text:
- Hibah Ameer
- Karachi( Home-Town)
- Pakistan
Design Student, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
This conversation is closed.
Does formal education as a child hinder a child's creativity?
I am writing on a paper on Education Systems restricting child creativity. On one hand formal education has it s benefits as it trains the human eye to notice things, place things in order. But on the other hand it sets certain limitations to a child's imaginative mind and forces him/her to produce stereotypical imagery of what they call 'art'
What are your opinions?
Oct 2 2012: Let's start viewing creativity as more than just "art". One of the challenges of typical early formal education now is that creativity is often connected to a visual system, rather than the broader role of problem solving. What we should be teaching is developmental thinking and co-creation - ways that children can learn to build on each others ideas. Collaboration is a form of creativity - one that is interdependent.Sep 26 2012: In my opinion formal education provides a much needed structure to children and a platform for social interaction with others their age.
It is the parents job to provide a creative outlet at home for the child instead of letting him/her sit for hours in front of a television/game console/ I pad or on the internet. Reading books has all but ceased to exist which is one of the best forms of nurturing the the imagination.
If anything the stereotypical imagery reflects the lack of stimulus provided in the daily life of a child not just at school.
Every piece of art has the artists experiences and soul reflected in it thus the art will be colored by imagination the lack of which is eminent when lives are limited to what is easily available on the internet or on the Television.
Sep 29 2012: I do agree that education provides structure to a child but not in the form of social interaction. Yes there should be a creative outlet at home, but If any creative outlet is to be instilled in a child sufficiently and effectively, it should be a collective task from all aspects of a childs life, home and school.
If a child is drummed with authoritative rule and conformed behaviour 35+ hours per week, then you have the parent trying to invoke the childs personal expression and creativity, the relationship between school and home is immediately conflicting.
Balance and communication is key is it not?Sep 22 2012: One can only hinder creativity by giving excuses for not being creative.
Creative minds and creativity has blossomed in extremely unfavourable circumstances and conditions. Creatives have gone to school and have produced great works of art; creatives without formal education have equally wowed us with their excellence.
Human imagination is not something that can be caged or bounded by education, laws, imprisonment or whatever.Oct 13 2012: Teachers who exercise the "freedom of creativity" are the most influential and remembered by students. When you teach or train, you are in a constant need of finding creative methods to reach the mind of your students, as long no rules or laws are broken.
chen xin
Oct 5 2012: most of the time we are locked in school .we can do not thing but learn so we can not really not how the things happen .many of us just have the theory but can not do it personnally ,i think it is two different concepts.
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several days ago i have read a piece a news that the students of Cuba ,they just learn half day and pratcise half day .i
think it is a good idea.then we can use what we learn and also can do something labor ,then we have a real learn and
have a much longer memory about it .
Ray Boarman
Oct 4 2012: I think it most definitely is. In my opinion the standardized test is one of the worst things in the school system. I think they teach you nothing. The school system is all about heres how you do it, study it, learn it, regurgitate it. Just recently graduating from college i saw it all the time. Students cramming try to "learn" the information than forgetting half of it a week later. You've got kids focusing on the grade more than the actual information on the test. You give the kids a test with right and wrong answers, your teaching them there is a right way and a wrong way.
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We should fostering creativity, not just the arts, but problem solving and such. Try to show them there can be ways to do the same thing in different ways. You've got the education system producing these carbon copy kids with the same mind set, thinking about the wrong and right, and only a handful thinking out of the box daring to do it differently.
Oct 5 2012: I am always surprised that people believe schools encourage kids to believe there is only one way of solving a problem. For such a long time now schools have focused on conveying the message that there are multiple ways of approaching a problem. This has certainly been a big push over the last twenty years.
I cannot speak to the years before that.
It is so curious to me that so many people have not noticed this.
Oct 5 2012: Well just having completed the public school system and a state university, i found at no point was i encouraged to use my creativity. I was an art major and had only a handful of those teachers allow/push me to think outside of the box. I was not happy to find even the art teachers restricting. Maybe in your area its different but i have not seen, from personal experience, any type of fostering of creativity.
Oct 5 2012: This is sad for an art major and inconsistent with the way teachers in lower education are trained, with the curriculum frameworks school districts typically adopt, and with the sorts of pedagogy to which teachers and administrators nationwide have been consistently exposed over many years.
The dramatic popularity nationwide, for example, of "Writer's Workshop," which places creative writing at the center of writing curriculum grades 1-8 and the widespread adoption of inquiry-based math and science, are examples of the rejection of rote in favor of curriculum focused on exploration, imagination, and design alongide critical thinking.
While the standardized tests of my youth were the sort with bubblesheets, which is what most of us probably envision when we hear the words "standardized test," even the standardized tests of today often are a mixture of short answer, and short and long "free-response."
I agree, though, that the big priorities in most districts now in k12 are critical thinking, communication, and support of ideas rather than the arts.
As you say, though, nothing has taken hold everywhere.
Jan DeLisle
Oct 3 2012: Citing "formal education" as if it is a consistent, homogeneous entity is unrealistic and a disservice to those schools trying to make a real difference in education. Public schools, by virtue of the task at hand (educating and graduating students in the most cost effective, efficient way), have to be structured and consistent. The demands of an accountability system (NCLB) that is numbers driven only adds to that focus. Creativity is often seen as superfluous in the quest for data excellence.
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Fortunately, there are schools and school districts that are mindful of accountability and still striving to keep the focus where it belongs: the individual child. In these "gold mines", opportunities exist and are increasing for students to concentrate on areas of individual passion, creativity and exploration. Our school district is such a place. We have a vibrant fine arts program with, conservatively, 3/4 of the student population actively involved in art, music (band, orchestra, chorus) and / or theater. Engineering classes begin in middle school through Project Lead the Way; robots and rockets abound. Inquiry-based learning is encouraged. Most importantly, Independent Studies is an elective option. The topic of study is designed by the student and provides precious time for invention, reflection, and WONDER! The teachers of these classes are trained to stretch individual thinking and encourage investigation through "new eyes". Products from these students leave no doubt that creativity is alive and thriving.Oct 2 2012: I find this interesting and reminds me of my childhood. My grandfather was an artist and drew many things people would recognize today. Every time he handed me a coloring book and crayons he would tell me "Don't color in the lines". He always thought lines restricted creativity and was never afraid to tell me it was ok to break through the normal.
Oct 2 2012: We too were not advised to color between the lines. For that reason, coloring books were not allowed in my house. My mother's view was we could draw things ourselves.
Carla Tonga
Sep 29 2012: 'Formal education' could be defined as educating students or filling students with knowledge & basic facts .
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A 'students creativity' could be defined as invoked expression or freedom of expression from an individual.
We can only begin to see the diferencebetween 'conformed education' & 'creativite expression' and factors that can drive a student either way are 1) A teachers ability to teach, communicate & invoke. 2) A students ability to learn. communicate & question.
In my opinion & observation, schooling through to High School education is based around conforming to the national standard guidlines & a teachers personal perspective of behavioural control. These two points are the blocking agent to any students ability to grow creatively.
i.e., The student has been the #1 art student of their year for 3 years in high school, they are submitting their final piece for the yearl.
STUDENTt: I painted my niece in soft shades of blue because it reminds me of her & makes me feel happy.
TEACHER: No that wont do, blue is a sad colour & you've ruined the whole portrait
STUDENT': Why does blue have to be a sad? this is my portrait not anyone else's
TEACHER: Because it just is. (teacher storms out of the room).
-- After that conversation, I was graded so low, I was pushed down to the bottom of the class. All it took was one personal perspective of an authoritive figure.
Another example is as an adult student in university, I noticed the struggle lecturers had trying to push personal opinion & artistic boundries with students straight from High School. Generally speaking you could almost say that Formal education is training our children how to think, how to act & how not to question authority. A teachers job is to teach and over all that is exactly what they do very well but the question is 'what are they teaching and how are they teaching it?Sep 29 2012: When we say formal education, it's impact is not the same on everyone because sometimes formal education can be the conventional, memorisation based education or the practical, project and cas based education. Some schools for example educate with the help of videos, brainstorming sessions, presentations, acting, making songs or cartoons, outdoor learning and other stuff that is effective not only because it is application based but also because it appeals to the five senses of the student and thus helps him to learn easily. And by undertaking such methods of education, the kids improve their creativity. It helps to let their mind wander about and fly freely. Moreover teachers should not just forcibly make the students do this but themselves participate in order to encourage the students to do more.
