The style of teaching from the art professor in The Mona Lisa Smile, Ms. Watson, and the style of teaching proposed in the extract are very different. Ms. Watson's method of teaching reached a deeper level of understanding because it drew in not only factual information, but a personal connection with the material at hand. She wanted her students to grasp the big idea, not just the facts. The author from the extract implies that creativity is useless and of no value in the classroom. He states that facts should be the only thing planted in the mind's of the students, and to root everything else out. In theory, this sounds like a great idea. It leaves room for interpretation, it makes one draw one's own opinion without a skewed bias from the teacher, and it has the potential to make the student dig for more information about a subject if only facts were presented. However, if practiced, the academic success of the students would not be present because of various factors. The "progressive" way of teaching has evolved from the professional/traditional methods that were typically used in past education systems. The progressive style encourages individuality and creativity. It has shown to be very successful and effective in classrooms, even in Ms. Watson's.