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[fiona]

Or so thinks the editor of the Chronicle.

He may be right.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/next/2011/10/02/beyond-super-and-ill-prepared-students-how-about-some-with-creativity/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

The Fiona

[larryc]

Fiona, are you OK?

[concordancia]

Actually, at my institution, we have a high percentage of students who are very creative. However, they have been trained that at school, they have to figure out the game and play it right. If I manage to coax them into more creative thinking, but then tell them that a certain step needs modified, they think that I have tricked them into stepping outside of their comfort zones and I am mean for not teaching them the game.

[fiona]

Fiona, are you OK?

I'm fine, grading midterms. Hope you're fine, too.

The Fiona, puzzled

[polly_mer]

I have to wonder how many people actively try to engage imagination with undergrads.

I do in my science for teachers classes and most of my students eventually come up with some creative things to do.

However, I'm also teaching very small classes that meet frequently for long periods of time.  Someone teaching 4 sections of 50 students each simply can't give the structure that some students are going to need to be creative.

Also, how many students are actively discouraged from doing creative things in their "spare" time because they have internalized the message that one should either be earning A's or partying?  How many students are encouraged to do creative partying like engineering school pranks instead of just drinking beer on the front porch?  How many students are encouraged to join the stage crew in a performance?  How many students who aren't drama majors or music majors are encouraged to be involved with performances of any sort for the experience?  How many students who aren't engineering majors are encouraged to be involved in building competitions?