Creativity is in high demand in the workforce. However, most companies are forced to outsource employees to find the level of ingenuity they seek. Most of the potential employees in the United States were trained to think logistically and creativity was not a big part of the curriculum. The current public education system hinders creativity in its students through standardized tests, favoring STEM majors over art majors, and disparaging wrong answers.
Creativity is an important factor in the new generations’ education. Who is going to come up with the innovations of the future if not today’s kindergarteners? Therefore, it is important that the education system in place fosters originality. We say foster because according to Picasso, “every …show more content…
While STEM majors are beneficial to society, a large component of STEM is memorization of concept or process which can hinder a student to think critically about a topic. Social sciences and arts lets a student understand problems instead of just accepting solutions. However, the vast majority of students still opt for a STEM major. Often, it is not because they are pursuing their favorite subject but because they are influenced to do so. Schools focus on STEM and make it their priority in many ways. For instance, there are more classes designed and available for STEM which is where most of the school’s funds go to. According to Florida’s governor, Rick Scott, STEM majors deserve all of the attention and funds. A professor, part of the Project Humanities in Arizona State University, noted the governor’s preference for STEM majors when he stated, “’I want to spend our money getting people science, technology, engineering and math degrees,’ he said in a radio interview on WNDB-AM in Daytona Beach. ‘That’s what our kids need to focus all of their time and attention on: those type of degrees that when they get out of school, they can get a job’ (Richards)”. Furthermore, there are more scholarships available for students picking a STEM field than for arts. Therefore, students think that STEM is the best option, especially since they are told that they cannot get far with an …show more content…
This forces students into a black and white mindset where there is only a slim chance to be correct and a big void of being wrong. Since being wrong is so frowned upon, some students are scared to be wrong. Students are scared to overthink a problem that they just do not try it at all because they are afraid of making a mistake and being called on for it. However, this is a wrong practice. Students should not be afraid of being wrong because if one is not willing to fail, one will never come up with original ideas. A study conducted by a professor at the University of Glasgow proved that “by modeling constructive responses to making a mistake, we can show children that error is a natural part of the creative process, and that sometimes failure inspires us to new and more effective solutions (Meikle)”. Students and instructors alike should understand that failure is part of a developing and learning process but so often it is demonized by schools. In addition, students are not allowed to qualify their response. When instructors reprimand a student for an incorrect answer, they usually attribute the error to the student’s lack of attention and therefore it becomes the student’s fault. This event could cause a student to lose confidence in contributing to class discussions and is more likely to keep his opinions and ideas to himself. Schools do not encourage students with open minds and
Creativity is an important factor in the new generations’ education. Who is going to come up with the innovations of the future if not today’s kindergarteners? Therefore, it is important that the education system in place fosters originality. We say foster because according to Picasso, “every …show more content…
While STEM majors are beneficial to society, a large component of STEM is memorization of concept or process which can hinder a student to think critically about a topic. Social sciences and arts lets a student understand problems instead of just accepting solutions. However, the vast majority of students still opt for a STEM major. Often, it is not because they are pursuing their favorite subject but because they are influenced to do so. Schools focus on STEM and make it their priority in many ways. For instance, there are more classes designed and available for STEM which is where most of the school’s funds go to. According to Florida’s governor, Rick Scott, STEM majors deserve all of the attention and funds. A professor, part of the Project Humanities in Arizona State University, noted the governor’s preference for STEM majors when he stated, “’I want to spend our money getting people science, technology, engineering and math degrees,’ he said in a radio interview on WNDB-AM in Daytona Beach. ‘That’s what our kids need to focus all of their time and attention on: those type of degrees that when they get out of school, they can get a job’ (Richards)”. Furthermore, there are more scholarships available for students picking a STEM field than for arts. Therefore, students think that STEM is the best option, especially since they are told that they cannot get far with an …show more content…
This forces students into a black and white mindset where there is only a slim chance to be correct and a big void of being wrong. Since being wrong is so frowned upon, some students are scared to be wrong. Students are scared to overthink a problem that they just do not try it at all because they are afraid of making a mistake and being called on for it. However, this is a wrong practice. Students should not be afraid of being wrong because if one is not willing to fail, one will never come up with original ideas. A study conducted by a professor at the University of Glasgow proved that “by modeling constructive responses to making a mistake, we can show children that error is a natural part of the creative process, and that sometimes failure inspires us to new and more effective solutions (Meikle)”. Students and instructors alike should understand that failure is part of a developing and learning process but so often it is demonized by schools. In addition, students are not allowed to qualify their response. When instructors reprimand a student for an incorrect answer, they usually attribute the error to the student’s lack of attention and therefore it becomes the student’s fault. This event could cause a student to lose confidence in contributing to class discussions and is more likely to keep his opinions and ideas to himself. Schools do not encourage students with open minds and