Comments on: What is creativity? http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/ education | teaching | math | technology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:57:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Straight talk on constructivism « Casting Out Nines http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/#comment-17052 Straight talk on constructivism « Casting Out Nines Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:13:17 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1167#comment-17052 [...] I’ve said it before here: No human being can do meaningful creative work until they are completely fluent in the rudiments of what they are working with. Musicians, athletes, and skilled workers all know this. For some reason, there’s no outcry among music educators that we need to just hand new musicians a saxophone and try to get them to discover how to play it all by themselves. This fact — that drill and mastery precedes creative work — is so painfully obvious that I feel a little embarrassed for my colleagues in math instruction who don’t seem to get it. [...] [...] I’ve said it before here: No human being can do meaningful creative work until they are completely fluent in the rudiments of what they are working with. Musicians, athletes, and skilled workers all know this. For some reason, there’s no outcry among music educators that we need to just hand new musicians a saxophone and try to get them to discover how to play it all by themselves. This fact — that drill and mastery precedes creative work — is so painfully obvious that I feel a little embarrassed for my colleagues in math instruction who don’t seem to get it. [...]

]]> By: Phil Wilson http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/#comment-15413 Phil Wilson Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:29:12 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1167#comment-15413 Hmm, that's an interesting idea, Jami, that creativity is a prerequisite of mastery. Could it be that they grow together? For example, I'm not sure that I was ever creative in mathematics until I gained some (little) mastery over a (tiny) area of it - my willingness to push the boundaries grew alongside my knowledge of where the boundaries are. Hmm, that’s an interesting idea, Jami, that creativity is a prerequisite of mastery. Could it be that they grow together? For example, I’m not sure that I was ever creative in mathematics until I gained some (little) mastery over a (tiny) area of it – my willingness to push the boundaries grew alongside my knowledge of where the boundaries are.

]]> By: Streamlining and upgrading math instruction « Casting Out Nines http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/#comment-15363 Streamlining and upgrading math instruction « Casting Out Nines Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:16:43 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1167#comment-15363 [...] it’s almost as if they think that mastery precedes creativity or something. And finally: The report makes a plea for shorter and more accurate math textbooks. [...] [...] it’s almost as if they think that mastery precedes creativity or something. And finally: The report makes a plea for shorter and more accurate math textbooks. [...]

]]> By: Jami http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/#comment-15359 Jami Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:21:36 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1167#comment-15359 Yes, we need mastery in a subject in order to be creative with it, but we also need creativity in order to master a subject. I tend to feel the same as Phil about the word creativity. Way too often people associate the word creative with art and they immediately dismiss trying to be creative because they are not "artistic", and that's annoying! I would think it would be impossible to have one of these things without the other. Good find on that speaker! I like her thoughts! Yes, we need mastery in a subject in order to be creative with it, but we also need creativity in order to master a subject. I tend to feel the same as Phil about the word creativity. Way too often people associate the word creative with art and they immediately dismiss trying to be creative because they are not “artistic”, and that’s annoying!

I would think it would be impossible to have one of these things without the other.

Good find on that speaker! I like her thoughts!

]]> By: Phil Wilson http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/what-is-creativity/#comment-15354 Phil Wilson Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:53:03 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1167#comment-15354 I think you've used exactly the right word there, Robert: mastery. My impression is that many people react negatively to this word because it implies elitism, and perhaps reminds people of power relationships, where one person is the "master" of another. Yet mastery means expert knowledge and control, it means to feel so comfortable in the structured conceptual space Boden mentions, to be able to move in it with ease. Only then can the soft boundaries of the space be explored, stretched, and expanded. I think you’ve used exactly the right word there, Robert: mastery. My impression is that many people react negatively to this word because it implies elitism, and perhaps reminds people of power relationships, where one person is the “master” of another. Yet mastery means expert knowledge and control, it means to feel so comfortable in the structured conceptual space Boden mentions, to be able to move in it with ease. Only then can the soft boundaries of the space be explored, stretched, and expanded.

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