Creativity in the "Real" World: Inspire Kids in School

Creativity isn’t just needed in the “real world,” it is the real world.  Creativity is all around us—it’s almost impossible to miss!  One can observe creativity in something as simple as their commute to work or school: the song or radio show their listening to, the billboards they pass, bumper stickers, vehicle design, clothing… the list goes on and on: even the road and intersections are a product of someone’s creativity. Ultimately, creativity is what got us into teaching. 

Creativity is needed in the real world because we’ll need it to succeed in the future.   

Society has depended on the creative solutions of individuals and collaborative groups since the dawn of time.  Our ancestors created simple tools, learned to farm, created cultural traditions and literature, and these things eventually got us to our modern way of living. 

The goal we should have as a society is for children to be able to grow up to become independent, self-reliant, free-thinking adults able to empower themselves.  Encouraging creativity is, in my opinion, the best way to secure the success of our future generations. As teachers, we play a crucial role in drawing students in to new ways of producing

Yes!  So, I'd love to share with you some examples  that could inspire older students:

-        Apple commercial “Powerful” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNbG8BZbS4): the theme of this commercial is that the ability to be creative is completely accessible and fits in the palm on your hand. Most kids today can't even fathom life without instant gratification in the form of phones and tablets.

-        Go Pro:  How it is changing the advertising business (http://www.fastcompany.com/3032509/the-future-of-work/how-gopro-is-transforming-advertising-as-we-know-it): Skip hiring an ad-agency… User-produced content is a huge thing in selling products or experiences. Check out the video on this page about teaching a pelican to fly.  It's incredible!

-        The World’s Biggest 3D Paintings (http://travel.cnn.com/worlds-biggest-3d-painting-exhibition-051926?hpt=wo_t2):Yes!  This is incredible. Kids can stare at this in amazement for hours.

-        Could this be the end of chemotheraphy? (http://kdvr.com/2014/04/25/the-end-of-chemo-safer-ways-to-fight-cancer/)  Scientists are looking to find other ways to fight cancer. Maybe you'll have a student who will find a cure.