Sir Ken Robinson — "Changing Education Paradigms"

[Mario]

I stumbled upon this movie from a series by "RSA ANIMATE" that shows a white-board artist drawing to the "tune" of a lecture. I thought I'd share it with you. Do check out some of the others in the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=related

[Mario]

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=related

[Daheshville]

Sir Ken Robinson - Changing Paradigms (Actual Lecture)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdS4hSa0s&feature=channel

(55:20)

"Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson will ask how do we make change happen in education and how do we make it last?"

[Loup Solitaire]

Sir Ken speaks the truth. I have personally witnessed the stereo typical educational system flush more than a few creative, potentially productive students down the toilet. Since these kids didn't fit the mold, they were excluded and isolated. In a given year, of their time within the educational system, their success or failure was determined by the teacher's willingness to tolerate the differences in the children's tolerance for the rigidity.

Meanwhile, the children that could color within the lines, adhere to regimentation, politely follow and not question the rules, not to ask too many questions, keep eyes forward and stay with the pack, they were congratulated on their success, patted on the back, rewarded with good grades, and allowed to participated in structured extra curricular activities such as sports, drama, music and theatre.

Meanwhile the rest were labeled attention deficit.

Actually, these abandoned students might have been better off if they had taken the Ritalin. But Ritalin has the side affect of leaving the patient drained of energy because it was all used due to extreme focus. If the prescribing doctors had a better understanding of the medication, they could have done a better job of monitoring their patients and restricting use when not needed or reduce the dose if merited.

But the abandoned instead were either forced to submit to rules they could not bear or guided into trades where they still could not conform, but because the intellectual requirements were diminished, they could have passed the requirements of the course even if they were asleep.

Schools should not be factories. They should be institutions of education in creativity as well as in academic material. But for the last thirty years, those on the margins have been excluded. Now, many of the western countries are starting to notice they are losing their edge in the competitive world in which we live. The Edisons, the Fords, the Einsteins and others high in creativity are denied entry into rewarding jobs.

Business and industry, instead of recognizing the missed opportunity and potential lost productivity, are raising the barriers to entry even further.

I'm glad I was born over sixty years ago. Born at a time when opportunity was still healthy. True there were a few nasty wars to deal with. But at least I had opportunity.