Students need to be taught creativity, business leaders say; but how?

Donna Gordon Blankinship, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 03, 2007

SEATTLE - Applicants for even the most technical jobs need more than good grades and the ability to understand complex problems, says a group of business leaders who want to add another essential to the list of things kids learn in school: creativity.

“A flexible, adaptive, lifelong learner who can think creatively and solve problems and frame problems creatively. That’s what everybody’s looking for,” says Eric Liu, the motivational speaker and mentoring guru who is the driving force behind a new Washington organization called Creativity Matters.

The business people involved in this government-sanctioned but privately financed enterprise say Liu has hit upon an interesting and important concept, but some acknowledge they’re slightly baffled about how it will be accomplished.

Can you even teach creativity in the classroom?

In hopes of getting a positive answer, the group is launching an “imagination award” in partnership with a New York organization that’s pursuing a similar goal.

Students need to be taught to use their imaginations to solve problems, to connect the dots, Liu said. Good teachers are already doing this, he added, but the idea needs to be given a higher priority, and project-based and experiential learning should replace some book work and tests.

Liu cited Aviation High School, a magnet school near Boeing Field south of Seattle as a place where this is happening all the time.

Students are learning math and science and other subjects by learning about flying airplanes, studying weather, aviation law and the aerospace industry. From building an airplane as a class project to internships in the aviation industry, students apply their classroom knowledge to real world experiences.

If a high school diploma is going to be meaningful, it needs to include more than a list of skills to check off, said Liu , who is on the state board of education committee rewriting the requirements for a high school diploma.

“We want the diploma to be a promise, a social contract with whoever gets our kids next,” he said.

Creativity and imagination are both job requirements at the Boeing Co., says Bob Watt, vice-president of government and community relations.

“We make our living imagining things that never before existed,” he said. “Creativity is at the heart of what Boeing does.”

In addition to trying to hire creative people, Watt says Boeing encourages its employees to continue their education and potentially gain more inspiration by offering to pay their college tuition to study anything they want, whether it’s related to building airplanes or not.

It’s important to teach children both how to think and that there are different ways to think, says Bob Drewel, a former president of Everett Community College who now runs the Puget Sound Regional Council, an association of local governments.

Public education may have to change to make room for more creativity, Drewel said, adding that teachers aren’t always given the time or the freedom to use their creative energy in a way that inspires children.

Drewel, whose wife was a teacher for 32 years, said education officials may need to start listening better to teachers when they suggest other ways to teach subjects. He said class size may also be an obstacle to creativity.

Regarding how to teach creativity in the classroom, Drewel said explaining how to do this is a little like describing what kind of art, music or poetry a person admires. He recognizes good teaching when he sees it but wouldn’t be able to give teachers a list of ways to teach creativity.

The website for the new Creativity Matters organization takes a stab at such a list. The ideas range from turning students into teachers to playing interactive games and making sure mistakes are acceptable in the classroom.

The organization’s first initiative, following a conference in Tacoma in early November, will be a partnership with the Lincoln Center Institute of New York to start an “imagination award” to recognize a public school that best demonstrates the spirit of imagination and creativity.

The Lincoln Center Institute recently announced the first such award for a New York City school, and Washington is the first place outside of New York to start a similar program.

Other proposals that came out of the Tacoma meeting included training for principals on fostering creativity, more involvement by Washington arts organizations in public schools, some new education programs concerning the environment, and a proposal to continue directing lottery money toward arts education after the program expires in 2012.

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On the Web:

Creativity Matters: http://www.creativitymatters.net

Aviation High School: http://www.aviationhs.org

rules of composition

compositional frameworks

Eric Swangstu, artist, founding director of the Art Mine Gallery, and portfoilio Rep for Pratt Institute, came to the Port Angeles High School Art Dept Tuesday Nov 6. He came with a talented dancer and artist model named Maureen to present a dynamic approach to figure drawing to more than 30 artists; students and recent graduates of Port Angeles and Lincoln Lincoln High-Schools.
To challenge these young people to capture Maureen’s playful energy in a series of poses rendered in charcoal, Eric had them try an energizing variety of prompts- Layer drawing upon drawing upon drawing of 10 second poses. Use their oposite hand to draw. Draw Maureen upside down. Draw the side of her that was not visible from their vantage point. Move to another position in the room and draw her. Draw not only Maureen, but people and furnishings visible around her. The kids were entralled– liberated by the active and bold approach and the novelty of maureen’s poses and the strength and imaginative use of her body.
All during the session Eric peppered his individual coaching ” look for the invisible line from the end of the foot to see where the arm should be”… “keep your eyes up, on the model”
with asides about art school, portfolio development and creative approaches to one’s artisitc practice.
After about two hours of drawing we adjourned to the adjoining art classroom where about 10 students had set up collections of their art work. Eric proceeded to give individual critiques and the students were gracious enough to let all of us hear his insightful remarks. Eric was affirming and encouraging- finding work and trends within collections that were worthy of positive feedback and making suggestions where new directions of inquiry and expression could be made. His remarks were very articulate and up beat yet candid. I think everyone in the room came away with a more expansive understanding of what is possible in the way of making art.
Without pausing for much, if any, pizza for dinner, Eric was ready when the 20 or so parent joined us for the evening session about colleges, scholarships and careers in the arts.
He directed us to two websites http://www.portfolioday.net/ and:

Before closing his remarks, Eric generously encouraged students to contact him, seek his advice about their portfolios, their art and career questions and to visit him at The Art Mine Gallery in Port Hadlock www.theartmine.com

Sunday Oct 21 2007 we took a school van and carload of young artists to several of the artists studios who had opened their studios to the public. We learned a lot about how artists in a variety of media ply their craft and and business making art. We also went to the Elevated Ice Cream Shop for a treat!

Potteryand Sculpture classes will be using their class time to take the bus from the 600 bldg over to the Port Angeles Fine Art Center to see an exhibit of the drawings and sculptural ceramic vessels by Anne Hirondelle. http://www.pafac.org/
Thursday Sept 20 periods 4, 5 and 6

Design classes will be traveling to the Center on Tuesday Sept 25 periods 1, 2, to view the same show.
Each class will only be off campus during their art class time. There is no cost. Permission slips must be signed and returned to Mrs. Steelquist.

students are asked to do art of their own choosing outside of class to reinforce their learning of the elements and principles of design. Examples of student work will be posted weekly.
Week One The first element of design is Line.
Week Two Value- line and dark in a work of art

check out the classes offered by Mrs Steelquist at Port Angeles High School

Here are some images of the art club mural