfulness of their young students this would allow students creative talents to be developed.All too often, in our schools ,children's' thoughts and art are stereotyped and trivialized to fit in with teacher intentions.
Teachers are in a unique position to to influence student creativity in whatever form it may take. It is too valuable a resource to be neglected or wasted. Many adults must look back and wonder where the excitement they once felt for learning went.
Every child has the right to have their individuality, creativity and talents developed.
What could be more important?
6 comments:
Such a point of view would transform education - creative people are the ones we need in the 21stC.
I think the approach you outline would not only be more valuabe but would be simpler than trying to impose curriculums on chidren as, no matter how well they are designed, they never work as planned.
Does your choice of illustration indicate we produce too many conformist sheep - if it does, good choice. The number of 'school failures' who do well in life indicates something is wrong! And vice versa! We need more black sheep!
I think we need more people who have the courage to see things differently. The illustration seemed to suit!
You might enjoy this quote, from Arthur Koestler (author of The Act of Creation) Bruce;
' The measure of an artists originality, put in its simplist terms, is the extent to which his selective emphasis deviates from the conventional norm and establishes new standards of relevance. All great innovations which inaugurate a new era, movement or school, consists in sudden shifts of a previously neglected aspect of experience... The decisive turning points in the history of every art form...uncover what has already been there:they are "revolutionary", that is destructive and constructive, they compel us to revalue our values and impose new sets of rules on the eternal game.'
Thanks for the perceptive quote. It is difficult in a school situation to be creative (or to deviate from the norm) , because schools are such conformist, or conservatist, organisations.
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