Stereotypes on the other hand, are much more tricky because they are not only influenced by the education system or the books etc but also by social interaction of students with their peers. They are a combination of what the students understand from their daily interactions, the media through which they learn as well as the world they experience outside academic institutions.
So fact is, formal education can enhance a child's creativity and train the human eye to notice things and put them in order, but only if appropriate media and methods are used that help the child to actually think and ponder. Without it, children have no social platform to interact, be competitive, realise their strengths and weaknesses and discover themselves.
xue yanqin
Sep 26 2012: my argument goes as follow:education for children needs to be different for different children.normal children should be given ordinary education,so that they can open their unknown brain and instruct them learn the world and the ability of survival;for talent children,educators should give them freedom,including free imagination,free space,free speak,free exploid,not limit them on instruction and rule.
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chen xin
Sep 26 2012: i dont think there are children born with talent ! maybe but ...Sep 26 2012: Hello Hibah Ameer. Good luck with your degree.
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Here is my take on the video presentation of Sir Ken Robinsons Ideas.He injected loads of Humor In his talk. In fact just about the whole 18 min. was one long joke. Here are my notes below.
we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out if it.
The whole system is built from the top down to assist those with intelligence to make it to the top tier.
Intelligence is dynamic.
The Brain is intentional.
Intelligence is distinct.
Our educational system has mined our minds in the way we strip mine the earth.
I think Sugat Mitra, has more to say about creative children and education.
You might want to watch this video and he is talking about kids and a system in your part of the world.
Again, good luck.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.htmlSep 25 2012: I am an eight grader and I attended a public elementary school for three years, then switched to a charter school focusing on accelerated academics. This was the best school I have gone to. Rather than the standard memorize-the-material, take-the-test approach that causes one-answer-only thinking, it employed a project-based learning system. We had class conversations and debates on the curriculum, created group presentations and projects that the possibilities for were limited only by our imaginations, and were allowed to work at our pace in subjects such as math. Everything was based on problem-solving, which is what I think we need to focus on in all of our schools to build creative thinkers who can tackle the current and future issues of our society. And all the students loved it.
Then, I entered middle school at a standard public school, which was a whole new experience. It was not a bad school- it taught the students and did the job- but it did not encourage students to think for themselves, create, and solve problems.
I started going to an 'artsy' charter school the next year- total culture shock! This school does use an open- minded approach and offers all kinds of arts classes to nurture students' creativity, but it is somewhat lacking in discipline. Many students in my classes are failing them, because they are under the impression that they can skip homework without consequence, because at this school there IS no consequence, besides the bad grade.
I think we need schools today to teach students how to be self- responsible, to problem- solve creatively, to be open- minded and to be socially capable so they can grow up to be the thinkers and designers of tomorrow. If homeschooling is done well and is the right fit for the student, that's great, but public school has the potential to nurture creativity just as well.
Go charter schools!
Brett Mangel
Sep 21 2012: I had an interesting school experience, so I hope my opinion may be of some value but keep in mind my views began developing as a 7th grader and are still changing almost daily.
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When beginning 7th grade, I was placed in a math class that was way too easy for me which I fiercely fought with our school administration on to no avail. Fortunately for me, I had heard a teacher say that homework was only there to make the tests easier, and since the problem with my class was that it was too easy, I tried to make it harder by not doing homework (some self-serving logic, I know ;) ). This wasn't an issue in middle school as I knew only my parents would see the grades, and I argued that as long as I got A's on tests I could continue not doing my homework.
After a few days absent, I took a test and realized I knew none of the material whatsoever, yet was determined to figure out the answers so I could keep on with my free afternoons. So I tried things over and over again until I found answers that seemed reasonable and they turned out to be right. I kept on with this method and through determination to solve these problems, I found that I improved my test scores (physics & economics too) as I was no longer relying on memory, but rather continuously working to find a solution any way I could.
My theory on it is that by giving a student the answers and testing their retention, we test their abilities to retain knowledge (a skill of diminishing value where google is always a few keystrokes away), without ever encouraging our students to search for answers, which I find to be much more reliable than memorization, and very much applicable when its important to understand the big picture of things.
So my answer wouldn't be that its formal education that hurts our students, but the fact that we give them the answers or methods and then test retention purely. By getting our students to search, and assuring them that the questions are solvable, I think we can go a long way.Sep 21 2012: widen it beyond education. i believe ken robinson's talk to have been too narrowly focused.
it is growing up that "kills" creativity. that involves formal education but it also involves all those interactions with others - peers, adults, media and so on.
there are so many factors here. in NZ we have a brilliant curriculum but our current government is dead set on farming schools out to the private sector and reducing everything to standardised test scores, so they are not helping at all and are in fact moving NZ backwards in education.
creativity is not something that can be pinned down and taught. rather than talk about teaching creativity, talk instead about recognising it and celebrating it.
moving away from all formalised assessment would be a great start but people freak out if this is suggested.
Lars Mews
Sep 21 2012: I wonder why everybody believes that "all" children must be creative or even artists. Do we all look the same, do we have the same talents and ambitions? No! And many of us are anything, but creative. Like most of us will not set a record in sports, or gonna be the next genius in science, and so on...
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I think we set way to much pressure on our children by telling them they got to be the next page in history books, and that they got anything that is needed for that, just the stupid government aka society holds them down.
Why can't we be happy that children are children, and thats it? No, they did not even take their first breath and we already know what potential they have? How do we do that?Sep 21 2012: I don't think it means to... I think... No one asked the government to teach their children to be creative. School isn't meant to do that, parents, community, spirituallity, and exposure to new life experience make you creative, not classes.
This seems to be a recurring theme lately... "Why didn't you teach my child to be creative, and kind, and to love knowledge"... To which teachers, for some reason, are no longer allowed to respond "Because that's your job... You had a child... I teach him facts, and job skills"
Sep 21 2012: It is not that teachers are not allowed to respond that way. It is just not what teachers see as their mission nor what they do!
For some reason people like to think of teachers and classrooms that way, but it is simply not accurate in general in this century.
Literacy, is, of course, a focus, as being able to read is fundamental to a lifetime of continuing learning and communication.
Critical thinking is likely number two to most teachers and number one once students have learned to read. That is, teachers want to give students experience in drawing conclusions they can support with arguments and evidence, both orally and in writing and visually (with displays and graphics).
In science, the thrust of k-8 grade science, at least in the US, is empirical. It is about learning to observe, learning about how to change something in a measurable way and observe the effects on a system of that change.
Even the standardized tests in eighth grade science ask students to design an experiment to test a hypothesis. [I have proctored such tests].
Oct 6 2012: Science and literacy, are facts and job skills... So if teachers no longer see themselves as teaching facts and job skills... They are mis informed. What you are describing is the scientific method... It's natural, you have to train it out of people, not train it in. It certainly doesn't take 9 years to learn it, what you learn are the results of your experiments, and they should be designed to teach you the most important facts about science and the physical world they can.Sep 21 2012: I am an art student now and I am told to explore all possibilities
But as a child I was always told to color inside the lines. I wonder how different it would be if teachers just let the children do what they wanted.
It can't be denied that most part of the training comes from the education systems that a child is part of. Get good grades, study hard, do as the teacher says, make her happy etc. This is the normal life of any student.
Sep 21 2012: I do not know very much about art education. I received my basic education long ago, but judging from my children's schooling and my experience in teaching and curriculum design, the last couple of decades of lower ed have not been focused on asking kids to guess and do what the teacher wants, to agree with her, or to hang on her every word.
But I do not doubt your description of your personal experience or that some schools and classrooms may still be run in this way.
It is at this point very far from universal.Oct 5 2012: Well I would say David Hamilton is right... but he is wrong at the same time... No teacher can teach creativity to a student.. but he can instigate them, make them think and do a lot more if they decide to do something about it... however this discussion is not about a teacher, it is about the education that we as student are getting in current times...
