TED Talks- Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson made an excellent point during his 20 minute talk about schools killing creativity. I had never thought about creativity being taught in school. It is true when we think about school, we think about math, science, English and history. Those are the four core classes of almost every school around the world, like Sir Robinson brought up in his video. These classes do not give children a chance to be imaginative. Even most English classes (except this one of course J ), require children to write from a prompt, fill out a worksheet, or memorize vocabulary. In the book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink talks about how, today, student’s intelligence is tested by fill-in-the-bubble testing like ACT and SATs. These are completely aimed toward left-brained thinkers. Sir Robinson brought up how creative subjects like Art and dance are not taught as important subjects in school; this is because we are tested on left-brained subjects. This is like the point Daniel Pink conveyed. Sir Robinson also brought up how going to college today doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a job secured when you graduate. Don’t only you need a degree, but most careers require further schooling, aimed toward one type of job. He exampled how in his day, if you were unemployed, you either didn’t go to college or you didn’t want to work; today some kids are graduating from college to return to the couch playing video games.  Regular education just does not cut it anymore. If students want to be successful in today’s society, they need to have a mind like the one Daniel Pink is describing. What also stuck with me was the story about Gillian Lynne, a multi-million dollar choreographer and how her career began. He talked about how, as a child she could not sit still, the doctor told her it was because she was a dancer.  He talked about how ADD had not been “invented” yet and if this were to happen today, a doctor would have put her on medication and told her to quite down. This is an amazing story that completely relates to what he is talking about; common sense and logic are drilled into children’s minds instead of creativity in today’s world.

The whole speech was intriguing and I found myself surprised at how fast the time went by when it was over. Sir Ken Robinson was great at captivating his audience and making them think differently.  One subtle technique Sir Robinson used was storytelling. Sir Robinson consistently brought in small stories to prove a point and help relate his idea to the audience. I, personally, loved the stories because they related so much to what he was talking about. Ironically, storytelling takes a creative mind. Sir Robinson also used humor throughout his speech, which lightened the mood and helped keep the audience engaged. The humor however did not interfere with the point he was trying to make, which is very important. He used just the right amount of humor however, because too much would turn his speech into a comedy show and take away from the point he was trying to make. Although Sir Robinson did not have any photos or other types of visual aid in his speech, his performance was just as compelling because of the humorous and storytelling aspects. He also was very clear about his thoughts. The whole talk was very structured, although it didn’t seem too rehearsed. Robinson brought up many points throughout; I could tell he was very well prepared.

I believe not forgetting to exercise your creative side is the point Ken Robinson was trying to get across. It is not taught as an important subject in school, yet, it is key to getting having a career in the real world. We, as a society need to remember to think outside the box instead of thinking logic one-hundred percent of the time. The quote, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up,” said by Pablo Picasso was a great example Sir Robinson used. We need to keep the creativity we are born with, and improve it, not take it away, as we grow. Like Daniel Pink is trying to saying his book and Sir Ken Robinson in his speech, imagination is the future. Schools in modern America do not make an effort to encourage classes that nurture this trait. Education is still focused on logical subjects, when these kinds of jobs are being taken overseas or done by computers. Schools today are teaching completely opposite what we need in order to succeed in the conceptual age Pink is talking about and this is the point Robinson is making. The best schools in the world are still measured on how their children test and what grades are earned. U.S News world and Report did a study in 2010 of the best high schools in America. The successfulness of each school was measured by “College Readiness” and “Quality- adjusted Exams per test Taker”. Both of these categories were measured by tests. What was not a surprise was some of the top high schools specialized in science and technology. What this study did not take into account is how many of these high school students went on to graduate college, finding successful careers. As our world heads into the conceptual age, our school systems need to change as well, America needs to be ahead. Sir Ken Robinson is warning America, and the world, to change the school system. We need to include room for vision by children, and not discourage  new ideas. 


Works Cited:


"America's Best High Schools: Gold Medal List - US News and World Report." US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and More. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. <http://education.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2009/12/09/americas-best-high-schools-gold-medal-list>.

"Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html>.

"The Creativity Crisis - Newsweek." Newsweek - National News, World News, Business, Health, Technology, Entertainment, and More - Newsweek. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. <http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html>.