Do Schools Kill Creativity?

[Guest Wolfie]

I can't decide where this thread should go and decided that this is probably the "best fit" category - feel free to move it somewhere more suitable if you want to!

 

At a course on Friday, we watched this 20 minute presentation entitled "Do schools kill creativity" by Sir Ken Robinson. I'd never heard of him before but am now a No. 1 fan!

 

If you've got a spare 20 minutes, PLEASE watch it, it'll really entertain you and make you think at the same time...his message is that creativity in young children is all too often "squashed" at the expense of teaching them "more important" academic subjects. I hope I've done the link properly, it's from YouTube. If I haven't just type in Ken Robinson on Search and it should come up. Believe me, it's 20 minutes well spent!

 

Edited January 20, 2008 by Wolfie

[Guest]

Great minds think alike! I started to watch the youtube link last week because someone sent it to me but I had trouble with it stopping and starting....

You'll see a post I did a bit earlier about a Channel 5 programme called 'Make your Child Brilliant!' which this week worked with a highly creative boy who struggled in a formal school environment - your argument entirely! Do watch the next one on Thursday at 9pm and let me know what you think.

[Guest]

Thank you for that Wolfie - fantastic and a joy to listen to.

[Rea]

Thanks Wolfie, very good speech.

 

I agree that creativity is being killed.

It's not about letting children paint more or glue more or even dance more, it's about recognising that through those things other things can be learnt, taught, explored. Children dont have time, arent allowed time to find things out, investigate and discover. They are given information or a task to which they have been told the answer. I remember in secondary school science been told to do this, that and the other with various chemicals and was then told 'you should get this'. Where was the exploration?

The worst comment I ever heard was from my sons art teacher. She complained about his lack of interest, his lack of enthusiasm, his lack of productivity on a papier mache project, even going so far as to show me other childrens work (but not to compare you understand!) I commented that he was excellent at maths and science, while I was the one in the family who was arty,

'We cant all be good at everything' I said

'Well I am the teacher, I've done this before, I know how to do these things, he has to do what I say'.

 

Do schools kill creativity? YES

[Guest Wolfie]

If anyone has trouble with the clip stopping and starting, click the pause button for a while to allow the clip "get ahead of itself" - all to do with buffering or soemthing???

[Marion]

We have one of the most prescriptive curricula in the world, our children are tested more than any others and we have league tables so is it any wonder that children aren't allowed to develop strengths?

I'm lucky to have a head who has a strong belief in "multiple intelligences" but it's not easy to stand up against pressure to conform.

[Rea]

I understand that marion. My sons YR5 teacher explained, when I told her science wasnt his favourite subject anymore, that she couldnt do the fun stuff because of getting them ready for SATS. A year away!!

Luckily he refound his enthusiasm but it does make you wonder how a national curriculum that stiffles creativity has come into being.

[Guest]

I agree except to say that it's wrong to blame 'schools' in your post title, they are employees of the government, who are voted for by society, so the blame is much more wide spread and more complex. It is sad that we have lost trust in our children, we ( by which I mean society) underestimate our childrens abilities and catagorise them as academic achievers or failures, there is no middle ground or any recognition of the value of creative personalities. I saw the make your child brighter programme and although I enjoyed it and understood the concept of different teaching methods/opportunities, I did feel it a shame that the title 'Brighter' was used instead of something like 'how to value your and nurture your childs unique abilities.'

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Just watched the video, how inspiring but I'm quite sad too because to change the education system is such a mammouth task, will it ever be achieved.

 

My main thought at the end of the viseo was that we evolved from apes into humans because of our capacity to 'imagine', if we are now squashing all who imagine then where will that lead us? ( or should I say our future generations)

 

 

Peggy

[dublinbay]

Really enjoyed the video.

 

I found it quite sad also to think there may be a lot of children out there who are being denied something that is inherent in their very being.

 

It has also made me look closely at my own practice and question how well I support children's creativity. Do I give children enough time to work out things for themselves and to use their immaginations to come up with their own ideas to solve problems etc?

 

As Ted says on the video, allow children to make mistakes and to be wrong without making them feel bad. Encourage creativity in absolutely everything they do, not just painting & drawing.

 

Gosh that video really has made me think and I do believe it may just come in handy for TMA02 of the E123 that I am working on now.

 

Thanks Wolfie!

[Guest]

Thanks Wolfie!

What a sensible man he is!

Lots to think about and makes me grateful that I, working at home with pre-schoolers, can allow them time to explore, create and find out through "mistakes" - process rather than results!

Hope EYFS won't stifle that by bringing more paperwork for we childminders - every observation, assessment and record completed is time NOT spent with the small important people.

Nona

[Guest MaryEMac]

Thanks Wolfie, what a great speaker, even my husband stopped what he was doing to listen.

 

Mary