After watching this video, it reminded me of my GATE teacher and how little she valued teaching us visual & performing arts. In class, she would only focus on math & science (history and writing took a back seat also). Those were the two subjects we had to work hard and EARN our grades. For visual & performing arts, she'd give us all Cs. She told us it would be unfair to grade us objectively since some are more artistically inclined than others. This early on, she ingrained into our little minds that art was not important to know and the only two subjects worth being "smart" in was math & science.I like the example Sir Ken Robinson brought up of Mrs. Julliard's childhood in which if she had been a student of today, a teacher would have drugged her up and told her to calm down. We are squishing all the creativity out of the world. It seems as an artist or dancer, school is irrelevant and there aren't many schools that recognizes and award artistic students. Students should know there are more than the core subjects taught in school that are important in life. Think about music, schools don't really appreciate or teach music as much as they should. Music is all around us, everyone has their favorite genre of music. There seems to be a big emphasis on thinking outside the box and being creative with solutions. But they don't teach that in schools. They teach you to think inside a box and not question the answer. Seems counter intuitive if teachers really wanted to prepare students for the "real world".
I agree and think that we need to find ways to integrate subjects beyond a core curriculum into every day class. This can be done through technology or otherwise. I think that the more creative instructors are and the more opportunities presented will result in more creative students and help positively encourage them to pursue what they are passionate about.
I agree with both of you. I think it is definitely important to find ways to integrate subjects other than English and Math into every day class because students will have more opportunities to become creative and innovative learners. This can be done through technology or hands-on activities where students can collaboratively work together to build off each others' ideas. Teachers should always encourage students to think outside the box and create solutions on their own.
Integrating creativity into the classroom is an amazing idea and I love it. However I’ve seen how difficult it can be to do this successfully in actual classroom practice. For the sake of discussion . . . if administrators were to approach a focus on creativity by integrating other ideas into curriculum, what would the professional development look like to see real success? Most secondary teachers are strongly linked to the subject they teach – how would introducing new materials into their classroom conflict with their teacher identities?
I think that his presentation was very full, but can be summarized in two key ideas. The first is that we need to think in terms of the big picture. It is impossible for us to know what will happen within the next year, let alone twenty or thirty years down the road. Something like medicating a student is an incredibly short-term view that can have significant impacts on the student at later points in life. Sure, it might tranquilize the student during the school day, but will it enable creative thinking that may be of huge significance later on?Second, we need to focus on a well-rounded education. An emphasis on specific areas hinders natural abilities and disables students in a future that we know nothing about. By fostering an environment where students' intellectual abilities can thrive outside the social norm, we allow revolutionary ideas to be born.
Very well put! I agree that many of the measures parents, educators, and doctors take are to make children function within the pre-existing paradigm. We need to ask ourselves before we act, design curriculum, and modify behavior what our end goal is: is it to create passive learners who make teachers and parents' jobs convenient, or is it to create visionaries who can make valuable and novel contributions to society?
My initial thought after watching this video was that Ken Robinson is hilarious. His bit on Shakespeare and his father was quite entertaining. But in all seriousness, he really touched on some good points. I thought what he said about Gillian Lynne was so interesting. She is one of the most talented choreographers and if no one would have noticed that, she could have been classified as having a learning disability, or in our generation, she would have been said to have ADHD and put on a medication to force her to pay attention. We are squashing children’s creativity and forcing them to learn in a way that isn’t really benefiting them. Robinson pointed out that as kids we are not frightened of being wrong, but as adults we start to become frightened to be wrong because of the way our society works and if you’re not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original. This lecture just really made me think more about how I want to be able to let student’s be more creative in the classroom. Engage them in hands on activities that let them get creative and enjoy what they are doing.
I completely forgot about the whole "adults we become frightened to be wrong" and it's so true! As adults we always want to be right because being wrong is looked down upon. But then being wrong in the work place, your co-workers can stop depending on you. But being wrong in the classroom is different as long as the teacher doesn't embarrass the student. We need to teach kids, that it's okay to be wrong, just don't give up and try try again.
Yes! I understand the fear of being wrong because to this day I naturally still experience this. I agree students should not be afraid of being wrong and it is hard as a teacher to protect students from embarrassment because peers often embarrass each other. Also, some students are so shy that regardless of how you word it, they will be embarrassed that they wrong. As a teacher, I try to keep these things in mind so I can be direct with students without embarrassing them.
