The Value ofCreativity in a
Global Society“In a world enriched by
abundance but disrupted by the automation and
outsourcing of white-collar work, everyone must
cultivate an artistic sensibility. We may not all
be Dali or Degas. But today we must all be
Designers”.(Pink, 2006)
Graeme Westwood.November, 2013.
GiftedLeaders
We are global.We are interconnected bycommunication, driven by
common goals, inspired byshared objectives.
For posterity and successwe need gifted and creative
leaders.
“According to the NationalAssociation for Gifted
Children(NAGC, 2000), gifted learners are those who
demonstrate high abilitiesin creative, intellectual, and
artistic pursuits, and frequently assume leadership
roles.”(Fletcher, 2011)
Create toSurvive
Global corporations andbusinesses value creativity,
and depend on creativeemployees in order to survive
the ever changing world economy.
“If students leave school without knowing how to continuously create and
innovate, they will beunder-prepared for the
challenges of society and the workforce.”
(nea.org)
The ImportanceOf Design
More than ever before, oursocieties place considerable
importance on design.Brands, advertising, logos,
packaging, social media and digital distribution all depend
on high-end design skills.
“In a world in which good design is increasingly used
as a means ofdifferentiating objects of
mass production, creative design skills are highly
desired in the labor force.”(nea.org)
OutsideThe Box
Individuals who demonstratean ability to think outside
the box are in high demandin corporate environments.
Creativity is seen as instrumental in improving
both products and services.
“In our society we have cometo value those individuals who
attempt new things, monitor Whether they work, cast about
Continually for new ideas and practices, pick themselves
up after an apparent failure, and so on.
(Gardner, 2009)
A Sourceof Achievement
Instead of being undervaluedin education, creativity should
be pushed to the fore. Children learn and develop
through creativity - it can be a source of true
achievement.
“Education is great … but it's really my creativity that's
taught me that I can be much more than what my education told me I am..”
(Raghava KK, TedTalks, 2013)
UntappingPotential
As educators we need to help students reach their true potential.
This involves allowing them to explore their own gifts and abilities, and taking
those skills to the next level.
“Experience suggests that some, perhaps many people feel
disaffected by education and suffer a sense of failure
precisely because they have never discovered where their
own unique abilities lie. For all of those reasons, schools
need to promote a broad approach to creativity across the curriculum
and a broad and balanced curriculum”(National Advisory Committee on
Creative and Cultural Education, 1999)
CreativeCurricula
Teachers can help studentsdiscover latent talents,
but only within curricula thatoffer flexibility and scope for
experimentation.Without backing at higher
levels, a teacher's best intentions fail.
“The real role of leadership in education…is not and should not be command and control.
The real role of leadership is climate control – creating
a climate of possibility. If you do that, people will
rise to it and achieve things that you completely did not
anticipate and couldn’t haveexpected.”
(Robinson, 2013)
References.
Fletcher, T, S. (2011). Creative thinking in schools: Finding the “just right” challengefor students. Gifted child today. 34. 37-42.
Gardner, H. (2009). Five minds for the future. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.
National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. (1999). All our futures: creativity, culture and education. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://sirkenrobinson.com/pdf/allourfutures.pdf
National Education Association. Preparing 21st century studentsfor a global society: An educator’s guide to the “four cs”. Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf
Pink, D. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York, New York: Penguin Group.
Raghava, K, K. (2012). What's your 200-year plan? Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/raghava_kk_what_s_your_200_year_plan.html?quote=1734
Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education's death valley. Retrieved November 23, 2013, fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley.html