Every kid is different... No one knows what can motivate them or inspire them to do something different, or make them think out of the box... Who knows if the inspiration for being creativity could be the formal education that they had got... And there are lots of example to it...
The only thing what we can do is to make sure that never say no to a kid when he is asking questions, but at the same time make sure you're the one to answer them.. just be the one to direct them to the answers... and let them find it out themselves.....
Every discovery one makes make them think differently and creatively...!!!Sep 20 2012: YES!
It should be about training and nurturing to be "Fit for Life"
What is education for?
1) Can continue to manage their life and self.
2) Seek out the stimulus and/or the contentment they strive for.
3) Whilst providing for themselves and their dependants in an ever changing world.
....Advanced social, creative thinking & technical skills and abilities- demonstrating these through group play and role play and individual project work.....
see also Super Fast Track education system:-
www.commonsensethinking.co.uk/sft.htmlSep 19 2012: Hibah, if you are writing a paper, you will be happy to know there is a wealth of research now on the question of which sorts of educational strategies enhance creativity and which stifle it. The analytical fallacy is to assume all schools and pedagpgies are the same in this regard.
You should do an internet search for actual research on this! You could start by looking at research in the field of education.
Sep 19 2012: Yes i am looking at child psychology as well. I am referring to jstor and lots of other academic readings as well. Its not a paper actually. Its a dissertation for my undergrad college degree.
Sep 19 2012: Ah, an undergrad thesis! Then let me steer you more specifically to The Cambridge Handbook on Creativity, edited by James Kaufman and Robert Sternberg (2010). Chapters 13 and 23 are specifically about creativity in an educational setting, but you will find many other illuminating research articles in the same volume.
Sep 19 2012: Oh wowwww! This is awesomeeee! :D
Gail .
Sep 19 2012: Here is a video interview with a renowned scientist who gives a sample of how it is done. He says that it is most harmful in the middle school years, but I remember it beginning in first grade.
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Sep 19 2012: Hey, youtube is banned in Pakistan at the moment. So i can't access the video sadly.
Steven Hsieh
Sep 20 2012: Michio Kaku says we are born scientist. We are born being curious. We always wonder whats out there.
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Then when we hit middle school and high school.
Every curiosity. Every imagination we had are CRUSHED.
But I believe it starts in kindergarten.
Gail .
Sep 20 2012: Dr. Kaku talks of his daughter taking a High School geology class. She was frustrated because she had to learn the names and properties of all the crystals. She knew that she would never need to know most of that information because she wasn't going to be a geologist. He looked through her text book and saw that it never mentioned the fascinating way in which the crystals form. It didn't even talk about plate techtonics. He was furioius.
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His daughter than asked her famous father why anyone would ever want to be a scientist. He said that for the first time in his (illustrious) career, he was ashamed of his profession.
He said that children are born scientists. They are curious about the world around them. School replaces a child's natural curiosity with meaningless facts.
I had no idea that Pakistan censors its citizens so harshly. I feel bad for all of you. What is it with these fundamentalists who are afraid of knowledge? Knowledge is power. (Oh - I answered my own question. Withhold knowledge and you withhold power.)
Sep 22 2012: Thanks for the information. :D
Religious issues hence it's banned.
I'd rather not get in to that right now :)Sep 21 2012: Well then... I'd work on fixing that problem first. Being unable to learn from the creativity of your peers, is certainly hurting childrens creativity more than anything else.Sep 26 2012: One of Michio Kaku's not so good moments. It happens to the best of us.
Continental Drift is a great subject to study, but, if you lack the vocabulary to speak about how continental drift is one of the forces associated with creating these Crystals, Dirt, basalt, granite, tundra, wet lands, (the list just goes on), you don't know what they are talking about.
My physics teacher told us to go to the back of the book, take the words we don't understand and learn what they mean. That way, when we talk about the concepts and the math associated with the forces under discussion, we won't have mental dropouts when we fail to understand a word associated with the concept.
It helps if you understand the vocabulary of the concept you are learning.Oct 19 2012: If training the student includes handing them a fact, only to be aroused by bell later will waste the brains ability. Our subconscious represents 99% of our brains activity and therein is the source of our creativity. I went through the standard schooling and yet I was born with a contrarian attitude towards my teachers which kept me going to the well of odd ideas just left of center or was it the right. In either case, it kept me seeking and peeking away from the straight-ahead. I believe the reason I have always been able to see things others miss is that I have practiced creativity my whole life by merely letting the subconscious leak out. I am very successful because not only can I do the perfect expected normal deed but I can usually improve on it since I am likely to have already thought about why the norm is weak. To the point of your query of how to instill creatively in a kid's life we must require them to find the truths by fishing through their subconscious for those strange and wonderful wrongs and rights that make up our truths.Oct 18 2012: I think your statement that formal education forces the student to produce stereotypical imagery is untrue. Granted I am a composer and attend music school, not art school, but it seems to me that the focus in art as a whole as well as in the university setting is to break boundaries and create bold statements of individuality. One must not confuse teaching craft with enforcing a mold. For example, in my training in composition I've done work within some very strict rules, specifically when I learned fuxian counterpoint. But what I took away from the class was not a rigid set of limitations on myself but rather I came to understand the music that used the principles studied at a much deeper level and gained the ability to learn more about how that music ticks. Because I now possess that skill I have the ability to learn more from music of the past and apply it to my own work. I will admit, adhering to the fuxian standards in my work for that class did negatively affect my original compositions but it was temporary. After finishing that course I found that my abilities sky rocketed quite quickly.Oct 16 2012: Definitely not. I see nothing wrong formal education. It actually depends on the strategies of the teacher, on how he can improve and unleash the kids' creativity and passion to arts. The use educational apps for instance is widely used nowadays too, in line with education. Educational and interactive apps like the Maddie and Matt's series of applications are worth the try for your guidance.Oct 16 2012: Formal education is subjection to conformity, indoctrination, and social norms.
To learn to read, write, and understand basics of the sciences is a must but formal eduction unfortunately involves far more than that.
Some say we are what we eat and others say we reflect what we believe (learn in school to be truth)
A blind man cannot see (or can he)
A wise man teach (or can he)
A man without funds cannot buy things (or can he)
They once instructed students the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth.
They once instructed students that there were four elements (water, air, fire, and earth)
If one is instructed of the "truth" obviously looking for the truth is a pointless venture!Oct 14 2012: I am from south India and and in my opinion formal education in our country mostly mark oriented. Here we can't think beyond marks. Because most teachers are not passionate enough for their profession and they are working for money only. The formal education system not allowed to think the children beyond their curriculum. Even the curriculum is outdated one and the children are mug up and reproduce in their exams. so in my opinion formal education system prevent the Child's creativity.Oct 14 2012: formal education trains the human eye to notice things on white paper on modestly decorated desks, as for creative? bah, school, and even extraciricular activities nowadays is lacking spontanuity, a little mutual participation of all constituates, a easy goin non abrasive,non time constraining art project, and dont forget that if the childs getting all of its creative energys from a television, rather a able and willing parent propetuating a constant art project or "creative goal" then the kid are sure to create the bare minumum of whats expected by teacher and peers all because of a lack of "exposure" or "knowledges" of not only are great art and artists, but rather the artistic, innovative, poetic, revolutionary, inventive, philosophers of mind, body, and soul, but rather thought, created, believed. So the Teachers, the students, most importantly the parents must continue to Think, Create, and Believe after all we are just carbon copys? if dads to busy at his desk jockey job, dieing of unreached quotas, then the kids will just stress about there failing grades, then the only relief, from this "work"/"school" is a lil psychoactive stimuli, a.k.a. -television, the most potentially abilitating of all the addictions.. my theory? well as teachers get more and more of a ciriculum and a school becomes more and more formal the kids will become more and more like a cow factory of brainwashed glorified conflict graphing calculaters.. and less and less human, because isnt creating tools, creating language, creating every innovation ever was out of natural necesisite, now that everything necesarry is a givin, why think outside the neatly machine wrapped box your dinner, newspaper, and paycheck comes in, a mighty nice louis vuitton box it is to boot!Oct 14 2012: Formal education has actually accounted for a lot of the development of my imagination. I guess the formality led me to ask myself , "What more ?" . The formal aspect of education has made me more curious, led to my aspirations to find out more in the world, and helped me use my creativity and imagination in a more logical, practical, and easily understood way. So i guess the formality of education has served as an asset to my creativity, rather than an hindrance.
