Thursday, May 16, 2013

New Poll About Creativity in America


According to a new poll released by TIME, Microsoft and the Motion Picture Association of America, no other trait is more admired by Americans than creativity.

More than intelligence, compassion, humor, ambition and beauty, Americans ranked creativity #1 among these traits. And then there’s this:  “62% say creativity is more important to success in the workplace than they anticipated it would be when they were in school.” Clearly, we have to rethink the importance of creativity in our schools so that our students can be successful and happy in life.  

After all, we all know that life is tough and getting tougher; we all know that our country is being challenged from within the government and on Main Street. And that’s where creativity (also called “ingenuity”) has served America so well in the past. 

According to the same poll, only 35% view the U.S. as the current leader in creativity. But here’s the kicker: “for those saying the U.S. is not a leader…31% (say that) schools are not building creativity…” Simply put, we’re losing our edge because we don’t value students’ ability to think creatively. The good news, though, is that creativity can be taught and immediately applied by children hungry to use their imaginations and their skills – if we give them the opportunity!

If you have read this far, you are probably interested in making a difference in your students’ creative lives. May we suggest: “Creating a New Hit Song”. This program is a hands-on residency of variable length where students learn how to take facts, opinions and feelings and create an original song. In so doing, we demonstrate how discipline, form and ability meet with the creative impulse to make something meaningful or beautiful. Of course, this is central to not only the state’s COMMON CORE CURRICULUM but to the goals of educators, business leaders, child development advocates and parents.

As important, when we come to a school for an in-the-classroom residency, we provide your teachers with tools that they can incorporate into their skill set. This is especially true when we work with the same teachers over a period of years.

Speaking of statistics, our experience is that test scores go up when we are part of a school’s approach to education. For three years, we worked in a school in Freeport, NY during which time the students’ scores improved dramatically. While we cannot take full credit for that improvement, the principal has cited our work as being an integral part of their approach to the whole child.

Lastly, it should be said that creativity is fun. It makes us happy to feel connected to our own ideas and to share them with others. So, contact us and learn how we can stimulate your school’s creative potential, have lots of fun and…just maybe…be the start of something that will change your student’s lives forever.

Beth & Scott Bierko (800) 364-5381 or info@bethandscott.net