Creative Problem Solving in Schools

​Very nice and instereting material to complement some material i do for my student, thank for sharing this valuable content.

​I have found much of what the data collected in these documents mirrors the realities of teaching high school level students in America today! Today's students are not ready for simple, basic fundamental knowledge because of the devices in their hands are their lifeline to whatever realities they are living...ie, gaming, fashion, Pop culture, or music! The direct result has been their soft skills of being on time to class and reading levels have suffered dramatically throughout the past decade. There still are a core group of students who want to learn and expand their respective horizons in major fields of art, medicine and science.

Being a career art and technology educator has given me a unique perspective on creative problem solving through the years. Technology has improved our lives in many ways, but new devices and machines come with there own problems. How we use them in the marketplace is still evolving. People who have used creative problem solving skills are still at it today! Like Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, a former Odeo executive, and Odeo co-founder Evan Williams started a new company, called Obvious, which later evolved into Twitter. Now 105 + million people are using Twitter, which was initially derided by some, as a tool for the shallow and self-centered to broadcast the minutiae of their lives to the universe (Biography.com) Given the right technology, people can unlock their respective creative skills, while stifling others who do not understand it. Each person has to want to know how they fit in our new emerging marketplace. Those that fear it will be faced with the "flight or fight" mentality. Those who use it will continue to fight to expand their uses for it, while the others will run away from the knowledge!

Most of the examples are from creative teachers, programmers and so forth. Teaching High school students in biology I have used the drawing for letting students make timelines of discoveries, flowdiagrams of hormone-effects and stop-motions of cell division etc. There is lot of possibilities but what I experience is that older students (like high school students) in a subject which has not traditionally been thought of as creative need to re-learn that it is okay to be creative in these lessons. ​

​Very interesting! Teaching high school students in an early college high school program has only mirrored the data. Students want real life experiences but do not have the tools/knowledge and basics to allow them to be productive when working with a business and industry partner. I spend countless hours working with them on skills such as how to use a ruler, what graph paper is used for and how to write a professional looking letter and resume. They tend to see little purpose in these life skills and constantly want to do projects that they feel will help develop their creativity. They don't understand that the basics will help them expand their knowledge of who they are and what they need for success.