Last week in ROGATE, we watched a TED talk (technical education and design) by Sir Ken Robinson. If you don't know what that is, they let one person go on stage, who's usually smart or's discovered something and lets them talk about whatever they want for 20 minutes or so. Robinson is a British oratorical fellow who knows a lot and has some interesting views. It was really interesting; you can watch it here. I agreed with most of it, and I guess I have for a while, subconciously at least.
The TED talk was based around the theme "Are Schools Killing Creativity?" (The answer is yes.)
Robinson's theory is that all kids are born creative, but over the years we're being educated out of our creativity. Most kids or toddlers start out scribbling, laughing, doodling, if you've noticed. When students progress in their lives and get to high school and middle school, options for creative classes -- not just art, but also things like debate -- are very limited. Also, we're forced to be quiet, do our work, and not express ourselves in any way other than what we're told. It's a very true thought process.
One interesting thought Ms. Mystrena tied into it all was that sometimes, when there's a project or other in school, teachers will give the option of making a poster, and they think that passes as a creative choice; they check that off their list. I've had that happen, and posters for geography or science aren't fun. A life without creative kids is dark and threatening. What if all kids walked around calmly, gray clothes, no stains or crayons? Luckily, some students rebel in their own minor way and end up with excelling creativity later in life. The unique thinkers are the ones who end up with TED talks sessioned. They invent, create, and innnovate; without them, where would we be?
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