Re: What happened to us, Unyquity?

>>>You'll notice, of course, that those are questions of memorized material, not of a creative nature.

Think where we'd be if it were 'normal' for youth to create, or cure, something with their education!<<<

Weeeelllllll, yes & no & maybe (on the "creative nature").  I hope you don't think I'm "arguing" (I think I understand what you meant) - I'm just "adding to" :)   I believe the ability to answer the questions below (especially at the level that was likely required), would have caused a need for at least some level of creativity...most certainly the ability to apply knowledge and think criticially (which some would consider 'creative').  Also, being an artist that does a lot of "creating", I'm a stickler for the 'foundational knowledge' thing.  In all of the various art forms there's a lot of baseline information that MUST be memorized before most can create art (or successfully invent something) that is truly 'masterful'.  Oh sure, there's a few "artists" that can sling paint onto a canvas and have a few 'one hit wonders', but most all 'creative genius' is based on rote memory of many rudimentary basics (particularly math & science).

7.Write a composition of about 150 words and show
therein that you understand the practical use of
the rules of grammar.  I'd assume in 1895 that a 150 word composition would be graded (at least in part) on more than just "facts"...writing style, penmanship and application of knowledge would have been required.  Me considers "critical thinking skills" to be a fundamental part of "creativity".  Showing that one has a "practical use" of the rules of grammar in 150 words or less - that'd take some critical thinking & creativity on my part, for sure.

3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.(okay, maybe the answer wouldn't be technically creative, but if *I* were the teacher, I'd sure give extra credit to those that took the facts and came up with possible causes & results that I hadn't mentioned or weren't "in the book").  

7.Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton,
Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe? Again, perhaps one wouldn't HAVE to be "creative" to answer correctly, BUT there's many a mover & shaker here, and 'tis likely a good teacher would have expected students to reply with more than just "when they were born and what they did", but also how they impacted the world and era in which they lived.

9.Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight,
fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.  Perhaps in 1895 it wouldn't have been considered "creative" to identify the meaning of words and create apt sentences...but my husband and I (4 years ago) attended college for almost 4 years...and I can guarantee you there are VERY few college students in this era that could create proper sentences for all of this words.  This one (mostly) confirms my thinking that a certain level of rote memorization and factual knowledge is the baseline of creativity (especially creative writing).

:::grin::: can you tell?  My dad was a teacher (and coach), and my grandmother (his mom) was a school-marm in a one room school house.  And my other grandmother, was the first of 8 children to graduate from high school. 

>>>Think where we'd be if it were 'normal' for youth to create, or cure, something with their education! <<<  EXACTLY!!!

Healthiest of blessings (and lots of 'em) -

Uny