Oct 14 2012: The same has been true for me. Many people do not appreciate what they gained from it.Oct 14 2012: Hello Hibah,
Formal education, by itself does not hinder creativity and imagination.
Creativity depends on how the education is delivered and the personality of the student.
I really like the 'Montessori method' of teaching.
There are many schools that incorporate novel teaching methods and customize them based on the students' skills and personality...this is ideal.
I believe that formal education is meant to be a form of guidance to the student.Oct 13 2012: But when a child is limited by exposure, openness, of mind ,body and thought and what is right or wrong, and all things around them are in the negative, that is really what kills creativity in my view!
if you see the sameness everyday and night and it is mostly sad, bad,hurtful,negative then how is someone going to think differently and see the possibilities of the world , the mind, people ,place things. to see or have the desire to do something different, to be creative?Oct 13 2012: Does formal education as a child hinder a child's creativity?
I would say that it depends on the teacher, and the environment and all who are involved with the child. Creativity comes from so many different stimulus. I the teacher shows that there is no right way to paint or draw a dog and that one should think of different things to show and to expose the child to in a positive manner. No rights or wrong just different. The subject matter also has a lot to do with it. Now math is math and reading is reading. However if a teacher uses their creativity to teach. and she or he is not just trying to get though the day! but really wants to see the student grow, and have cognitive thinking skills. yes I do think that formal education can can help the child have a creative mindset. I had a formal education but the people around me were creative. and so therefore I am. but like every thing else being creative is positive and most times some others do not see it that way!!Oct 12 2012: like this conversation
like the one i'm dealing with for GRE. lolOct 5 2012: If students where looked at for there creativity, learned in there way, also taking the same tests in there way of learning, then this whole idea of failing would decrease wouldn't it.
Coming to school and being interested in learning your way, from that persons Talents, would make students more able to learn, follow the class and not feel stupid cause some kids fail a test that only a person with a talent of being "Book Smart" can pass.
Hands on people will learn mostly there way same with Artists, intro and extroverted people, Etc... ,
Yes, there is a system to go by, all students should and will be learned all the material of school, values, logic, creativity. People should be pushed to learn new stuff, but never shove them against a wall of a few options and not be valued for what they have.
People learning mostly there way or in there views of life will increase or should increase % of marks and make them feel good to want to go to school, cause it is something that they want to do since it will be what they love, witch is Learning and the feeling that the students know they will excel passed a normal school system and grow from themselves. Other topics and subjects should seem easy cause maybe you will have there attention and interest more , witch might increase learning.Oct 4 2012: I'd say yes.
One of the main problems in this formal education system is that schools prioritize particular subjects and values over other important things. For instance, when I was a high school student, my school teachers laid emphasis on studying mathematics, English, and Korean. Dancing, Drawing, Music, Philosophy, Global history, Cooking, Movie, and things like that all be underestimated and somewhat ignored just because they are not necessary for students to prepare universities entrance exams.
Formal education system reflects our rigid society.
However, ironically, it doesn't really reflect the society our children have to overcome.
How could children possibly think outside the box when they have to be good at thinking on their feet or come up with new ideas if this kind of limited and narrow way of education keeps shaping their way of thinking?Oct 3 2012: Wow this started off with a blast at religion and then went to shooting educators .. Let a libra try to set some balance.
Perhaps the system is the problem. I see pre-algrba as a means to encourage and excite students into the next phase of math. The system sees it as a pass fail ... grade on a curve ... just a pre-requisite ... a box to check off ... the solution is the objective ... no application required. My teacher was a math whiz but could not communicate the process ... we had those who got it and those who didn't. It took a few years to remove him and get a communicator in the spot.
We have a system that takes the Lady and the Tiger and Death of a Salesman and says it has to be one or the other. If I just broke up with my girlfriend ..love sucks and the tiger is the answer. I see the Death of a salesman as a rebirth and a whole new man emerging ... my college instructor ask me if I understood what death means and if I could understand the title. Creativity killers Yep no doubt about it.
My English teacher told us in todays terms about Romeo and Juliet and ask if we had seen West Side Story. We no longer just read the words but looked into the characters and the circumstances and a whole new world opened up. I liked the Taming of the Shrew but loved the Burton and Taylor film.
In the US the system does not require you know the subject only that you can pass the test .. so we teach the test. It is hard to excite or engage the student under those constraints. By using application as the measuing stick we can engage and excite the student and yes develop that creativity that we are killing.
It does not have to be education or creativity marry the two through good teaching and fair grading practices. If the majority deserves an A then do it. Stop the curve madness. Students are real people not stats.
It is not formal ed. It is the system that formal ed is trapped in.
Out of space. Bob.Oct 3 2012: The development of every child will be limited by its environment. Often we consider a child's environment from the point of view of what do we want to accomplish, and neglect to consider the unintended consequences. An environment which fosters creativity will still have some negative aspects.
Child development research is still in its early development. (If you think about all of the complexities involved in researching children, you might conclude that full understanding will take centuries.) When the research is more advanced, it will point the way to an optimal environment. All of our attempts at raising children have been based on trial and error, and most have been constrained by the necessity of producing an adult capable of producing enough to survive and reproduce.
Formal education is necessarily very restrictive. It must produce young adults capable of living in the current economy and society, with current technology. Considering the complexities of modern society, this is a very difficult challenge to accomplish before the age of 18. In some neighborhoods it is considered success when teenagers do not kill each other. Fostering creativity "should" be part of the process. It must fit into a system that has a separate purpose and higher priorities.
Within this restrictive, challenging context, it is hard for me to imagine what we would consider success with regards to fostering creativity. Our current technology is evidence of a great deal of creativity.
It seems to me that the basic change needed in our education system is to find a way to accomplish its primary objectives, for large numbers of students, while providing individually appropriate education. We still do not have a good way of "advancing" students individually, much less determining what is actually appropriate for each individual as that individual progresses. When we can educate individually, creativity will fall into its natural place.Sep 30 2012: Children are sponges.All children.The rate at which most pick up skills is truly amazing. Simple solution is teach the basics,reading,writing,math as fast as they can complete the work & allowing progress as demonstrated by each individual. How'd ya do that would be heard frequently in this atmosphere.Languages,now abundant in most schools,would flow & be adapted by the young.
Natural occurrences in a natural learning environment .The youth can create a new future if we let them mingle as humans .Curiosity always wins.Add intelligence & you've got winners who understand diversity & so much more on a level that moves quickly .Sep 27 2012: The answer is "Super Fast Track" for young people - 15 to 24 year olds. This provides what they missed out on, gets them back in touch with their 'child within' and really opens their eyes to the world....
to see how it all works:
For the Student:-
We take you on a journey of discovery. A journey that starts with yourself and ends with yourself gaining a new vision of the real world. Your virtual journey is hard and long and it takes you to many places, visiting many different organisations across the world, including large and small business, desert islands and peoples of different cultures. The going is tough but you persevere and you discover what makes these people and organisations work. You seek and discover the fundamental issues behind mans eternal adventure. You travel through Baltimore and reach out to the cosmos, after all, you are just a child of the universe and you are discovering new ways of thinking for yourself. As your journey nears its end, your last quest is especially long and hard, but eventually, although tired, you are elated, you have reached the summit of your climb. You realise that from this journey's end your horizons have changed, and from this new vantage point you can see a great distance all around. You look again at the world and with new eyes and you see the world as it really is. You see clearly the paths to new horizons and new lands awaiting your discovery. Your strength is renewed, you are ready to take your first step along your own life-long journey. In just three weeks time you will:
Be able to consider any problem & understand its constraints & manage the path of potential solutions
Understand the key principles of how businesses and organisations create wealth
Understand a lot more about your own nature, skills & abilities & how to manage and improve upon them
Have the ability to create a life plan enabling you to manage your progress to meet your own goals whatever they maSep 26 2012: Formal education is a foundation. You can design many kinds of foundations for many different conditions of soil, environment, weather, usage, buildings - but you need a good foundation to make much that will reach its full potential.