Kristen, that was a great point to discuss about how we as children are not frightened of being wrong but as we grow older we learn that is not ok to be wrong in our society. I think Sir Ken explained this very well and I am very glad he touched on this. How can we ever create anything original if we are frightened of being wrong? This is such a problem in our current society we need to really take a look at reforming our ideas of right and wrong. Right and wrong are abstract ideas separated by degree. It is unfortunate that we have become so fixated on these abstract ideas in education and in society so that we’ve limited our ability for true originality and creativity.
food for thought . . . .I don’t think being right or wrong is the issue. The focus should be on reflection. Thinking through mistakes or successes can build the same opportunity for learning. We shouldn’t be making the argument that “it’s okay to be wrong,” instead we should be focusing on the idea that “regardless of the result, we need to learn from the experience.” I think this is a subtle difference that Ken doesn’t give too much attention to. I don’t want a group of students okay with being wrong, unless it comes with the understanding that they need to learn from whatever approach they took.
I definitely agree that creativity needs to be further promoted in the classroom. While teaching Language Arts, I think instruction often tends to be guiding the students to think in terms of one analysis that is the "right" analysis. I don't deem that to be true yet I do feel that pressure from other teachers, especially in a collaborative model, that we want all of our students to be on the right page. During student teaching, I found myself telling some students at time, "There is no wrong answer as long as you support it." While I believe this, I did feel uncomfortable because I know there are many teachers who would disagree with this concept. I think students can come up with great ideas on their own as long as they are given the opportunity and if they can support their argument with evidence, then how is that wrong? They are using critical thinking skills and I would rather they independently interact with the text rather than taking my interpretation or other teachers' interpretations as the one and only truth.
I have to agree with you when you say that creativity needs to be further promoted in the classroom. Students need to understand that by making mistakes, you learn. In my Spanish classroom, so many students are afraid to speak because they think that they will use a wrong word or make a silly mistake. I encourage them to make mistakes and at least take a risk in speaking because that is how they will get ahead in language.
I enjoyed watching this clip because it emphasizes the importance of creativity and teaching it in classrooms. As a kid, I was never really exposed to visual arts and music - I just remember my classes focusing on English and Math. In 5th grade, we rotated classrooms where we had History, Science, and Math, but never did we focus on any visual arts courses. We're encouraged nowadays, to "think outside the box" and be become creative thinkers, but because we were never really able to expose our creativity in the classroom, it becomes more difficult for us. I think it is crucial to encourage students at a young age to explore their creativity in and out of the classroom and incorporate creativity into the various subject matters so that they can become active learners in the classroom.
Ann, I totally agree with you. I think if we were not brought up to "think outside the box" it is more of a struggle to be creative in the classroom. However, I think if teachers are willing to have an open mind, they can learn so much from their students' creativity.
I think Ann brings up a good point. Nowadays experts are criticizing the way parents and teachers are bringing up their kids because they say they're not all well-rounded individuals that play sports and explore arts and music. But then at the same time other experts say that we need to forget arts and music and focus on math and science because we're falling behind China and India when it comes to technological advances. There are not enough hours in a day to fit in academics, sports, arts, extracurriculars, etc and then the blame game starts between educators, parents, "experts", politicians, and everyone in between.
For the sake of argument let me present a question . . . There is a call for change in the video, the argument is made that creativity is stifled and the model is old. According to Ken, there is too much attention to Math, Science and Language rather than true “creativity.” In other words Ken frames a problem in education as a crisis of creativity. What does this mean in light of what others have identified as an equally critical math and science crisis in America? Our nation has taken to the world market to find the scientist and engineers that our own school system is not producing. Does a solution to Ken’s Crisis of Creativity address our nations Crisis of Science and Mathematics?
I think that you bring up a great point about thinking "outside the box." I was never really challenged to think outside the box in my elementary schooling. Now when I am asked to think outside the box I am apprehensive. I have been conditioned to think that their is one correct answer. I hope that in my future classroom I can teach to students that being unique, creative and different is a great thing and that being wrong isn't the end of the world.
I really enjoyed this video. I feel that Sir Ken Robinson is always right about what occurs in education. There were a few parts that stood out to me the most in this video. One was when he said "We get educated out of creativity." and the next one was "Creativity is as important as literacy and we should treat it similarly." I can relate so much to both of these quotes. While I was doing my student teaching, I would have interactive activities for my students so they would learn to use Spanish comfortably. I used games, acting out stories with vocabulary in it as well as independent and group projects that were creative. When I asked my students to fill out an end of the year survey about my teaching, I was so surprised that a handful of students thought that by interactive activities we were not learning anything and it was pointless and they would rather have PowerPoint presentations. This really got me thinking about how these kids were so used to copying from slides that anything creative was out of the box for them. I really think that creativity should be encouraged in the classroom and encourage students to make mistakes especially in a World Language classroom, because it is all about trial and error, that's how you learn. You are not going to be a proficient speaker or writer the first time around, but with practice, and attempts you will learn to speak a language other than English.
