do schools kill creativity

[SPIRIT]

here is a clip l had to watch for work if you have kids at school or work in the education system its very good ,there is a change coming to schools where a lot of this will be rolled out ,what do you think do we keep changing the education system to follow the trend of the day or are we heading in the right direction http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66

[Sebastiaan56]

Hi Arty,

its long been my opinion that schools are primarily to socialise children and then secondly to educate. Schools as we know them are a recent institution in human history, its only in the 20thC that "schooling" has became the norm. Its a social convenience. Its also been difficult to watch my youngest gradually lose the free ranging creativity as he confirms more and more to the norms of his school. Education however is critical and must be lifelong.

Terrific video, he speaks for me. BTW notice how creativity and humor seem to go so well together.

Sebastiaan

[echnidna]

School teachers are like artists, some are gifted, they can stimulate & encourage their students.

[Incoming!]

Extremely funny and entertaining clip with a powerful message.

I really don't have an answer to the questions raised by Ken Robinson. I feel within me, however, that the current practice of vocational education is probably not helping the issue of individual creativity. An education process that is designed to churn out trained "workoids" for industrial consumption (paid at casual rates) is not one I think, that is going to engage the hearts, let alone the minds, of our students.

As Robinson points out, there is an inflationary process happening with educational qualifications, hence at my age, I find myself back studying another two degrees just to stay competitive within the workplace. God only knows how those kids who justifiably resist the current education choice of "academia" or "maths in the beer garden" will survive. Yeah, yeah, I know, somebody has to clean the toilets.

Which raises another problem. Kids today have high expectations - at least of social benefits coming their way, without necessarily pairing those expectations with the realisation of hard work as catalyst.

I'd be really interested to hear from anyone with any ideas as to how to manage the creativity/work ethic/achievement balance within an educational environment, given that the school system seems to be the place where the whole human development process is managed. Maybe start by paying the teachers more?

[silentC]

I'm just impressed that he could say "mined their minds" without tripping over his tongue.

[silentC]

the school system seems to be the place where the whole human development process is managed.

I reckon that's your problem right there. People expect to drop their kids off at the school gates and pick them up in 10 or 12 years fully developed. I think that what they do outside school is more important.

[Gingermick]

We spent a lot of our school time trying to think creatively about how to get out of trouble. That taught me a lifelong skill that is indispensable in engineering and other fields.

[SPIRIT]

what you say is true most of the REAL learning is done at home
l ask my wife but why do we teach like that churning out workiods (25 ys as a teacher)maths ect are easy to measure now that schools are performance judged where creativity on the other hand is harder to get a progress report on .

We have a meeting with the government (Gilard's office)this week to see how creativity can be in schools

[Rossluck]

They're being programmed for "the system". Too much creativity and lateral thinking will disrupt the system. We must work...work...work....

[echnidna]

I don't think that schools could kill the creativity in a truly creative person.

School systems are regimented and the rank & file teachers & administrators & the government bean counters cannot understand creative people. So schools are unable to foster creativity as much as perhaps they should.

[Ianab]

I think the world needs more people like Ken

Some people are set up to be rocket scientists.. thats a good thing. But some are cut out to be dancers, musicians and woodworkers. Teach our kids to be the best at what they are cut out to be. Teach the ability to learn, not just facts.

Ian

[SPIRIT]

we worked out that a teacher has a average of 5min per student so it makes you wonder how do they know what a student could be

[wheelinround]

we worked out that a teacher has a average of 5min per student so it makes you wonder how do they know what a student could be

This leads to then how can they report on a child accurately which can determine a child's life

[rrich]

I don't think that it is anything new.

As my Algebra I class was ending for the day (Probably fall of 1956) the teacher asked me what I intended to do after high school. My answer was that I wanted to be a sparky. The Algebra teacher responded with "NO! You want to be an electrical engineer."

Talk about having your dreams, ambitions and future plans just stomped into the ground. It was about 10 years before I figured out that I could be any effing thing I wanted to be, all I had to do was put the effort in.

I sincerely hope that your schools are better than my experience with US schools.

[SPIRIT]

This leads to then how can they report on a child accurately which can determine a child's life

sadly they mostly use the results of tests