新编大学英语4原文The-Case-for-Creativity-Encouraging-Children-to-Think.docVIP

The Case for Creativity Encouraging Children to Think 1 Creativity is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this vital skill in children. 2 If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as practically essential: masking tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Manufacturing and Mining Company, better known as 3M. At work he developed a sticky-side substance strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to pursue the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew perfected the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake: Now 3M encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas. 3 It is a strategy that more and more companies are employing and one that experts around the country say we ought to be following with our children, both at home and at school. The feeling is that if we teach them to think creatively, they will be better able to function in tomorrows society. 4 Creativitys benefits reach beyond music and art. Successful students and adults are the ones who discover a number of ways to approach problems. 5 Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a characteristic of high intelligence. Just because a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce original ideas that are good for something. 6 Unfortunately, schools have not tended to promote creativity. With strong emphasis on test scores and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators sacrifice creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but cant recognize ways to apply it to new situations. They may know their multiplication tables, for example, but they are unable to apply them to story p