Hi Amber! I used to teach English in Japan and loved to play games with the students as well. I think it's really sad that some of your students preferred powerpoints. I can see that in the students here in the States...some of them just want to be told what to do because it's easier. They aren't used to thinking for themselves. I hope that there will be a change in our educational system and the way that we teach with the implementation of the Common Core.
I always love to watch Sir Ken Robinson's talks. Students truly have the capacity to be creative and I hope that with the new common core, we as teachers will encourage that creativity throughout their student life. This creativity can be found in the arts, but extends to our core subjects. For example, many teachers are still teaching math procedurally. We have to remember that there are multiple ways to solve a problem that is not procedural. Because we grew up learning procedures, it is our responsibility to learn these strategies of solving a problem. We have to become experts in these strategies so that we will be capable of guiding our students through asking them questions, helping them making connections and building conceptual understanding.
I agree! Creativity can and should be extended to core subjects. Thinking outside our element is important to cater to different learning styles. As teachers we have the responsibility to teach to the best of our ability, but also be conscious of the diverse learning of our students. Our own creativity as educators can extend and influence our students.
I agree as well, I think they should expand student creativity by simply offering more classes. I miss the classes such as home economics, health, and certain arts in middle school. I think it is very important to promote creative thinking in each classroom as well, but if we give students more options, creativity might happen naturally.
I totally agree with you Ruthy. I am going to become a math teacher and I think about that regularly. I hope to teach math in a fun and creative way and teach my students that there isn't just a right or wrong way of doing something. I think creativity should be integrated throughout all subject matters to encourage the students to think independently.
Yes I agree with you that we should incorporate creativity in all subject areas. As teachers, we must first acknowledge the fact that every student has different ways of learning (i.e., Gardner's Multiple Intelligences) Instead of teaching mathematics in a rigid and procedural way, teachers should provide variety of multiple methodologies to solve problems. By doing so, students will be able to cultivate their creativity.
Wow, what an amazing talk! Sir Ken Robinson made many great points but the one that really stood out to me was his point on the absence of creativity in our education system, primarily due to the way in which education is based on the image of the university. Sir Ken explains the purpose of education is to create university professors and that this model is incredibly focused on intellectual ability and nothing else. Any other goals get left out of our system, since most university professors who create the education system, are primarily "head" focused; he means intellectually driven. This model does not take into account the creative faculties of humans and all those people who aren't able to perform from that part of their mind are considered failures in our current system. I completely agree with Sir Ken, we need to incorporate a more holistic view of our students abilities as individuals in the society instead of trying to create a single minded person with their goals primarily focused only on academic achievement. Although nothing is inherently wrong with this view, we need professors and academics; we also need musicians, dancers and artists to be whole individuals of the community. A lack of creativity and of the arts creates a person who is lacking in their fullness of being as a human, in my opinion. We need to incorporate this view into our educational paradigms as teachers.
I think this image of the university relates to his idea that industrialism has played a large part in how education is structured. Just as the purpose of education has become to produce university professors, the period of industrialism caused people to focus solely on getting a job. Human creativity and interest were forgotten. When we watched the "Changing Educational Paradigms" video, I had trouble seeing the continuity of Sir Ken Robinson's ideas. After listening to this talk, I can see the connection between all of his ideas more clearly. Our focus on producing university professors and professionals with degrees has completely undermined creativity. Academic ability is not necessarily representative of intelligence. I think you framed this point really well. In order to preserve childhood creativity, we have to see our students holistically rather than focusing primarily on academic achievement.
Sir Ken Robinson is great and a true inspiration. “Creativity is as important as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.” I most definitely agree with his thoughts on creativity. Intelligence is in deed diverse and kids should be free to express their intelligence in all forms. I think that if truly care about our students, we should encourage creativity. As human beings, it is our natural tendency to stay within our comfort zones and we are often scared of change. The times are changing, just as Robinson says technology and democracy is continuously changing. We need to keep up with the times and allow for our children to embrace what they must through their independent thinking processes. I think we live in a society where we expect to see the results of a change; we want immediate results and it goes back to the idea of fear of failure. As adults we need to also revolutionize our thinking for the children. Sir Ken Robinson makes a valid point in that we must be selfless and want a better future for our children. This speech is motivating and encouraging. I can't wait to be in a classroom to start implementing technology in the classroom and encouraging my own students to demonstrate creativity in their own way!
