Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recapturing American Innovation Through Education: The Creativity Challenge for Schools

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Creativity Under Duress in Education?

Part of the book series: Creativity Theory and Action in Education ((CTAE,volume 3))

Abstract

This chapter introduces a research-based model for how educators can cultivate creative Climates, nurture creative Attitudes, and develop creative Thinking skills (CATs) in students. Described is how the current test-centric climate of the American education system smothers creativity in its students, leading to the creativity crisis in the United States. The chapter describes the components of the CATs model (Kim KH, The creativity challenge: how we can recapture American innovation. Prometheus, Amherst, 2016): the ION (i.e., inbox, outbox, newbox) thinking skills, 27 creative attitudes, and 4S climates (i.e., sun, storm, soil, and space) that are necessary for creativity development in students. The chapter also addresses how the CATs model can be used as a resistive theory and practice to provide educators with the potential to rekindle the creativity that has been lost. The CATs model can be practically integrated into educators’ pedagogical practices. Ways are suggested for educators to cultivate creative climates, nurture creative attitudes, and develop creative thinking skills in students, such as by using children’s picture books.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abowitz, K. K. (2000). A pragmatist revisioning on resistance theory. American Education Research Journal, 37, 877–907.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. E. (2012). The best way to prepare students for high-stakes reading assessments. New England Reading Association Journal, 47(2), 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anagnostopoulos, D. (2005). Testing, tests, and classroom texts. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 37(1), 35–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Apple, M. W. (2006). Educating the “right” way: Markets, standards, god, and inequality (2nd ed.). New York, NY: RoutledgeFalmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Assaf, L. (2006). One reading specialist’s response to high-stakes testing pressures. Reading Teacher, 60, 158–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Au, W. (2011). Teaching under the new Taylorism: High-stakes testing and the standardization of the 21st century curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(1), 25–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Au, W. (2016). Meritocracy 2.0: High-stakes, standardized testing as a racial project of neoliberal multiculturalism. Educational Policy, 30(1), 39–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baines, L. A., & Stanley, G. K. (2005). High-stakes hustle: Public schools and the new billion dollar accountability. The Educational Forum, 69(1), 8–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bassok, D., Latham, S., & Rorem, A. (2016). Is kindergarten the new first grade? AERA Open, 2(1), 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Battenfeld, M. (2015). Why Every Student Succeeds Act still leaves most vulnerable kids behind. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/why-every-student-succeeds-act-still-leaves-most-vulnerable-kids-behind

  • Bloem, P. L., & Padak, N. D. (1996). Picture books, young adult books, and adult literacy learners. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 40(1), 48–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohrnstedt, G., Kitmitto, S., Ogut, B., Sherman, D., & Chan, D. (2015). School composition and the Black-White achievement gap (NCES 2015-018). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Booher-Jennings, J. (2005). Blow the bubble: “Educational triage” and the Texas accountability system. American Educational Research Journal, 42, 231–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Booher-Jennings, J. (2008). Learning to label: Socialisation, gender, and the hidden curriculum of high-stakes testing. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29, 149–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, C. (2016). Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter? The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/kindergartners-get-little-time-to-play-why-does-it-matter-57093.

  • Byrne, M., McGroarty, E., Robbins, J., Tuttle, E., Effrem, K., Wright, G., … Baird, K. (2015, December). Top 12 concerns about Every Student Succeeds Act, § 1177 & HR 5. Retrieved from http://truthinamericaneducation.com/elementary-and-secondary-education-act/top-12-concerns-about-every-studesnt-succeeds-act-s-1177-hr-5/

  • Carr, K. S., Buchanan, D. L., Wentz, J. B., Weiss, M. L., & Brant, K. J. (2001). Not just for the primary grades: A bibliography of picture books for secondary content teachers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45, 146–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou, M.-H. (2013). Strategy use for reading English for general and specific academic purposed in testing and nontesting contexts. Reading Research Quarterly, 48, 175–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Davis, D. S., & Willson, A. (2015). Practices and commitments of test-centric literacy instruction: Lessons from a testing transition. Reading Research Quarterly, 50, 357–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobrick, A. (2014). Poverty and pretense: Good intentions and misguided educational reform from No Child Left Behind through Race to the Top. In The Obama Administration and educational reform (pp. 27–44). New York, NY: Emerald.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy, M., Giordano, V. A., Farrell, J. B., Paneque, O. M., & Crump, G. B. (2008). No child left behind: Values and research issues in high-stakes assessments. Counseling and Values, 53, 53–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fulcher, G. (2009). Test use and political philosophy. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 29, 3–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gesell Institute. (2010). Gesell LEAD press conference: Study results. New Haven, CT: Gesell Institute Retrieved from www.gesellinstitute.org

