From Lab to Life: Truly New Approach to Schooling |
For years, we have known the results of a massive study of creativity by George Land and Beth Jarman. Here is a summary: 98% of 5-year-olds are creative geniuses; 30% of 10-year-olds are creative geniuses; 12% of 15-year-olds are creative geniuses; only 2% of adults are considered creative geniuses, which, within the framework of the study, is the capacity to look at a problem and find novel solutions.
“We are all born as creative geniuses, but only 2% of adults maintain this status. What causes the remaining 98% to learn non-creative behavior?”
Land concludes: “[It is] … the shackles of excessive rules, conformity pressure, and fear of failure, among others. In a world that never stops changing and where every new problem requires novel solutions, this is tragic.”
Schools everywhere are obsessively focused on teaching kids to excel at tests. I myself honed this........