In music, you learn scales, chords, fingering, notes. The finest musicians in all genres, usually have some or strong background in classical music - theory and practice. In sports, there are endless drills. In math, it all starts with knowing 0 and 1 - with number lines, memorization of tables to make your brain independent of a calculator - to quicken your ability to go further. In writing, you express your ideas from a selection of basic principles - noun, verb, object, adverb. Some of the most amazing art, writing, philosophy has been created during the most structured regimes - witness the artists coming out of China under the strictest oversight. Michaelangelo working DIRECTLY for the Pope. The Golden Gate Bridge during the fear, paranoia and constraints of the Great Depression. Shoot, even healthy politics requires knowledge of the principles of governing in general and your government in particular. (Lack thereof of this may explain the current deadlocks national and international.... )
There is no one right foundation - only the right one for your purpose - personal, community, national, spiritual.... . Public (and private) education cannot possibly be tailored to the nth detail but there are some things that we do know to pass on that are most helpful in a broad time and place. Without it, it's easy to confuse, distract, obstruct, dominate. It is no surprise that the first thing those who would oppress do is to demonize education and creatives.Sep 22 2012: A child's nervous system is in development and the entire nervous system comprises the web of its intelligence. Thus a child should not be immobalixed in a chair or it will not develop properly. How to combine kinesthetic movement with various forms of education is our challenge if we wish to have healthy, truly creative, intelligent adults as opposed to what we see now.
Creativity is more than just brain activity.Sep 22 2012: I recently did the same for the Curacao education system. In a conversation with some people we agreed to the two tems 'old school' teachers and 'new school' teachers. Also the digital world has not sufficiently entered the classroom...The students are way ahead of the teachers...and very creative in the use of sosial sites and finding information...Sep 21 2012: I'm sensing that you feel that formal education is somehow against creativity, and that it creates "stereotypical imagery". I think quite the contrary can be true in education: You can have phenomenal creativity in math, science, and other formal subjects. Much of it has to do with your instructors and the curriculum, but it also has to come from the student. For example, it takes all kinds of imagination to come up with certain math proofs, especially geometric ones. Also, in physics, many problems take a tremendous amount of deep critical thinking and imagination.
The real stereotype is that only "the arts" are creative. And honestly, look at much of "art" out there - it's industrial, derivative, boring. There are just a handful of truly great musicians, memorable sculptures, and immortal painters. The rest might as well go singing at weddings, sell their statues for lawn-art, and paint their sister's living room on the weekend.
Imagination is where you look for it, not just where you expect it.
Jeff L
Sep 21 2012: I think most people just want their children to live a better life then they have. Formal education is the one tool that most feel they have to control that destiny. If they lose a little artistic IQ then so be it. Most jobs are fairly mundane affairs with very little flexibility and chance for being imaginative. The more imagination in the wrong setting the less employability. Formal education probably doesn't make you less imaginative as it does make you less likely to flex your imagination muscles. The innate abilities probably still persist long after formal education.Sep 19 2012: Every design/system has its constraints and affordances. One limitation that the system imposes can, as a result, create a focus on a certain effect, whether the effect is desirable or not.
- 0
There was a saying that the amateur can see many possibilities but the master can only see a few.
Sep 26 2012: Sometimes the master's are so busy they don't have time to look around. Amateur's with no need to adhere to a schedule or deadlines, have more time to work with.
Just a thought.
Sep 26 2012: Indeed, time is definitely one of the biggest constraints. I'm back at school and I don't have the kind of time that I did in summer to spend on the Ted forums.
Sep 26 2012: Good luck and enjoy the adventure. You only have one life to live.Sep 26 2012: Thanks dude! :)
Sep 26 2012: Back to you dude. :)
I enjoy your input.
Especially when it comes to things creative and educational.Sep 26 2012: Thanks for the compliments, John! You have no idea how much they mean to me especially in boosting my confidence.Sep 19 2012: Yes, depending upon how it is done. It does not have to, if teachers are trained to allow creativity in children. Religious brainwashing definitely blocks creativity as children are intimidated for being creative, thinking for themselves, believing what they believe and expressing their own beliefs. Religion shows the highest disrespect of children and hinders creativity and other positive forms of behavior, such as acknowledging the equality of people in other religions.


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Drink plenty of water. Start the day with a good breakfast.
It might read like advice from Mom or a Wheaties commercial, but it's also how some things get rolling during CMA Music Festival week.
The day before the official start of the festival, two groups held two different breakfasts to give fans a chance to hear music, take photos and collect autographs.
Near the Grand Ole Opry House at the sold-out Reunion of Professional Entertainers (R.O.P.E.) breakfast, a line snaked around the Nashville Palace on Wednesday morning. Fans waited for legends such as Mel Tillis, Charley Pride, Bill Anderson and Jean Shepard.
They stood in line with performers including rhinestone-bedecked Joe Edwards, who played fiddle in the "Grand Ole Opry" staff band for more than 30 years. His wife, entertainer Jan Edwards, said she can't get used to calling the week's events "CMA Fest," as she's used to the old days of calling it "Fan Fair."
Inside Nashville Palace, Judy Wilson of LaFollette, Tenn., said she had returned for a second year to attend the R.O.P.E. breakfast and Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam on Wednesday night. An avid fan of George Jones, she had visited previously for his fan club parties.
"We visited his grave yesterday," she said.
Even earlier than the R.O.P.E. breakfast this morning, at just after 7 a.m., about 350 fans had already settled in for a meal downtown at the sold-out GAC Kick-Off Breakfast in the atrium of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Sandra Thomas of Raleigh, N.C., has been coming to the GAC breakfast for four years and to CMA Music Festival for 12 years. She said she looked forward to hearing Easton Corbin perform later in the morning after Lonestar, Eric Paslay and Drake White.
It might have been a younger bunch of performers at the GAC event, but the legends were honored, too.
"I'm a fan of George Jones…" White said in a mini-speech during his new single "Simple Life." Applause erupted and hands lifted toward the ceiling. "…and I'm a fan of you," he said.
So even with a different vibe in two different parts of town, the breakfasts this morning had at least a couple things in common: a love of country music and scrambled eggs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Community Development Investment Review
Published by the Center for Community Development Investments, the Review bridges the gap between theory and practice, from as many viewpoints as possible: government, nonprofits, financial institutions, and beneficiaries.
Creative Placemaking - Volume 10, Issue 2
Artists and cultural institutions have an important role to play in neighborhood social and economic vitality. As community developers consider how best to reimagine space they can and should look to the arts to help create place. This work, otherwise known as "creative placemaking," is beginning to take shape across the country. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is pleased to dedicate Volume 10, Issue 2 of the Community Development Investment Review to this emerging work.
The Green Issue - Volume 10, Issue 1
This issue of the Community Development Investment Review highlights a number of deliberate, innovative interdisciplinary efforts that seek to concurrently and holistically address community development and environmental issues. Many of them focus on cities and their surroundings. They are diverse in the combination of issues they touch and address including air quality, climate change, water access on the environmental side, and education, health, and affordable housing on the community development side, and they are diverse in their range of approaches and partnerships.
Innovations in Neighborhood Stabilization: Responses to the Foreclosure Crisis - Volume 9, Issue 2
In this issue of the Community Development Investment Review, we have brought together a series of articles that highlights some of the stabilization strategies emerging from the efforts of committed nonprofits across the country. The articles in the first section of this issue reflect the lessons learned from the Housing Partnership Network's 2011-2013 Innovations in Neighborhood Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention Initiative, funded by the Citi Foundation. The goal of the Innovations Initiative was not only to support emerging strategies for neighborhood stabilization, but also to share experiences across nonprofits and create a body of knowledge of successful strategies for the community development field. In the second section of this issue, we bring you a series of essays written by influential nonprofit and public sector leaders that enriches the conversation about neighborhood stabilization, providing new and provocative perspectives on this work.
