Lethargic students

At around about the age of five, we are using about 80% of our creative potential. We show high levels of curiosity, creativity and inquisitiveness but by the age of twelve, our creative output has declined to about 2% of our potential, and it generally stays there for the rest of our lives.

I refuse to think it is that they just become uninterested naturally and believe it is due to schools teaching us that that there is only one true way of thinking and that success is about repeating what is in the teachers head, as apposed to discovering for themselves which they find interesting.

we are taught that there is only one right answer to every problem, to conform, to fit in and not to scare them with our creative thoughts.

I believe that everyone has interests and passions for learning we just need to nurture these interests not extinguish it. I think positive impact can come from schools and it is not just about genetics or parental upbringing but this does have an effect.

Questioning is discourages in primary and secondary schools because teachers feel they can't answer the questions with their knowledge or feel questioning is frustrating.

Teachers think it is enough to teach what is already known rather than discovering what isn't known.

Which means once students arrive at university they are lethargic and have forgotten what it means to question and discover knowledge. Students are also scared of being wrong and making mistakes.

Teacher's also discourage students from making mistakes and failure even though people produce deeper learning from trial and error.

solutions:

-need smaller ratio of facilitator to student

-inspire students to question everything and discover for themselves and use the art of questioning

-don't grade through exams grade through work

-learn from trial and error

-keep doing different things. Read different books and papers. Go to different places for your holidays. Talk to different people. Listen to them and seek to synergies and synthesize. Take every opportunity to regenerate your generative powers.

Age and creativity- http://creatingminds.org/articles/age.htm