Recent research has shown that America's creativity is declining. However, this is not a hopeless situation as it can be fixed. Creative kids are still around and they still have what it takes. Since the accepted definition of creativity is production of something original and useful, it cannot be determined through one right answer. Thus, creative kids exhibit certain characteristics and ways of thinking that can be used to nurture their potential. Creativity in kids is different from intelligence or IQ. With intelligence, it has been shown that scores go up with each generation, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. This is obviously due to enriched environments that tend to make kids smarter. As one writer put it, even the proliferation of junk material seems to have improved the intelligence of today's generation. With creativity though, a reverse trend has been identified.
Creative kids are the future of human ingenuity which is the No. 1 leadership competency of the future. There are many national and international matters that will need to be resolved and that require creative solutions. Such solutions can only spring from a marketplace of ideas that are sustained by a populace constantly contributing ideas and that is receptive to fresh original ideas from others. In order to develop this marketplace, it is obvious that the education system needs to be revised. Instituting problem-based learning programs that adopt problem-based learning approaches will likely help creative kids develop their abilities even further.
To develop and nurture creativity in kids does not however mean that we need to reduce how much students learn and instead concentrate on developing this ability. Fact-finding and deep research are vital stages in the creative process and if taught in a different way, the current curriculum standards can still be met. This means that creativity can be taught. When applied to everyday process of work or school, it is possible to improve brain function of creative kids. The home-game version of nurturing creativity in kids would mean not encouraging kids to spring straight ahead to the right answer. When a kid asks why Sacramento is the capital of California, turn the question back and encourage him to come up with as many explanations as he can why it is and why it is not Los Angeles or San Franscisco. The trick to helping creative kids to be more creative is to allow them to keep asking questions - have a teacher who is willing to tolerate their unconventional answers, occasional disruptions or detours of curiosity. When this is done, rather than hear them say "I'll never use this so I don't need to learn it", don't be surprised to hear them ask "Do we have to leave school?"
Creative kids are the future of human ingenuity which is the No. 1 leadership competency of the future. There are many national and international matters that will need to be resolved and that require creative solutions. Such solutions can only spring from a marketplace of ideas that are sustained by a populace constantly contributing ideas and that is receptive to fresh original ideas from others. In order to develop this marketplace, it is obvious that the education system needs to be revised. Instituting problem-based learning programs that adopt problem-based learning approaches will likely help creative kids develop their abilities even further.
To develop and nurture creativity in kids does not however mean that we need to reduce how much students learn and instead concentrate on developing this ability. Fact-finding and deep research are vital stages in the creative process and if taught in a different way, the current curriculum standards can still be met. This means that creativity can be taught. When applied to everyday process of work or school, it is possible to improve brain function of creative kids. The home-game version of nurturing creativity in kids would mean not encouraging kids to spring straight ahead to the right answer. When a kid asks why Sacramento is the capital of California, turn the question back and encourage him to come up with as many explanations as he can why it is and why it is not Los Angeles or San Franscisco. The trick to helping creative kids to be more creative is to allow them to keep asking questions - have a teacher who is willing to tolerate their unconventional answers, occasional disruptions or detours of curiosity. When this is done, rather than hear them say "I'll never use this so I don't need to learn it", don't be surprised to hear them ask "Do we have to leave school?"
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