    Google Scholar 

  • Grodsky, E., Warren, J. R., & Felts, E. (2008). Testing and social stratification in American education. Annual Reviews, 34, 385–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman, J. J. J., Krueger, A. B., & Friedman, B. M. (2004). Inequality in America. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao, C. (2010). Enhancing children’s artistic and creative thinking and drawing performance through appreciating picture books. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 29, 143–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, M. L. A., Hou, S., & Fan, H. (2011). Creative self-efficacy and innovative behavior in a service setting: Optimism as a moderator. Journal of Creative Behavior, 45, 258–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, K. E. (2015). Implementing academic choice: A self-study in evolving pedagogy. Studying Teacher Education, 11(2), 143–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. H. (2011). The creativity crisis: The decrease in creative thinking scores on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Creativity Research Journal, 23, 285–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. H. (2016). The creativity challenge: How we can recapture American innovation. Amherst, NJ: Prometheus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. H. (in press). The creativity crisis: An update. Creativity Research Journal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohn, A. (2010). How to create nonreaders: Reflections on motivation, learning, and sharing power. English Journal, 100, 16–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. (2006). Tracking achievement gaps and assessing the impact of NCLB on the gaps: An in-depth look into nation and state reading and math outcome trends. Cambridge, MA: The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J., Shin, H., & Amo, L. C. (2013). Evaluating the impact of NCLB school interventions in New York State: Does one size fit all? Education Policy Analysis Archives, 21, 67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, S. J. (2008). The impact of No Child Left Behind on teachers’ writing instruction. Written Communication, 25, 462–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, R. (2015). Learning to love reading: A self-study on fostering students’ reading motivation in small groups. Studying Teacher Education, 11(2), 103–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moses, M. S., & Nanna, M. J. (2007). The testing culture and the persistence of high stakes testing reforms. Education & Culture, 23(1), 55–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, C. A. (2017). What are corporate education networks? Why ask questions? Kappa Delta Pi Record, 53(3), 100–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nijstad, B. A., De Dreu, C. K., Rietzschel, E. F., & Baas, M. (2010). The dual pathway to creativity model: Creative ideation as a function of flexibility and persistence. European Review of Social Psychology, 21, 34–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2015). PISA 2015 results in focus. OECD.org. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf

  • Otiko, M. (2015). Critics concerned Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act won’t fix the problems in American schools. Retrieved from http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/12/11/critics-concerned-obamas-every-student-succeeds-act-wont-fix-problems-american-schools

  • Russell, J. L. (2007). Not kid stuff anymore? Institutional change in kindergarten education. Berkeley, CA: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. L. (2011). From child’s garden to academic press: The role of shifting institutional logics in redefining kindergarten education. American Educational Research Journal, 48, 236–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, M. (2013). A longitudinal study of a state-wide reading assessment: The importance of early achievement and socio-demographic factors. Educational Research and Evaluation, 19(1), 4–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stipek, D. (2006). No Child Left Behind comes to preschool. Elementary School Journal, 106(5), 455–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, C. (2017). The value of picture-book reading-based collaborative output activities for vocabulary retention. Language Teaching Research, 21(1), 96–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney, P., & Farmer, S. M. (2002). Creative self-efficacy: Its potential antecedents and relationship to creative performance. Academy of Management Journal, 45, 1137–1148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, C., Chang, Y., & Lo, C. (2018). Learning under time pressure: Learners who think positively achieve superior learning outcomes from creative teaching methods using picture books. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 27, 55–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfenbarger, C. D., & Sipe, L. R. (2007). Research directions: A unique visual and literary art form: Recent research on picture books. Language Arts, 84, 273–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, A. (2015). The bloated rhetoric of No Child Left Behind’s demise. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/12/the-bloated-rhetoric-of-no-child-left-behinds-demise/419688

  • Wong, M., Cook, T. D., & Steiner, P. M. (2015). Adding design elements to improve time series designs: No Child Left Behind as an example of causal pattern-matching. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 8, 245–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

References for Picture Books

  • Barton, C. (2016). Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s super-soaking stream of inventions. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie Revere, engineer. New York, NY: Abrams Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, B. (2016). Tinyville Town gets to work! New York, NY: Abrams.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. (2017). Franklin’s flying bookshop. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clinton, C. (2017). She persisted. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coles, R. (1995). The story of Ruby Bridges. New York, NY: Scholastic.

