I wanted to share with you all a fantastic talk about creativity and how schools are killing that creativity by requiring that we color inside the lines. I have seen where budget cuts are happening all over and the programs that seem to be cut first are almost always the arts and music. The school system seems overly focused on educating the students to pass the tests as that is what provides government funding and are now also the standard for how teachers are being evaluated for their job performance. I feel that the children are so getting lost in this shuffle of grades as being the measuring stick for education. All that seems to matter is that one side of the brain and not the whole child as being important. My granddaughter is graduating from High School this year and wants to become a teacher.Here's hoping things change for the better when she gets into the school system or maybe she can help change it.
I have added a link to a another TED talk given by Sir Ken Robinson and I believe you will enjoy it as he is a great speaker. Please enjoy!
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_sa...
Toward the end of his talk he speaks about a conversation he had with Gillian Lynne who when she grew up was in the Royal Ballet. She also worked with Andrew Lloyd Weber to choreograph Cats and Phantom of the Opera. I think you will find this video fascinating. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
OK. Let me first start out saying I detest learning, teaching, cramming to the test... (This is from all aspects- as a student [mostly former], as a parent of students [mostly former], and a professor [hopefully not former permanently...]
ReplyDeleteHowever, too much is made of this concept of thinking creatively and learning in schools. To be creative, one must be grounded in logic, principles, and knowledge. From thence, one can become creative, stretching the boundaries. Without the foundation, a 'creative' thought may completely miss a fundamental law- and involve countless hours (and, perhaps, dollars) chasing the non-existent pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Unlike that fairy tale concept, I prefer that my children, my students, and myself employ our creative juices to expanding upon the knowledge of what is and what works to achieve the results of what could possible be- now.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply.I agree that the foundation must be there but when the foundation is used to put up walls and not allow expansion and other possibilities to flow, that is where we all lose out. Appreciate your comment. Marilyn
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