I agree that students should be encouraged to express their intelligence in their own methods. Students should be able to use technology, art, or any tool to express their learning if that is how they learn,apply, synthesize and demonstrate their learning. Students should be able to store information into their lives in any form or way that they can remember and apply into real life experiences.
This talk was very interesting! The part that struck me the most was when he was talking about the choreographer. I think it is so important to allow students to explore their creativity and for teachers to be accepting of every child's uniqueness. Teachers should be open to student thinking and encourage subjects other than language arts and math. I think with the common core, it will not only encourage critical thinking but it will open up more opportunities for students to be creative. Also, I think it will force teachers to think outside the box with their instruction.
Here's to thinking outside the box! I hope all of you future teachers do this - maybe there will be hope for public education after all! If we could be rid of worksheets all together - that would be a great thing! lol
Of all the parts of his speech, I thought the most poignant idea he brought up was the notion of adults who lose the capacity of being scared to be wrong about something. If you're not prepared to be wrong, you won't be able to be creative. As we go through the school system we are less inclined to speak up when we have questions or ideas that are not necessarily considered "normal" thinking. Teachers sometimes tell students that there is no such thing as a stupid question but when questions are made the teacher sometimes responds with sarcasm or puts the student on the spot. This in turn makes other students less likely to volunteer ideas or participate due to their fear of being picked on or ridiculed for less than stellar remarks in class. I know this from personal experience because I used to have a teacher who said "You know how people say 'there is no such thing as a stupid question?' well guess what... there is! So don't ask any of them in my class" He probably thought he was being funny but it was a miserable class where the students sat around in awkward silences because they were too terrified to ask those "stupid" questions.
Lillian,I am so sorry that you had a teacher like that - the only good thing about the experience is that you will never be THAT teacher. I think that just as we learn from our moms and dads about values, acceptable behavior, etc - we also learn from our teachers - and it is our responsibility as teachers (role models) to nurture and inspire our students...not beat them down and make them feel less than!
After I heard Ken Robinson state that if you are "not prepared to be wrong, you will not be able to come up with anything original," I was reminded of the importance of making mistakes and being able to correct oneself by finding and researching new strategies to solve the mistake. Making mistakes allows students to develop problem solving skills and this promotes creativity because they are able to come up with their own unique (original) way to solve a problem.
Gaby,You are so correct in this statement. I think you will be a much more effective teacher with this type of attitude. I often find teachers think they have all the answers or should and are impervious to making mistakes - but we know they are human like everyone else and that just isn't the case -
I really like this conversation and it plays into a question I’ve had for a while now. If we changed our schools to foster the heart of creativity, what happens when students make their way into a University? What does success mean at a University and what role does creativity play in the culture of our higher education system? I think that there is a 3 tier progression deeply embedded into our lives as students: we finish k-12 schooling, make it through a University or College, then we hit “the real world.” The argument behind the video is that the needs of the real world have changed, demanding we rethink the way our k-12 schools define success; I’m fine with this analogy, but I’m concerned that we jumped too far down in the chain and ignored the role Universities play in meeting the needs of “the real world.” If we are successful in creating a k-12 system that creates critical thinking and truly creative students what will their experience through a University system look like. In a time when a college degree is an expectation, not the exception, shouldn’t we be just as concerned about creativity in higher education. In some ways I feel this call for change should be modeled in our University systems first. Considering the preexisting notion that college is the end and final goal of k-12 schooling, wouldn’t it be a stronger motivation for change if they knew being successfully in college really meant creativity was at the forefront of success? I think a call for change in higher education might make the work of reforming our k-12 system much easier and much more urgent. We should remember that the people leading the push for reform and those opposing its implementation both went through our higher education system; the argument that change is needed might be made easier when those in charge of making the big decisions went through a higher education system that already embedded the power of creativity and critical thinking in each of their students.
I find your questions about the University system very interesting and personally relevant. I wondered some of the same things when taking math classes and many of my upper division chemistry classes at UCI. I do think that if we are to make an impact on the education system as a whole, we need to also look at colleges and the disconnect between what is known about effective learning and what is actually put into practice. Having lectures that last 3 hours without any input form the students and providing exams that require the regurgitation of facts and numbers does not inspire creative thought. The definition of success and how to effectively teach should be not only taught in college, but practiced and taught in every subject (not just education).
