What Happened to Creativity in the Classroom?
[Editor's note: The author is a retired New York City public school teacher.]
One of the many luxuries of retirement that I now enjoy is time to spend browsing the newspaper, especially the Sunday Times. Occasionally I find myself glancing through the Business Section thinking there will be nothing there to hold my interest. Invariably, however, I become engaged in a human interest story, biography, or innovation that is detailed in this section.
Several Sundays ago a piece about creativity in the work place captivated my interest. A primary focus of the story was that architects and designers were formulating nooks, hallway spaces, etc. to encourage employees to sit and think quietly, reflect and think creatively. During the same time period I happened to tune into a documentary about the old Ma Bell business model. Since the telephone company was a monopoly for an expanse of time, funding was rarely an issue. Employees at Bell Lab were encouraged to invent and create without necessarily addressing specific needs or problems. A result of this environment was the invention of laser technology and early prototypes for cell phones. Indeed an astounding number of patents came directly
One of the many luxuries of retirement that I now enjoy is time to spend browsing the newspaper, especially the Sunday Times. Occasionally I find myself glancing through the Business Section thinking there will be nothing there to hold my interest. Invariably, however, I become engaged in a human interest story, biography, or innovation that is detailed in this section.
Several Sundays ago a piece about creativity in the work place captivated my interest. A primary focus of the story was that architects and designers were formulating nooks, hallway spaces, etc. to encourage employees to sit and think quietly, reflect and think creatively. During the same time period I happened to tune into a documentary about the old Ma Bell business model. Since the telephone company was a monopoly for an expanse of time, funding was rarely an issue. Employees at Bell Lab were encouraged to invent and create without necessarily addressing specific needs or problems. A result of this environment was the invention of laser technology and early prototypes for cell phones. Indeed an astounding number of patents came directly