I just finished the first chapter of Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner. The first chapter was all about the new generation. What stuck with me the most was the bit about twenty somethings who are no longer just motivated by money, and that there is no allure in working their way up the corporate ladder to achieve success twenty or thirty years in the future. The new generation wants immediate results, but not in a bad way. They want to know what impact everything they do has on the world, and why they are doing it. People are returning to their creative roots, and this needs to be encouraged. Our education system drums into our minds that we need to focus on finding the right answer, instead of asking interesting questions. This new generation that is just starting to penetrate the workforce however, thinks differently. They are motivated not by external sources, but by internal drive. Corporations are having a difficult time holding on to these young people because their new employees are asking how they will continue to grow and impact the world, and if the company doesn't have an answer, they new generation just walks out the door.
What is endangering this new, creative world of thinking is technology. In some ways, technology is doing great things for this generation. Kids are much more in tune with the world. They actually know what's going on outside of the US in a way that they never would have even ten years ago. They also have communication and networking skills that will be very useful for them in the future. All of this is great, but studies are showing that young people are often spending more time learning on their devices than in a physical classroom. Not all of this is productive, and all this time spent on screens decreases creativity, and the bright future of innovators starts slipping away. In order to avoid this, our education system needs to adapt. Our education system needs to embrace and encourage creativity and alternative forms of teaching. Creativity cannot just be encouraged through second grade and in art class. It needs to be a theme found in every classroom throughout the entirety of a young person's education. This is the only way to secure a brighter and better future for us all.
For a summary of the book click here
Thanks for reading,
Zank
This sounds like a worthwhile book. As you know, I'm very interested in the idea of students creating something of value NOW, not in 30 years from now. Sounds like this book gives you examples of how young people are doing this and perhaps some clues to how it can be done. Creativity is so hard to teach--but, at the same time, it's clearly the key to future success. If you come across ideas about how to teach it, please let me know.
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