Pay for Success Financing - Volume 9, Issue 1
This issue of the Community Development Investment Review focused on Pay for Success financing, attempts to do two things. The first is to serve as a comprehensive resource for the most current thinking on the origins, models, and potential implications of Pay for Success. The second is to encourage readers to weigh its exciting potential against its possible pitfalls. Pay for Success is a tantalizing idea but it raises important questions. Are we privatizing important government services that should remain under public control? How can we accurately measure and enforce "success"? Can we guard against fraud? Can we effectively balance our often-conflicting goals of equity, efficiency, and efficacy? Understanding and answering these, and other, questions is a crucial first step before widespread adoption of Pay for Success tools.
Advancing Social Impact Investments through Measurement - Volume 7, Issue 2
This issue of the Review includes the proceedings of the "Advancing Social Impact Investments through Measurement" conference held at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on March 21, 2011. The conference was an attempt to bring both the community development finance and the impact investing communities together to share recent developments in innovation in social metrics and to think more deeply about how the government could play a role in promoting more and better measurement of social and environmental outcomes. In addition to the proceedings, this issue includes a series of thoughtful essays written by conference attendees in response to what they heard at the convening.
International Community Development - Volume 7, Issue 1
Low-income people in the U.S. and abroad face similar challenges: access to credit, housing, jobs, and critical services including health and education. And yet today, those who work on international economic development and community development hardly know each other. This issue of the Review is dedicated to a simple idea: innovative ideas to solve poverty should not stop at the national border. There are too many good ideas abroad that can help inform our practices domestically, and good ideas here that can be relevant to other countries.
Building Scale in Community Impact Investing through Nonfinancial Performance Measurement - Volume 6, Issue 1
In the community development finance and impact investing worlds, there is both universal agreement for the need for better social outcome measurements and no consensus on how to do it. This issue of the Review is an attempt to gather in one place what we know, what we think the state of the art is, and how we might contribute to an ongoing process to establish a tool—or many tools—that help us measure the social benefit of impact and community investing.
Health and Community Development - Volume 5, Issue 3
In this issue of the Review, we explore the intersection of community development and health. Specifically, authors offer varying perspectives on how to "bend the health cost curve" using innovative community development strategies and how to positively affect social determinants of health to generate better health outcomes for low-income people.
Social Enterprise and Impact Investing - Volume 5, Issue 2
In this issue of the Review, we explore how both business enterprises and investment decisions can be infused with community goals—providing for those who are less capable of providing for themselves, promoting better health and stronger community fabric, and respecting the environment.
Real Estate Owned - Volume 5, Issue 1
The collapse of the housing market has devastated neighborhoods and balance sheets alike. Millions of homeowners have defaulted on their mortgages and holders of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) have suffered massive write-downs. Banks and servicers have been increasingly called upon to renegotiate payment terms and reduce mortgage principle to slow the tide of foreclosures and stabilize the housing market. Despite such attempts to "work out" troubled mortgages, however, the foreclosure rate continues to rise at a steady pace.
Revisiting the CRA: Perspectives on the Future of the Community Reinvestment Act - Volume 4, Issue 1
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), enacted in 1977, has fostered access to financial services for low- and moderate-income communities across the country. Together with other antidiscrimination, consumer protection, and disclosure laws, the CRA remains today a key element of the regulatory framework, encouraging the provision of mortgage, small business, and other credit, investments, and financial services in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.
Data and Technology - Volume 3, Issue 2
This issue of the Community Development Investment Review explores how better data and technology can direct more capital to low-income areas. Better data on community development investments can turn uncertainty into quantifiable risk. In other words, better data transforms community development investments from being considered exotic, one-offs, public relations or philanthropy deals into regular assets with known risk parameters.
Low Income Communities as Emerging Domestic Markets - Volume 3, Issue 1
Taken together, the articles in this issue of the Review provide a contemporary look at this discussion of undervalued markets.
Rural Community Development Venture Capital - Volume 2, Issue 3
This issue of the Review wrestles with how rural entrepreneurs can find the financing they need to release the energy of their local communities.
Secondary Markets Conference Proceedings - Volume 2, Issue 2
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System held a special, invitation-only conference in Washington, DC on September 6 and 7, 2006, on the secondary market for community development loans.
Secondary Markets for Community Development Loans - Volume 2, Issue 1
The mission of the Center for Community Development Investments is to enhance access to capital in low-income communities.
New Markets Tax Credit - Volume 1, Issue 1
This issue will focus on the New Markets Tax Credit program, which was enacted in 2000 to increase the flow of capital to communities that had been left out of the tremendous economic growth of the nation's longest economic expansion.


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text: I am in the process of making up another forum for the phins,bills,jets and pats to all come and post as well as here. Just wanted to give some of you the heads up, since I know some people love to talk on message boards like myself. I'll let you all know when it is up so you can post there as well.


text:
Hang tight!
Recipe by CHIPPENDALE
"After years of trying to perfect the recipe, I finally did it! This recipe makes the best dinner rolls. It is sweet and full flavor. My family and neighbors love it."
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1 1/2 cups
warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 teaspoon
lemon extract
1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon
5 tablespoons
white sugar
2 tablespoons
dry milk powder
2 tablespoons
butter flavored shortening
4 1/2 cups
bread flour
2 teaspoons
active dry yeast
I have tried MANY, MANY bread machine recipes but this one cannot be supplanted as my favorite, by far! Every time I make it I get requests for the recipe. When I'm feeling lazy, instead of making the rolls I just put my bread machine on the basic bread cycle and let the machine do all the work--the loaf comes out perfect every time!
I cannot believe all of the 5-star ratings on this recipe--it's SO BAD! I'm sorry, I rarely ever give anything below a 3, but these are just *that* bad ... I followed the recipe, except that I didn't have molasses, so I used more honey ... they were absolutely beautiful when they came out of the oven, and they smelled heavenly ... we couldn't wait to sit down to them! But, OMG, when you bit into them ... all we could taste was lemon extract ... We both think these would have been yummy without that extract, so I am going to try them again without it ... thanks for the recipe, but, I'm sorry ... this was just bad. **I made the recipe w/o the lemon extract, and the rolls were GREAT ... I used honey in place of the molasses, as I did before, and I used 2 T. white sugar/3 T. dark brown sugar ... I also got to looking over the reviews, and I noticed that almost all of the 5-star reviews had left the lemon extract out for one reason or another ... I HIGHLY recommend you do the same! :)**
108 Ratings
Foolproof recipe for great sweet dinner rolls. The only modification I made are omitting the lemon extract because seems like it is too overpowering, and substitute the tablespoon of molasses with honey (total 2 Tbl honey instead) since I don't have molasses on hand. I also make 20 rolls instead of 12, and they are all pretty good size still. I've used this recipe three times already. Would recommend this easy and great recipe to anybody!
I made this without a bread machine and it was quite easy and worked well.
This recipe won the hearts (and stomachs) of my family. They absolutely went crazy over these rolls. Delicious! I substituted a few ingredients, such as: almond extract for the lemon extract, 2 Tbsp. of honey instead of molasses, and 2 Tbsp of butter instead of butter flavored shortening.
These rolls are absolutely wonderful! They are very simple to make, and as one reviewer said, they even freeze well. The best way to do this is to roll up your 18 pieces or so of dough (only making 12 made them very dense and the middles never seemed to get done while the outside was too done), place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Then place in a freezer bag and place back into the freezer until you need them. I use 2 tsp of vanilla and no lemon extract, and I use 2 tblsp honey and no molasses. Thank you for this recipe!!
Amazingly delicious. Soft, doughy, yummy. Be sure not to overcook or they'll be dry! AND be sure to add an extra half cup of flour to the mix. Also, it makes more like 2 dozen rolls.
