STEM is not enough.
Our brain has two very distinguished ways of thinking:
1. Convergent thinking – which is about critical, logical, narrowing down and evaluating options.
2. Divergent thinking – which is about imagining, exploring possibilities, generating many ideas and having no boundaries.
STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has gained significant traction in recent years as a focal point in education. These four important subjects focus mainly on developing our analytical and critical thinking.
STEM is an enabler to solve problems. An innovative software is developed from creative ideas to solve a problem. An advancement in science comes from imagination.
Einstein said he was imagining how the world would look if he was riding on a ray of light and that helped him develop the relativity theory.
STEM is not enough. We need to proactively and intentionally develop our creative thinking, so we can imagine new ways and come up with creative ideas.
Looking at the skills required for success in the 21th century, creativity is right there at the top.
Creative and critical thinking, together, form the perfect dynamic for education.
Therefore, cultivating creative thinking should be one of the education system's pillars.
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