Connection: Convergent and Divergent thinking

In Mr. Allen’s humanities class we read an article called The Creativity Crisis. This article discussed how schools now a day’s don’t focus on creative learning or convergent and divergent thinking. The author gave one example that stuck out to me. The example was how a school gave a class a prompt and they had to figure out how to solve it using both types of thinking. The prompt was how they could reduce the noise in the library.  This prompt got the kids thinking out of the box because there wasn’t an exact answer they were looking for .Then this school took the state achievement exam as other schools did in the state and the school that did the project got higher test scores. This is because this project got the kids thinking outside of the box because there was no exact answer. This plays a big role in how schools are today around the world.

Schools in America a lot like Glenbrook South, have a curriculum that’s focus is on a specific grading system and having higher test scores. What schools in America don’t realize is that because of what their main focus is they unconsciously warp the students in the always needing an A+ or 100% and to always thinking there is one correct answer. Even though those are important things this draws away from the focus of using convergent and divergent thinking together. A lot of teachers don’t encourage their students to think out of the box or use divergent thinking; because of this it sets a routine that students always have to follow.

In other countries the focus is different; a lot like that school that did the project. Other countries like China focus on the arts and the creativity in learning as well as the correct and straight forward was of thinking. The schools there realize how important it is for the students to constantly use both types of thinking because that only makes the students smarter and gets their brains thinking outside of looking for “the right answer”. These schools encourage the students to take risks in learning which in the end makes the more successful as a person.

Although, convergent and divergent thinking works in other countries it is hard for American schools to change. The school systems wouldn’t be the hardest thing it would be trying to break the habits and desires of needing 100%’s and always getting the correct answer.  This has happened in a class at Glenbrook South. In Mr. Allen’s humanities class he changed up the grading system into his own where kids can only get 95, 85, 75, and 65 percent and so on.  This really threw the students for a twirl, the first question asked was, “How can I get a 100%?” the answer was simply you can’t. Many students didn’t like that but what they did like was that you can’t get a 60 percent or even a 70 percent. Another component to Mr. Allen’s class is that he gives the students assignments that aren’t graded for a percentage but graded to give the students feedback. This gives the kids flexibility with trying new ideas and ways of thinking but also learning to use both convergent and divergent thinking together without being punished. On the other hand it is hard for the students to loosen up and think out of the box because they aren’t used to doing that because it hasn’t always been accepted. But Mr. Allen does a great job at encouraging his students to take risks and to try and be creative.

The schools in America should try and make both convergent and divergent thinking more a focus in their curriculum like other school around the world do; because it would only help the students in the long run be more successful. It goes back to The Big Shaggy; in our societies we need and have the irrational side of humans which needs humanities to explain that for us. So having a good sense of using both convergent thinking and divergent thinking will make not only people themselves but the world as a whole a more successful place.