Monday, March 05, 2007

Creative Genius

Daily I am amazed at my daughter's creativity. Whether it's putting on her own concert or hosting her own cooking show or picking up common items like an empty tissue box and entering fantasy land, she is such an "outside of the box" thinker.

At my recent C3 conference, Ed Young said that 92% kids between the ages of 3 to 5 score at a genius level when it comes to divergent thinking (creative, outside the box type thinking). The sad thing was, by the time kids are 18, only 2% of them rank at the genius level. What happens to their creativity? Does our society somehow smother the flame of divergent thinking? Ed Young jokingly said it's because they go to public school and sadly enough, he may be partly right. I'm not sure our school systems leave much space for divergent thinking but then again a lot has changed since I was in school.

I'm not sure my role, as a father, but I hope my daughter will never stop being a creative genius.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does this mean you plan to homeschool? Which I have to say is a GREAT idea!

Anonymous said...

Better start looking into private schools then!

In Ky. public schools today, it's not about the kids anymore, it's all about the test scores.

Can I get an AMEN from any other teachers out there???

Candie said...

I have to agree with Jana. My daughter said to me the other day, "I'm afraid I'm not going to score high on the CATS test this year." I think they put undo stress on our children to score high on these tests. I know that the teachers really don't have much of a choice in the matter but I think they would find children are better thinkers when you fill their heads with positivity and not stress.

Anonymous said...

Jana - I'll give you an AMEN even though I'm not a teacher...I'm a parent!!
Robin

Lonnie said...

As a parent, I can fully appreciate the “creativity” of my children. Just the other day, I was hearing how “creative” Brady (12yrs old) was telling "mom to make Landon (almost 2 yrs old)to leave him alone."

Anonymous said...

public schools aint that too awful bad. i went to public school for all of my entire life and it did me real good.sure; theres some things that aren't not the very best but I think public schools can be a very good thing espeshally if you reely try hard like i did and spell words like you think they should be spellt instead of how the dixshonary says you should spell it.

my most fayvoratest times in school was them days when we had psketti for lunch. I reely liked the garlik bred that they gave us to eat but the best thing about public schools is all the times i got too spend with the principle.

Anonymous said...

I think some (not all) parents take the reward for creativity.

1. Couldn't attend meeting..too busy.

2. Couldn't help child study....
too tired.

3. Couldn't follow up on concerns.....had to work late.(Everyday of the week??????)

4. Couldn't send an email...fingers broken.

5. Couldn't call....on lunch break.

The excuses go on....on.....on...on

Hats off to teachers for putting up with it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Chad,
Listen to the words of the Logical Song by Super Tramp.

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.

And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.

But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.

And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,clinical, intellectual, cynical.