I absolutely agree with Sir Ken Robinson that schools kill creativity. He makes a great point that we squander creativity by creating educational environments where students are afraid to be wrong. As we grow up, teachers seem to push the idea that there is one right answer more and more every year, and it causes students to second guess themselves and be hesitant to express their thoughts. When I was young, I remember always wanting to be the first kid called on, and blurting out whatever I thought. I didn’t really care whether I was right or wrong, I just wanted to say what I was thinking. Over time, I became increasingly aware that there was probably one right answer, or at least more wrong answers than right, and I was shy in classes because I didn’t want to give the wrong answer. I think I spent more time rehearsing what I wanted to say in my head, making sure it sounded “correct” than I did about the actual content of my answer. Situations like that absolutely kill creativity because the most creative ideas probably sound a little weird out loud, and if students are afraid to share, we may lose out on tons of creativity.
I have watched this TED talk before in an undergraduate education course, but different points stood out to me while watching today. Sir Ken Robinson's main point is that our current educational system does not place enough value on creativity. We are so focused on conforming and doing things "correctly" that we lose our innate capacity to be creative. I agree that we should be prepared to make mistakes- essentially, to do things wrong- in order to come up with original ideas. This directly correlates to what Sir Ken Robinson refers to as the epidemic of ADHD in the "Changing Educational Paradigms" video. Because the current system is so focused on academic ability rather than true intelligence, kids are being diagnosed with ADHD for not being able to "sit still." While I do think that ADHD exists and should not be ignored, I agree that it is highly over diagnosed. During my student teaching experience, each of my classes had at least two students labeled as having ADHD. Even though they did not perform at the top of the class, these students had some of the most thought-provoking and innovative ideas. They contributed to class discussions on a whole different level. As teachers trying to conform to the current educational system while covering all required material, it's easy to forget the value of creative minds. It's imperative for us to recognize and encourage creativity, especially at the middle/high school level. Just like the doctor that recognized Gillian Lynne's talents, it is our responsibility as new teachers to make creativity a priority.
The idea of squandered talents hit home, in a way, for me. I recall when I was middle school we had classes such as home economics, art and health. In the middle school I student taught at last year, there was only one art class. The home economics classroom had been ripped apart and turned into an ELL room and health is nonexistent. Health is now the responsibility of 7th grade life science teachers. I am disappointed that middle school children no longer have the same options of other content to expose themselves to at that age. When I was in high school I was able to partake in choir and photography but regretted I was never able to take technology or ceramics. There was no room in my schedule for these classes and since I was never exposed to these arts, there is no way to know how much I would have excelled or enjoyed these subjects. I fear it is only worse for students in high school now.
I throughly enjoyed the TED video and what Ken Robinson had to say about creativity. When he said that " we grow out of creativity" it really opened my eyes to his point of view. I love how he is thrilled about creativity, and I think many administrators, teachers, and professors could gain a more accurate understanding of their students if they begin to appreciate creativity. This can relate to using technology in the classroom. If teachers start to let students express themselves with technology they may find that the "not so bright" kids have talent that couldn't be expressed in a traditional classroom setting. Schools should be increasing creativity among students, not taking it away. There is not a one size fits all when it comes to learning. Students learn and express themselves in a variety of different ways, and it should be the schools and teachers goal to ensure we are teaching to these learning styles.
I was also taken by that quote "we grow out of creativity". I have felt this in my own life but it has begun to change because I feel that teaching allows for us to be creative. I totally agree that there is not a "one size fits all" when it comes to learning. It's insane to think that we have conducted our classrooms like that for so long! Taking that approach to education, being creative is essential. Creating lessons that allow for students to thrive with different learning styles is going to be a challenge of our creativity.
First of all, Sir Ken Robinson is one witty man!This TED talk really speaks to me because I feel as though I had a student at one of my student teaching placements who has become the victim of this snuffing out of creativity. He is a dancer and he does ballet outside of school and does really well with it. In the classroom and has a hard time conforming to traditional schooling. He was constantly reprimanded for acting out in class and had a difficult time paying attention. One time, I was able to observe him in music class. He was overjoyed, engaged, a leader, and a model student. He was enthusiastic and cooperative. He was a different child. Maybe he would benefit from going to a music or a dance school, but I never thought of it that way before.I can remember having arts continuously fall to the wayside in my education. It was also expressed to me that investing time in the arts was a waste of time because I would never do anything with it. I will do my best to remember this and keep this in mind in my teaching. I want to nurture my students' creativity. I will do my best not to stigmatize mistakes and to rethink how I educate the students in my classroom.
