What does a balance between the basics and the creative mean?
One of the concepts upon which the University School curriculum is based is optimization (Runco, 1993). This is the curriculum balance that includes both convergent and divergent tasks. Just as it is important for students to be able to problem solve and understand math concepts, it is important for them to know basic math facts. Just as it is important that students can express their ideas and feelings in writing, it is important that they are able to write grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. This is not a case of either/or. This is a case of needing both the basics and the creative in the curriculum. This approach provides the undergirding of a good curriculum. University School tries to strike a balance between covering the basics and pursuing creative endeavors. The basics refer to the skills that form the foundation of any particular subject. The basics are often convergent tasks with one right answer. For example, Kumon is considered a course of basic math skills and
