Dang Ly

10/4/15
Edit 2000
Reading Response 3 Grow Creativity
What were the main arguments of the reading? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
This article gets straight to the point. Its main argument is in the very first paragraph.
Simply put, creativity is important in the real world but yet we are taught out of it. I
completely agree as I myself can attest to being more creative when I was younger. For example,
when I was younger I was fluent in several languages. But spending time at school learning and
focusing mainly on English, my other language skills have deteriorated because due to
specializing in only one. My case was not particularly unique either. My Spanish and Japanese
teachers always noted that it was easier for learners to be fluent in a language when they were
young rather than older. And this phenomenon is not unique to just learning, or in my case
unlearning, languages either. For many people, technology is easier learnt when younger and
hence the term digital natives. For people who grew up with digital technology, learning to use
devices like IPads and smartphones come much easier to them. They grew up with those type of
technology and are fluent with it so to speak. This is opposed to older people. I believe that it is
not necessarily because they not taught how to use digital technology that they are bad with it.
Rather, it is because they are used to older forms of analog technology that older people just
simply are not comfortable or capable of using computers and newer form of technologies. So
like languages and digital devices, helping to cultivate students creativity while they are young
is important. So basically like what Shively argues, capping students knowledge and
pigeonholing them is counter productive. Instead, increasing their fluency, flexibility, originality,
and elaboration of said skills in whatever topic it may be will be the key to education in the 21st
century.
Which of the skills described in this chapter are most important to you as an educator/ lifelong learner? Which are most important to comprehend and be able to apply them in your
discipline?
In my opinion, all the main skills as described in this chapter are important to me as a
lifelong learner and all are applicable to my disciple. However, if I had to choose the most vital
skill, it would be fluency and complete comprehension of a given topic. Thus, the sub-skill sets
like brainstorming is important because it builds fluency. And having fluency is necessary for
creative problem solving because it lets you choose from a wide range of possible solution to
problems. And I think it is important to note that Candace Shively specifically stated fluency
because pure memorization is useless. Memorization is only good for testing and not much else
whereas fluency is complete understanding of a particular subject and thus a given a necessary
skill to have in the real world.

Citation
Shively, Candace Hackett. (2011). Grow Creativity. Learning & Leading with Technology. 38
(7), pp. 10-15.