Comments on: Do schools kill our kids creativity ?

By: Tony Wanless

Tony Wanless — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:16:47 +0000

Well, we do live in a society that prizes credentials over brains, passion or sheer hard work. Conversion to a real meritocracy is an uphill struggle.

By: Tomasz Wozniak

Tomasz Wozniak — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:14:10 +0000

Kills creativity? Not only that! It sets kids to develop procrastination thanks to the reward of perfectionism (as Edison mentioned in the second post), it also paves the road to frustration/depression/self-isolation and others, thanks to the focus on subject-matter which is so rarely rewarded by social environment. Schools are more slaves producing factories, so much need for the wealth of society, then a place for OUR kids.

There are some inspiring alternatives of youth guidance: the teaching methods for nazi pupils or schools of Tibet, to name a controversial few. I’m particularly interested in the later which I know merely from stories heard at source. Should you encounter any trustworthy write up on the teaching methods in the Tibet/Mongolia region - please drop me a note.

By: Edison Reis

Edison Reis — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:40:51 +0000

Isn’t this a great discussion for a labor day long weekend ?

Edison Reis

By: J L Mealer

J L Mealer — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:40:56 +0000

But of course the schools and text books do exactly that.

JL Mealer
Mealer Companies LLC

By: Mike Danyo

Mike Danyo — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:39:02 +0000

Hello all. Pretty much as a society we have a tendency to stifle kids creativity. We do not let kids try to do things because they (the kids) might mess something up. Whether it is allowing them to try things (installing software and hardware on a comnputer) to fixing something, it is more about empowering the kids to try different things, to solve problems there way, to make things (projects or food) the way they want. You need to be involved, but not as to keep them from failing, but to keep them from burning down the house or killing themselves.

Computers can be fixed, physical belongings can be replaced, but creativity needs to be nurtured and encouraged (four kids has taught me some patience).

My wife is a very progressive educator, and parents are one of the roadblocks. If it wasn’t the way they learned, then the method is not correct. It starts at home……

Thanks