    Google Scholar 

  • de la Peña, M. (n.d.). Last stop on Market Street. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deedy, C. A. (2017). The rooster who would not be quiet! New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demi. (1990). The empty pot. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, J. (2018). Islandborn. New York, NY: Dial Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, C. (2013). Papa’s mechanical fish. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, G. (2016). The marvelous thing that came from a spring. New York, NY: Atheneum Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, M. (1988). Koala Lou. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, V. (2017). Little leaders. New York, NY: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henke, K. (1991). Chrysanthemum. New York, NY: Mulberry Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herthel, J., & Jennings, J. (2014). I am Jazz. New York, NY: Dial Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. F. (1991). Mistakes that worked: 40 familiar inventions and how they came to be. New York, NY: Delacort Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, D., & Jordan, R. M. (2003). Salt in his shoes. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krull, K. (1996). Wilma unlimited. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamothe, M. (2017). This is how we do it: One day in the lives of seven kids from around the world. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S. (2017). Lines. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, D. (2016). I dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg makes her mark. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lionni, L. (1963). Swimmy. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liuka, L. (2015). Hello Ruby: Adventures in coding. New York, NY: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobel, A. (1970). Frog and Toad are friends. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovell, P. (2001). Stand tall, Molly Lou Melon. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig, T. (2013). The invisible boy. New York, NY: Knopf Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luyken, C. (2017). The book of mistakes. New York, NY: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahy, M. (1990). The seven Chinese brothers. New York, NY: Scholastic.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCloud, C. (2006). Have you filled a bucket today? Northville, MI: Ferne Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonnell, P. (2017). The little red cat who ran away and learned his ABC’s: The hard way. New York, NY: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munsch, R. (1996). Stephanie’s ponytail. Toronto, ON: Annick Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offill, J. (2011). 11 experiments that failed. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palacio, R. J. (2017). We’re all wonders. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkney, J. (2009). The lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polacco, P. (2010). The junkyard wonders. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portis, A. (2007). Not a box. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prelutsky, J. (1983). Me I am. New York, NY: Melanie Kroupa Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rey, H. A., & Rey, M. (1974). Curious George series. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenstock, B. (2014). Ben Franklin’s big splash: The mostly true story of his first invention. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saltzberg, B. (2010). Beautiful oops! New York, NY: Workman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santat, D. (2017). After the fall. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seuss Geisel, T. (1958). Yertle the turtle. New York, NY: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shannon, D. (1998). A bad case of stripes. New York, NY: Scholastic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spires, A. (2014). The most magnificent thing. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press Ltd..

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsurumi, A. (2017). Accident! New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dusen, C. (2005). If I built a car. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Who HQ. (n.d.). Who was series. Retrieved from http://www.whowasbookseries.com/who-was/

  • Williams, V. B. (1982). A chair for my mother. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winter, J. (2017). The world is not a rectangle: A portrait of Zaha Hadid. San Diego, CA: Beach Lane Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodson, J. (2012). Each kindness. New York, NY: Nancy Paulson Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada, K. (2014). What do you do with an idea? Seattle, WA: Compendium.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank Dr. Kristin Conradi Smith for several picture book recommendations that contributed to this book chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA

    Kyung Hee Kim & Nancy Chae

Authors
  1. Kyung Hee Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nancy Chae
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyung Hee Kim .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Blacksburg Campus, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Carol A. Mullen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kim, K.H., Chae, N. (2019). Recapturing American Innovation Through Education: The Creativity Challenge for Schools. In: Mullen, C.A. (eds) Creativity Under Duress in Education?. Creativity Theory and Action in Education, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90272-2_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90272-2_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90271-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90272-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation