MarkArt

Although Newsweek isn't perhaps the august powerhouse of respected journalism that it once was, their "Creativity Crisis" article did provide an occasion to consider the very real problems that are facing America today, especially within the field of the creative arts... I like to believe that I'm a pragmatic thinker (though that's not always the case) so I most enjoyed the practical ideas I discovered in () article the 

Mark

I really enjoyed the research we did for this project. It was very interesting to see the new ways in which the arts are being explored (typography, design), and it was encouraging to read so many articles from sources concerned about losing the arts. More than that, though, it was really enlightening to read in-depth about the thought processes involved in creative thinking, and the importance of those processes to all aspects of schooling and life. Many of our sources touched on these thought processes; many also touched on how creativity is incredibly important to this country’s future. It hadn’t occurred to me that in our push for standardized testing, we were not only losing the arts, but also creativity in general. Perhaps most reassuring was the very comprehensive piece from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities about reinvesting in the arts. I realize that it by no means solves any of the issues surrounding the dearth of arts and creativity in school, but it recognizes that standardized tests are not improving our schools, that the arts are incredibly important to student outcomes, that our arts programs are disappearing, and that we need to reinvest. Recognizing the problem and understanding the landscape are incredibly important steps to fix the issue. I am very hopeful that teachers, students, parents, politicians, and community members will continue to push for the arts in our schools, and I personally am excited to share my newfound appreciation for so many different aspects of the arts in my own classroom.

Lisa