This was a great recipe! I loved it. My whole family loved it. My best friend wanted the recipe, and my boyfriend wanted me to make more. I used almond extract instead of lemon, 2 tbsp. honey instead of the molasses, regular shortening instead of butter flavored, and an extra half cup of flour. I also make 24 rolls instead of 12 and they came out a really good size. If you only made 12, they would be pretty big, but a good size if you wanted to make sandwiches. 24 makes a nicely sized dinner rolls.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Diana's Hawaiian Bread Rolls
Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 249
Calories from Fat: 31
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Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $7.99!
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iHerb Customer Reviews
Posted by 5122529097568318945 on Jul 12, 2013
kick sugar get on this stuff
Posted by 5587984870262319534 on Aug 05, 2013
Love this product! Made banoffee tarts with it, healthy toffee smoothies, and put it in my tea and oatmeal! Versatile, healthy, and delicious!
Posted by 5688344835545606694 on Aug 14, 2013
We love the taste of this stevia, we bought 2 and for other ocasion, we are going to taste other flavor like vanilla stevia of the same brand.
Stevia and I - not really love at first taste
Posted by h-anna on Aug 15, 2013
This has a great toffee taste. Good in sparkly water. But I will probably never like this kind of sweetener 100%. I try And I envy everyone who can find a low calorie alternative satisfactory. I Think this is good quality.
Posted by 5177409981207467413 on Aug 15, 2013
you need this in your life.


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American Heritage Picture Dictionary - Hardback
Houghton Mifflin Co • In Stock • 18556
3 years & up. The American Heritage Children's Dictionary covers all the vocabulary young readers need today with more than 2,000 new words and senses make this the most comprehensive and up-to-date children's dictionary available. More than 16,000 expertly crafted example sentences show words in context. Hundreds of special feature notes expand children's knowledge of language and a separate phonics and spelling guide helps to develop sound reading and writing skills. The engaging and contemporary design includes 1,500 vivid full-color photographs, illustrations, and diagrams that supplement and expand upon the definitions. Hardback. 896 pages.


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Recipe by xoshadyxo
"After failing to find the perfect recipe for buttercream icing, I found one that worked for me and then added my own two cents."
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1/2 cup
unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
2 cups
confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons
3 drops
food coloring, or as needed
Creamy and fluffy frosting, yet still perfect for piping/decorating. One recipe, however, was barely enough to frost ten cupcakes, so keep this in mind for any of your frosting or decorating needs. I used this for coconut cupcakes, so I flavored it with some coconut oil flavoring, then topped with toasted, shredded coconut. I would call this one of the more exceptional buttercream frosting recipes.
The consistancy was fine but it tasted too sugary and not creamy enough.
719 Ratings
awesome frosting. easy to decorate with. the only changes i made was that i melted the butter and added 2/3 cup of cocoa to make the frosting a chocolate flavor.
This is a great buttercream icing recipe. I followed it fairly closely, thought I did add extra vanilla, which then necessitated adding some extra 10X sugar to make up for the extra liquid. It does not make all that much, so I will prob double it when decorating a cake. It made enough for me to not-over-generously ice 18 cupcakes. Great taste and consistency. GO BULLDOGS! ;) TY for a great recipe!
This icing recipe is my absolute favorite out of all that I've tried! I used it to pipe on decorations for my daughter's horse birthday cake. I needed to add almost 2/3 cup more powdered sugar to make it stiff enough to pipe on. To decorate a 9x13" cake, you will want to double the recipe. (Make sure you use clear vanilla if you want white icing.)
I'm a novice cake decorator and this is the first time I've ever in my life reviewed a recipe, but I was so overjoyed I had to do it. I have been trying buttercream recipes for 4 months now, and it's been horrible. I wanted something that did not include the nasty shortening, and was easy to make. I didn't have any luck with any meringue buttercreams either, which just tasted like a big block of butter and requires refrigeration, re-whipping, etc. I was THRILLED to find this recipe! First I made the initial recipe as written, which was a small batch. Then I quadrupled the recipe to make 32 servings to frost/decorate a 9 x 13 layer cake. I found that it's EXTREMELY important to cream the softened butter for several minutes first, then I added the confectioners sugar (after sifting it first) a cup at a time until combined. Then added clear vanilla extract, and for the 4x recipe I only used 1 Tbsp skim milk. Then really important: continue to beat for another 4 minutes! Came out SO fluffy and light and snow white colored. Extremely easy to frost and pipe decorations. Got a nice crust as well. I had several "foodies" taste it and they gave it 2 thumbs up as well. THANK YOU!!!!!
This icing was just what I was looking for as I didnt really want to take the time to do boiling icing. Not too too sweet but very creamy. I will use this again. Alot of flavorings can be added to this.
This recipe is for REAL frosting not the garbage that comes from the store. I followed the recipe without changes. This was served with SCOTTLEY'S BASIC YELLOW CAKE and the filling from ALMOND CREAM-PUFF RING. My brother ate two pieces and took half of the rest of the cake home with him. I will never buy frosting again ever.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Quick and Almost-Professional Buttercream Icing
Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 228
Calories from Fat: 105
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This frosting tastes delicate but holds up well at room temperature.
You'll be amazed how easy it is to make homemade frosting.


text:
The Top 5 Rihanna Remixes Of All Time
The Top 5 Rihanna Remixes Of All Time
Have you heard "Diamonds" 1,000+ times already this summer? Rihanna's on top of the world right now, but even the best songs can suffer from overplay. Here, we rounded up the top Rihanna remixes out there right now, from industry heavyweights inside and outside of the hip-hop community including Kanye West, Tiesto, and Coldplay. It's guaranteed to put spin on your current Rihanna playlist, and make you fall in love with her hits all over again.
1. "Diamonds" Remix by Kanye West
Kanye West lays down some of his own verses in this rendition of Rihanna's global hit, "Diamonds." It's fairly tame in comparison to the world class ranting and raving that is Yeezus, but he still packs in a few well placed lines like: "Your mouth running, but where is you going?"
Get at those haters, Kanye.
2. "Love Song" Remix by DJ Sliink
The king of the Jersey club sound twisted "Love Song" into an electronic dance hit using the slightly chaotic mix of fast beats and cut up vocals that he's best known for.
3. "Pour It Up" Remix by AraabMUZIK
An Internet-bred DJ celebrity, AraabMUZIK has turned his unique style on "Pour It Up," taking the familiar slow beat and churning out a bass heavy mix that takes a surprising turn in the middle. Next play on the speakers? It should be.
4. "Stay" Remix by Tiesto
It was a given that as soon as Rihanna's soulful ballad "Stay" dropped, there were going to be plenty of DJs trying to put a heavy dance beat behind it. Tiesto's remix in particular is successful because he doesn't drown out the golden vocals that made the song the hit that it is; instead, he wraps his famous house beats around and between the vocals, merging the best of both worlds.
5. Coldplay cover of "We Found Love"
"We Found Love" got the Coldplay treatment live on BBC Radio 1. Lead singer Chris Martin has no problem hitting the high notes, and the instrumentals replacing the hard-hitting club beats gives a softer, more heartfelt perspective to the song.


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A 40-year-old Burke man has been indicted by a federal grand jury and is accused of videotaping his sexual acts with an elementary school-age girl for a period of two years — beginning when she was 6 — and then trying to destroy some of the evidence.
According to federal court records, including an April 12 federal grand jury indictment and a Fairfax County police search warrant, police arrested Jason Laposay of the 5900 block of Cove Landing Road in January after the girl�s mother contacted the Fairfax County Child Abuse Hotline.
Court records state that on Jan. 24 the girl was interviewed by Fairfax County Child Protective Services, and told them Laposay had performed sexual acts on her once per week for more than two years. She also alleged Laposay videotaped some of the episodes.
Fairfax County police executed a search warrant on Laposay�s residence on Jan. 25. Police said they recovered sex toys and six video files from a laptop that allegedly depicted Laposay engaging in sexual activity with the girl.
Police also seized an Apple iPhone, 15 media disks, two memory cards, a gaming console, several rolls of undeveloped film, a mini VHS tape, three optical disks and a laptop computer containing more than 3,000 images of child pornography, according to court records.
Court records state that prior to his arrest, Laposay allegedly smashed a Kodak Easy Share camera and �got rid� of his iPhone, preventing forensic analysis of any potential evidence from both those items.
