Have you ever wondered why creativity is crucial? Just imagine what our world would be like if we could not come up with new and innovative ideas? Actually, it would be preferable to imagine how our world could be improved if we did formulate fresh ideas. What if these innovations could solve world problems?
You might wonder why I am fascinated with creativity. It has something to do with having taught in my art classroom for thirty years! Assignments my students produced were considered more valuable if their project was different from anyone else’s. Of course, there are also visual arts standards which are the basis of each student response to the lessons. Here is an example of such standards: https://www.nationalartsstandards.org/sites/default/files/Visual%20Arts%20at%20a%20Glance%20-%20new%20copyright%20info.pdf
Creativity in Various Subjects
The arts are a perfect subject in which to stress differing answers from each student. However, every subject can be taught to produce diverse answers. Particularly when the arts are infused into other areas, a greater understanding of the material can occur. Social studies works well to have students act out various historic events. Language arts lends itself to creativity through writing and presenting. Even the so-called “new math” offers the opportunity to come up with different paths to the answer as long as it proves the facts of the problem.
Bloom’s Taxonomy and Creativity
During my college years and continuing into the beginning of my teaching career, there was a teaching model called Bloom’s Taxonomy. It described levels of learning. A number of years later, the model was modified. All the descriptors were transformed from nouns to verbs. Initially, the highest level of learning was Evaluation. Later, the new model changed it to Creating! As an art teacher, it was phenomenal to think that the most frequent activities in my room would be encouraging and demonstrating that very highest level of learning!
Creativity Is Crucial in Action
Midway through my art teaching career, I was assigned the additional responsibility of teaching talented and gifted (or TAG) classes. Sometimes we may never know the influence we have on individual students. However, following my retirement, I did hear from a former TAG student. He told me that one of the most important things he ever learned was from my TAG class. In particular, it was the new version of Bloom’s Taxonomy which piqued his interest. This education model caused him to ponder people he knew. He would assess others and strive to deduce how high on the pyramid various people were capable of thinking. If people are creating products with the knowledge they have from the base through to the top of Bloom’s pyramid model, then they are working at the highest capacity of learning possible!
Allow Creativity to Happen!
In order to achieve the goal of reversing the trend of a dwindling presence of the arts in education, policy makers must be educated on the necessity of creativity. We must place more emphasis (translated to dollars) into reinstating arts classes as well as training existing educators of all subject areas with this creative mindset.
“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.”
Albert Einstein
Our world sorely needs people who can create solutions – no matter the subject area. We must have those who can generate answers on how to cope with global warming. It is necessary to have people who can work with others to produce world peace. We need folks who can conceive of ways to solve economic disparities. Our world deserves quality medical research to benefit all who suffer from disease. Just imagine! Use your imagination to craft some ideas. What do you think we must create?
Here are a few posts to invite your creativity: Invitation to Creativity, Power of the Imagination, ARTS A Bridge To Life, and Creativity 101 with 528 Hertz.