In a global study conducted by Adobe, 2/3 of people feel that creativity is valuable to society, and 80% feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth. Yet only 1 in 4 people believe they are living up to their creative potential.
It’s a startling statistic, but fortunately, it’s one that we can reverse. And the easiest way to do it? Close the creativity gap. Doing so will ensure that today’s students are better prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders. Because if kids aren’t free to think and explore, the future world won’t have any Edisons, Newtons or Galileos to discover new things, or innovate and improve life. Some say that imagination will always be more important than knowledge. And you know what? It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure that out.
What are you doing in your classroom this month to get kids to think outside of the box?
In order to imagine things being otherwise, as Maxine Greene suggests–agency is required. To be creative and imaginative require voice, will, and the permission to err. When I think of these conditions that give rise to the possibility of creating/composing–I know they cannot exist for children if they are not also present in the working and personal lives of teachers.
The creativity gap exists alongside fear, control, power.
Creativity will return when we stop teaching to the test and allow students to come up with multiple correct answers to a problem. Student needs the permission to try new things that aren’t on the state exam, and teachers to teach something that isn’t on a test that is yes no or multiple choice.