Project #1: Innovation and Education
Many thinkers (like the ones whose articles we have read in this unit) believe that creativity is a
crucial skill required throughout today’s workforce, but the American educational system is
producing less and fewer creative people. At the exact same time, STEM education and training
are on the rise. Much has been made of the connection between these two phenomena and the
problems it creates. Over the last week, we’ve read several suggested solutions to what
Newsweek calls “the creativity crisis”. Amid all these solutions, there are only a few brief and
sometimes vague theories of why creativity is on the decline. So, what’s going on? How do we
account for the sharp decline in creative thinking among young people?
Your project will contain two crucial elements. 1) Propose a theory of how education can lead to
loss of creativity. Support your theory using your own case study or that of a classmate if you
wish. 2) Use your theory to contribute to the conversation begun by an article we have read in
class. For example, perhaps you can help explain why Freire’s “Banking” method appears in
your hometown classroom. Or maybe you can show why too much of Newsweek’s “divergent
thinking” is being used in American elementary schools today. Writers who wish to earn a
passing grade in this unit must thoroughly integrate both elements into their project.
You can take this assignment in a number of directions and there is no “right” answer. Your goal
is to respond to the prompt with a clear thesis that is supported by ample evidence (quotes,
statistics, personal narrative) and helpful analysis (explanation that connects your evidence to
your thesis). If it makes sense to do so, you may use any of your pre-writing (free writes, short
writing assignments) in your paper.
Note: If you’d rather argue another point of view about creativity and education, you are free to
do so as long as you discuss your project idea with me before submitting the first draft.
Texts:
 Choose at least one of the following:
o Freire “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education”
o Newsweek “The Creativity Crisis”
o Huffington Post “STEM to STEAM”
o Live Science “Are Today’s Youths Less Creative & Imaginative?”
Length: 6-7 pages (rough draft must be at least 5 full pages)
Deadlines:
 Personal case study: Monday, 1/26 (bring hard or electronic copy to class)
 Rough draft: Friday, 1/30 by midnight (post on HuskyCT discussion board)
 Revised draft: Friday, 2/13 by midnight (email to me)