Assessment colleagues,

Toni asked what we mean by creativity.  Good question. I'll give it a  
shot.

Is creativity a means to an end -- that is, with creative teaching  
approaches will more students have more and higher academic skills,  
better test scores? Or is creativity itself an end -- that is, do we  
want students to be both academically prepared and creative? Or  
both?  And where do critical skills fit in?

I would argue, as Marc Tucker does, that we need both high academic  
skills and creativity, and I would put critical thinking in both  
these catregories, both as a means and as an end. Our adult secondary  
education (e.g. GED) programs should provide students with the  
opportunity to have academic skills that are strong enough to succeed  
in college, strong critical thinking skills (these may be inseparable  
from strong academic skills), and the skills of creative problem  
solving.

Since this is the assessment list, let me ask what are we measuring  
now adult secondary education programs?

• Perhaps academic skills, at least through standardized tests
• Are we measuring critical thinking skills, and if so how?
• I am not aware that anyone in adult literacy education is measuring  
creative skills.

If Marc Tucker is right, we are not paying attention to one of the  
greatest economic assets, one of the historic strengths of the U.S. I  
agree with Tucker and believe that the nearly exclusive focus on high  
stakes basic skills tests for K-12, and the focus on only traditional  
basic skills for the GED tests disrespects important creative skills  
like the ability to look at a problem freshly and from different  
perspectives, the ability to try out and evaluate a range of  
solutions, the ability to represent an idea with an image, a moving  
image, a drawing; a metaphor or other figurative language, or  
rhetoric; and the ability to understand and follow, but instead to  
disregard instructions or traditional paths of thinking (what we now  
often describe as "thinking outside the box").

Are these goals that every GED student has or should have. No. Should  
they be? Not necessarily.  But for students who see the GED or high  
school diploma as a way out of poverty, as a stepping stone to stable  
employment and self-sufficiency, as a key to open the door to  
successful post-secondary learning, these are the skills we should be  
teaching and measuring: academic skills, including critical thinking  
and creativity.

I invite your comments on this.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



On Oct 26, 2007, at 3:39 PM, Borge, Toni F wrote:


> When we are referring to creativity do we mean teaching critical  

> thinking skills which once our students know how to think in a  

> critical thinking way they will be successful in achieving their  

> education and other life goals. However, just like K-12 education,  

> adult education is captured on the high stakes spinning wheel of  

> accountability which stifles creativity and teachers teach to the  

> test.

>

> Toni Borge

>

> BHCC

> Adult Education & Transitions Program

>

> Boston, MA

>

>

>

> From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment- 

> bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of shirley ledet

> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 4:30 PM

> To: The Assessment Discussion List

> Subject: [Assessment 1001] Re: GED Discussion - what you need to know!

>

>

>

> I agree that creativity is not the enemy of success on standardized  

> test.  We need look no further then those who have been successful  

> on any type of test.  We tend to use terms like natuarally gifted,  

> just smart, etc.  If you speak to these folks they are well  

> rounded, enjoy reading, mvies, theater, they tend to use terms like  

> "I don't know, I just know stuff."  Researchers have found that  

> this may be the reason for disparity between ethnicity. I believe  

> there is more disparity between socio economic background then  

> ethnicity. Exposure to the arts, banking industry, faculty,  

> medicine, legal issues as part of your everyday life tends to offer  

> more of an advantage when testing then someone whose only exposure  

> is to go to school and study hard. My students participate in a  

> quite a few creative projects and those that "get into it" tend to  

> do better in all subjects. Those that feel it is a waste of time  

> and they just want to "study for the GED" are generally frustrated  

> when "all of their hard work does not pay off like they would  

> like."  Creativity also leads to retention; especially those  

> activities that have to be completed in increments.  Let's bring on  

> more creativity!

>

> Shirley Ledet

>

> GED Instructor

>

> NHC-Carver

>

> djrosen at comcast.net wrote:

>

> Colleagues,

>

> I am a proponent of creativity in adult literacy education --  

> indeed in all education. As Marc Tucker, President of the National  

> Center for Education and the Economy, has said in a presention  

> recently to the National Commission on Adult Literacy, http:// 

> www.caalusa.org/video/choices.html , the U.S. education system --  

> and he includes adult education, cannot be competitive without high  

> academic standards AND creativity.

>

> But many GED teachers and administrators believe that their  

> students will not pass the GED unless they focus on skills and  

> knowledge needed to pass the test, that creativity is a  

> "distraction" and a time-waster. (Many K-12 teachers,  

> administrators or policy makers also believe creativity distracts  

> from passing high stakes tests.) I hate to be the one to raise this  

> issue, but it's the key question on the minds of many GED teachers  

> and administrators, so I invite the panelists to address it.

>

> Is creativity a distraction or is it essential for success? Why?

>

>

> David J. Rosen

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

> From: "Marie Cora"

> > Hi everyone,

> >

> > We've had several new subscribers over the past day, and so I  

> wanted to

> > give a quick reminder where you can get the information on this

> > discussion. For the full announcement, information on guests, and

> > suggested resources go to:

> >

> > http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/assessment/ 

> 07creativityGED.html

> >

> > If you missed the posts from yesterday - there were a couple -  

> you can

> > catch up in the archives at:

> > http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/assessment/2007/date.html

> >

> > Please post your questions and also your own experiences to share  

> now!

> >

> > Thanks!!

> >

> > Marie Cora

> > Assessment Discussion List Moderator

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Marie Cora

> > marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com

> > NIFL Assessment Discussion List Moderator

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment

> >

> >

>

>

>

> From: "Marie Cora" <marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com>

> To: <Assessment at nifl.gov>

> Subject: [Assessment 942] GED Discussion - what you need to know!

> Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:43:14 +0000

>

> Hi everyone,

>

>

>

> We’ve had several new subscribers over the past day, and so I  

> wanted to give a quick reminder where you can get the information  

> on this discussion.  For the full announcement, information on  

> guests, and suggested resources go to:

>

>

>

> http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/assessment/07creativityGED.html

>

>

>

> If you missed the posts from yesterday – there were a couple – you  

> can catch up in the archives at:  http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/ 

> assessment/2007/date.html

>

>

>

> Please post your questions and also your own experiences to share now!

>

>

>

> Thanks!!

>

>

>

> Marie Cora

>

> Assessment Discussion List Moderator

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Marie Cora

>

> marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com

>

> NIFL Assessment Discussion List Moderator

>

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment

>

>

>

>

>

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