MetroLutheran

You are remembered for the rules you break. —Douglas MacArthur Thinking outside the box is a timeworn euphemism that is still used, ad nauseam, when describing creativity. But what about when the “box” in question is a set of rules, or even laws, put in place for good reason? Harvard researcher Francesca Gino set out read on …

When I found the photograph, I was stunned. During my angsty teenage years, I, like millions of misfit kids, fantasized about being adopted. Although I have many characteristics in common with both my parents, I didn’t look exactly like anyone on either side of the family. This, combined with the common teenage sentiment that my read on …

There are lots of reasons why people don’t do well on IQ tests, many of which have little to do with intelligence. Maybe the test-taker is stressed about something unrelated to the test, or perhaps their test-taking skills aren’t up to scratch. Socioeconomic and racial factors also play into IQ scores, but when results are read on …

Imagine for a moment that you are watching the very first human who created fire. Perhaps she was working with a group of people on the problem. Or, maybe she was off somewhere alone, striking rocks and sticks together in solitude. The motivations and challenges that made up our caveperson’s problem solving process were unique: read on …

Schools kill creativity,” laments Sir Ken Robinson in his famous TED talk. Robinson describes how modern schools are dependent on test results to gauge how kids, and the schools as a whole, are doing. He explains that, as a result of this attitude, highly creative students often fall through the cracks. Just as we are read on …

The sonnet is an interesting phenomenon in the world of poetry. Shakespeare is probably the most famous sonnet writer, having offered more than 150, but the format has been around, in one form or another, since the 13th century. In order to write a sonnet, the poet must follow an almost unbelievably restrictive set of read on …

The main purpose of the Muppet character Count von Count is educating very young children on the simple mathematical concept of counting. When most kids first learn to count, they begin by counting objects they see in the physical world. Perhaps you have pointed at a group of objects and asked your preschooler: How many? read on …

Want a better brain?” asks the commercial voice-over. “Lumosity can help.” The screen shows a fresh-faced, hip young woman who wants help remembering people’s names. The voice-over continues explaining that Lumosity uses the “science of neuroplasticity” to tailor a brain-training program that will help with memory, learning, and productivity, in a way that “feels like read on …

In a corner of the children’s section of the New York Public Library sit several battered, bedraggled stuffed animals. Patches of fur are missing from the stuffed donkey; the bear’s dirty feet and the tiger’s matted coat are evidence that this collection of animals has been loved. The animals were donated to the library by read on …

There is no one “right” way to foster creativity in a child. Each child and each family are different; what works with your child might not work with your friend’s child. That said, we have noticed a few things in particular that seem to work well and resonate with most kids. So here is the read on …