Creativity and Discovery: Education’s Objectives Conner Jordan

Key question Is public education’s focus on grades, achievement, class rank, and test scores undermining creativity and the student’s sense of discovery?

Operational Definitions Creativity: An original idea with value …Ken Robinson, acclaimed author, speaker and Knight of the British Empire “All kids have tremendous talents — and we squander them pretty ruthlessly.” Discovery: An unbridled desire to learn and acquire new knowledge. …Pat Jordan, Conner’s Dad

Learning Styles Traditional Classroom: Drill and kill or more charitably, teaching to the test. Often effective technique for maximizing test scores. Opens the door to unethical behavior Innovative Classroom: The flipped classroom Technology Integration Foster self-sufficiency

Data -> Information -> Knowledge -> Insight Environmental Scan (today’s needs) Traditional Work Environment Supported by the traditional education environment – train to the task at hand Emerging Work Environment Collaborative and knowledge based Ability to innovate and tease insight from multiple data sources

Conclusion Is public education’s focus on grades, achievement, class rank, and test scores undermining creativity and the student’s sense of discovery? Yes: Today’s workplace demands a level of creativity and innovation our schools are not necessarily imparting to the workforce of tomorrow.