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Why should we use a rubric for assessing the use of imagination and creativity in assignments? To make the creative element of the assignment clear to the teacher and the students. Teachers may assume the assignment is clear, but unless the students fully understand the purpose of the assignment, the role that imagination and creativity play in the process, and the learning goals/objectives that the project will meet, confusion can be the result. The purpose of using a rubric and criteria is not to put imagination and creativity in a box but to create a framework so that Tag Heuer Replica students and teachers can discuss, explore, and discover the limitless possibilities inherent in creatively imagining. The paradoxical nature of using rubrics to assess that which is admittedly often not assessable speaks to the complexity of the teaching/learning experience.

Using rubrics, students not only gain direction but also receive a guide for reflection and self-assessment that directs their learning. Using the rubrics, teachers can self-assess and reflect on their assignments, ...
... perhaps revealing, for example, that building a replica of the Globe Theatre out of ice cream sticks, although an old favorite, takes more glue than imagination. Effective rubrics based on quality criteria can prevent a downward spiral into busywork and crafty ideas. We can design solid assignments that address real imaginative and creative thinking, allowing the students to explore concepts beyond the standard level, moving them to develop the abilities and skills we want them to take into the real world.

While rubrics have become de rigueur in many education circles, critics cite credible shortcomings. In "The Trouble with Rubrics," Alfie Kohn argues that rubrics focus inappropriately on assessment to justify grades instead of improving teaching or focusing on student learning. The misuse of rubrics can result in "sorting students into winners and losers," Kohn warns. But any teaching or assessment practice can yield the same results when used inappropriately. In the case of rubrics designed to assess the use of imagination or creativity, Kohn's warnings must be carefully heeded to avoid the unthinkable: standardizing imagination. Focus should not be on grading the product, but giving wings to the creative process.

Ready-made, generic rubrics present additional problems. Even in situations where standard rubrics are accepted or mandated by some states, generic rubrics do not accurately reflect the unique writing prompt developed by the classroom teacher or the creative process and use of imagination by the students for that specific assignment. Maja Wilson recognized the problem; standardized rubrics did not allow her to respond subjectively to the uniqueness of her students' writing. Wilson's concerns with standard rubrics for writing assessment also apply to other forms of creative assignments: problem-solving activities, projects, and open-response assignments. Teachers should give personal feedback throughout the process. But rubrics should never become mere check boxes intended to expedite in-process Tag Heuer Replica Watches feedback or final assessment, curtailing more specific and useful responses from the teacher. Instead, a well-crafted rubric can serve as a heuristic to guide students in their imaginative exploration and teachers in their growing understanding of individual students and their needs. The purpose of using criteria and rubrics is not to dictate the teacher's response to student work, but to facilitate a fruitful discussion.

The easy download of ready-made rubrics increases their misuse. One popular rubric website yielded 1,545 results when I searched the term "creativity." The following sample of criteria used to measure creativity in some of these rubrics exposes the problems in using them for assessment.

While some of these criteria might address imagination and creativity, all fall short in guiding students to be creative in their thinking. In addition, by using these criteria, it is possible that a product that involves no creative thought or use of imagination could receive a high score for creativity. Selected elements may be important to an individual teacher in grading, but if they do not foster student creativity or use of imagination, they should not be used.