I think that creativity is one of the aspects of children that people love the most! I really liked the part when he was talking about "if you are afraid of being, you will never create anything original." I wholeheartedly believe this and I hope that I exemplify this idea in the classroom. I thought it was interesting how he talked about the hierarchy of education that is the same across the world. I have never heard the term academic inflation but I think it is fascinating. He spoke about high school simply preparing someone to go into college and how some other kids that were interested in the arts felt that they were not geniuses. I thought this was a very intriguing thought. I am thinking about all the famous actors and actresses, and musicians that society worships. Those people have an extraordinary talent! Intelligence is Diverse!!! I really enjoyed this talk and I found myself pausing and rewinding it just to hear the exact phrasing of what he said!
i too was intrigued by the idea of academic inflation. it struck me as the inevitable result of the industrial educational model. if you produce generally similar (standardized) products at exponential rates, eventually the value of the product will go down, thus necessitating ever more "specialization" (higher levels of education). The increased valuation of creativity however seems to be a natural solution to this edu-nomic (education/ economic) trap.
Yet again I find myself enraptured by Sir Ken Robinson’s eloquence, conviction and comedy. His central thesis that creativity should be equal to literacy really struck a chord for me. I agreed with his argument that the fear mongering directed towards mistakes is one of the most destructive barriers to the sustainment of children’s natural creativity as they are processed by the industrial education system. Continuing with the theme of industrial education, the hierarchy of subjects and its subversion of the arts is in my opinion highly offensive. On a more academic note he cites the vast quantity of research supporting multiple intelligences amongst students, and that university professors should not be the model by which we judge them. Instead our responsibility is to foster functional creativity and cultivate a new model of human ecological responsibility.
Sir Ken Robinson did an excellent job in making the point that our educational system strips away students' creativity. Currently, our primary emphasis in on the core subjects such as mathematics and reading/language arts. As a result, other non-academic curriculums are being dropped left and right as budget crisis prolongs. Moreover, teachers are feeling the intense pressure to raise the test scores, which basically leaves no room and option for them to incorporate creativity in their classrooms. Although I acknowledge the importance of these core subjects, I do not think that other curriculums such as art, music, P.E. should be ruled out as being "less important." In fact, Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences clearly indicates that children have a wide range of abilities including Spatial, Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalistic. This is evident that the benefit that comes with incorporating other disciplinary areas cannot be easily dismissed. Since teachers are in the frontline in cultivating creativity in the classroom, they need to be intentional and purposeful in incorporating interdisciplinary curriculum in their teaching methodologies and pedagogies.
I really enjoyed the TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson! I thoroughly enjoy his discussion style with the various jokes, anecdotes, and thought provoking statements. I agree with his assertion that the current school system is not only outdated for the 21st century learner, but also takes part in crushing creativity. I was really moved by the stories of how children express creativity and if they "don't know, they will give it a go." :) When he talked about the hierarchy of education topics I nodded in agreement. With the focus on STEM education and remedial math and reading courses, subjects such as art are moved to the side and sometimes removed completely. I have always been in awe of people who are creative in non-academic ways and am saddened to witness students being encouraged away from the arts because "they won't get a job doing that". I really enjoyed what Sir Ken Robinson discussed regarding intelligence. I really do believe it is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. Just because you struggle with an academic subject does not mean you are not intelligent. I find that many of my successful comparisons that allow for deeper understanding in my chemistry classroom come from art, music, sports, and dancing.
It is encouraging to me to hear a reputable and influential figure speak on this topic of the importance of creativity and how it is hindered by our current educational system. I recently heard from a friend (who now owns her own studio) that a college professor once told her college art class that only half of the students present would work in a creative field, and that only a small portion of those would ever be working artists. I wonder what the purpose of that kind of a statement could possibly be? If this discouraging forecast comes from professors speaking to students at the college level attending classes within their majors, how much more frequent and destructive must it be for students at the elementary and high school levels who are still exploring their paths and passions? In my experience and observation two of the most destructive things a teacher can do to a student is first to assume that a student is incapable of a task, and then to communicate that to him or her. Hurrah for those who can succeed despite being told they can't, and if a student is going to fail to excel in an area, how is telling them that ahead of time of any benefit, especially when most learning is done not in succeeding, but through trying?