On Thursday, Laposay was indicted on one count of producing child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison; one count of receipt of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Portions of the court documents relating to the case have been redacted, and Laposay�s relationship to the girl has not been made clear. In the April 12 indictment, however, Laposay is referred to as �being the parent, legal guardian or person having custody or control of a minor.�
Records state Laposay was known to the girl�s mother, and she confronted him about the incidents in January. According to her, he �made light of it,� records state.
Laposay remains in federal custody. Messages seeking comment from his attorney, Patrick N. Anderson, were not returned.
According to the U.S. Attorney�s office in Alexandria, the investigation was conducted by the Fairfax County Police Department, as well as the FBI Washington Field Office�s Child Exploitation Task Force and Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice.
According to PSC, since its launch, about 3,500 children depicted in child pornography images have been identified through enhanced law enforcement coordination. Last year, the department obtained more than 2,700 indictments for offenses involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.


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18 August 2009A multi-million pound project which aims to restore Aberdeen's historic Green to its former glory officially launches today [Tuesday, 18 August].
For further information


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Wildmind Meditation News
Aug 01, 2013
Meditation tips for advisors
Deena Katz, Financial Planning: After driving to the office the other day, I realized that while I remembered getting into the car, the next thing I knew I was pulling up to my parking space. It was as if I was on autopilot. Clearly, it's dangerous to be mentally checked out while driving. But it occurred to me that it's just as dangerous to be less than fully attentive while working with clients.
Psychologists refer to attentiveness and "staying in the present" as mindfulness. There is more to mindfulness than just being present, though. In fact, practicing this technique allows us to be…


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Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 14 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by MYU0530 So much love! Long story short --- this sideboard is great. I wish it had some more storage, but honestly --- I probably just need less stuff. A perfect match to the Rustic Java Greyson Table. Makes my house look super chic. Great quality. June 8, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by kf36 beautiful and solid. would fill my house with these if it wouldn't be silly Ordered this to go with my Maci table and Junoon Jayden dining chairs. it is a match made in heaven :-) The table and sideboard are rugged and they are softened by the chairs. Back to the sideboard...this is such a sturdy piece of furniture. The only assembly necessary is to screw on the bun feet. It was packaged well and there were no scratches or broken glass. It has much more storage than I thought it would. I am able to stack cook books two deep. It makes a lovely addition to my open kitchen, dining, living room area. It would go in any one of these alone and seem appropriate. December 2, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by kramstad Perfect Addition Love these sideboards. We actually bought them for our living room, as "built-ins", to complete our fireplace. We've appreciated the additional storage and think they make a great addition! They are a great quality and were very easy to assemble! We highly recommend! October 12, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by jj333 Beautiful piece of furniture! I recently purchased the Greyson sideboard to use as a tv stand/console. My tv and cable box are sitting on top, as there are no holes inside for the cables. It looks great, not messy at all. Since it's in my family room, we use the cabinets to store our games. I love the look of this piece so much, I am looking at purchasing other Greyson furniture items. I highly recommend this - it's unique and absolutely gorgeous! October 8, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by pleewilson Simply perfect This was the perfect size and color and looks exactly as shown in picture. Very well built and good texture. Lots of room inside as well. Couldn't be happier with this purchase. September 30, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Robin4 Love it Saw the item in the store and was impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship. It is a beautiful piece of furniture that can work well in any room. It is solidly made and heavy. The only assembly requirement are the pedestals on the bottom which is easily done in no time. I chose not to add them and it sits flat on the floor at the perfect height under a window. August 27, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by scoutmom better in person I was not able to see this in person so I was reluctant to purchase. It is stunning. It is very heavy and well made. I purchased for a new home and originally had another higher priced piece picked out at another higher priced store. I could not be happier. It has a slight grey tone which is nice for my color scheme. I also bought the Verona mahogany dining table and it is great as well. The two pieces got well together. June 27, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Cindy53 Just what I've been looking for. Love the style and function. The glass doors allow me to store my nice serving pieces but still display the colors and character of each piece. The color and style of the sideboard fits right in with my dining set and compliments the entire room. November 21, 2013
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Interpretive Handbook
9079 :
Plasminogen Activity, Plasma
Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
During the formation of a hemostatic (fibrin) plug, biochemical mechanisms are initiated to limit the extent of the hemostatic process at the site of injury and maintain vascular patency. This process of fibrinolysis is defined as the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin. Plasmin limits the extent of the hemostatic process at the site of vessel injury.
Plasmin is generated from its precursor, plasminogen, by plasminogen activators (ie, tissue plasminogen-activator [tPa], urokinase-type plasminogen activator [uPa]). Plasminogen is a single-chain glycoprotein that is synthesized in the liver and has a biologic half-life of approximately 2 days.(1) Deficiency of plasminogen may be inherited or acquired. Persons with congenital plasminogen deficiency may have an increased risk for thrombosis. Homozygous deficiency has been associated with thromboembolic disease and ligneous conjunctivitis. The risk of thrombosis for heterozygous plasminogen deficiency is uncertain. This risk likely is compounded when combined with other inherited or acquired thrombophilias. Congenital deficiency of plasminogen is autosomally transmitted and rare, both in the general population and thrombosis patients, with a prevalence of approximately 0.4% and 1% to 3%, respectively.(2)
Based on the results of functional and immunologic (antigenic) assays, 2 types of plasminogen deficiency have been identified:
-Quantitative deficiency (type I)-defined by a corresponding decrease in both plasminogen activity and antigen level
-Functional deficiency (type II)-caused by a normally synthesized but dysfunctional plasminogen
This plasminogen activity assay will identify both types of deficiency.
Acquired causes of plasminogen deficiency include consumption such as with thrombolytic therapy (urokinase, tPa) or disseminated intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis (DIC/ICF), or decreased synthesis (liver disease).(1)
Useful For Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Evaluating patients with incident or recurrent thromboembolic events
Evaluating individuals with a family history of thrombophilia (venous or arterial)
Evaluating patients with ligneous conjunctivitis (strong association with homozygous plasminogen deficiency)
Evaluating fibrinolysis, in combination with other components of the fibrinolytic system (fibrinogen, tPa-inhibitor, and d-dimers)
Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Plasminogen activity <75% may represent a congenital deficiency state, if acquired deficiency can be excluded.
Hereditary abnormalities of plasminogen (deficiency or dysfunction) are very uncommon.
Acquired causes of plasminogen deficiency are much more common and may be the result of consumption due to thrombolytic therapy or intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis or decreased synthesis (ie, liver disease).
Plasminogen levels are low at birth (approximately 50% of adult normal level) and reach adult levels at 6 months of age.
Cautions Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances
Proper preparation of the blood (plasma) specimen is extremely important to help insure accuracy of results and interpretation.
Plasminogen results are potentially affected by:
-Elevated levels of fibrinogen
-Heparin (unfractionated or low-molecular-weight) >4 U/mL
-Fibrin degradation products (FDP) >30 mg/dL
-Hemoglobin >200 mg/dL
-Bilirubin >20 mg/dL
-Triglycerides >1,000 mg/dL
Although this test can be performed in the absence of other coagulation tests and clinical information, it is most helpful when performed in conjunction with a consultative coagulation test panel with interpretive reporting. When the assay is performed to evaluate for thrombophilia, appropriate testing for other more common thrombophilic states should be performed, if not already done. THRMP / Thrombophilia Profile includes the appropriate panel of assays for an evaluation of an acquired or familial thrombophilia.
Reference Values Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
Clinical References Provides recommendations for further in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Bachman F: Plasminogen-plasmin enzyme system. In Homeostasis and Thrombosis. Edited by RW Coman, J Hirsh, VJ Marder, et al. Lippencott, 2001, pp 275-320
2. Demarmels BF, Sulzer I, Stucki B, et al: Is plasminogen deficiency a thrombotic risk factor? Thromb Haemost 1998;80:167-170
3. Andrews M: The hemostatic system in the infant. In Hematology of Infancy and Childhood. Vol 1. Fourth edition. Edited by DG Nathan, FA Oski. WB Saunders Company, 1993, pp 115-153