I am here today to discuss what I believe is the greatest observation or idea that I have heard in my Humanities class this week. I know so far this post isn't all that interesting. But it will be...
In class we have been talking about creativity and whether it has been on the decline in the United States. I feel as if it is. The people I work with in school everyday seem to have trouble with all the different projects or essays where the teacher says "Be creative." I remember in my freshman year communications class we all had to write a speech on how to do something. Whether it be make a food dish, write a story, or do a dance move. Whatever it was, all everyone did was create a power-point with pictures and spoke monotonously through the entire 50 minute presentation. I also remember the long speech our teacher gave us on our lack of creativity and ingenuity with our projects. Sure we all did something different, but they were all basically the same.
No one decided to make a poster or show a video of the thing they were teaching. No one decided to try and demonstrate the thing all by themselves. No one decided to spice up their power point with a game or form of interaction with their audience. And most of all, no one decided to make up their own idea to show how to do something. No one chose to change the tone of their voice to make the presentation more interesting. No one chose to walk around the room and pick random volunteers to try the demonstration. And most of all, no one chose to make the presentation fun, for themselves or the audience. This my friends is called lack of creativity.
The article "Creativity Crisis" talked about the decline in the United States as an epidemic of sorts. I agree. To be an innovative or expanding country of sorts, there must be many innovative or creative thinkers. If there are no more creative thinkers than there is no new products, no new designs, no better technologies to support the people of the nation. If the people of the nation are not supported how can we talk about supporting those of other less technological countries?
Without creativity everyone becomes the same. One word comes to mind, communist. Yes there is more to that one word than I am implying but the first thing that comes to mind when someone says communist is the same; homogeneous. Correct? Well that is what it is for me. When everything is the same, doesn't it get boring? Those of us in a Period system in school whether it be any grade level, if every day from 8-8:50 you go to the same class and talk about the same thing as before because the teacher could not think of a better lesson plan you'd be bored. Right?
Yes the monologue is going nowhere...
Back to the point: No creativity, no new things, no fun.
So my greatest observation, or rather idea was that there was little or no creativity being taught in schools, or in everyday life. This is bad. Creativity is good.
Teach your kids to think for themselves and play games like Pictionary, or write a fantasy/fiction story with them. Have them solve innovative problems, like how to all watch the television at once. Get them a toy guitar and let them play you songs they made up. Don't get tired of their questions, encourage them. Most of all, ask your kids questions and tell them to come up with the most crazy idea they can, make a contest out of it. Pretty soon your kids will be more creative than you could ever imagine.
Creativity is everywhere, you just need to know where to look.
Here's something I found and thought was funny:
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