Importance of Creativity
January 31, 2008
Sir Ken Robinson spoke at the TED Conference in 2006 and provided a very moving speech regarding the importance of creativity in society. Here are some of the highlights:
- Kids beginning school now will retire in 2065. We cannot predict the world 5 years from now, let alone in the next 50 years when they will be in the workforce. We need to give them the tools to accommodate all the changes that will take place.
- Public school systems were not created until the 19th century, when they needed to meet the needs of industrialization. The world has changed in the last century.
- More people will be graduating from public education in the next 30 years than throughout all of history.
- Three points about intelligence: it is Diverse, thinking occurs in a variety of forms…visually, kinesthetically etc.; it is Dynamic, the brain is extremely interactive, and Distinct.
- Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. Original ideas come from not fearing failure. The current system instills a fear of failure.
- “If a man speaks his mind in a forest, and no one hears him, is he still wrong?” ~ t-shirt
- Education’s tasks should be to educate the whole person.
Entry Filed under: Creativity. Tags: Creativity, Sir Ken Robinson.
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1.
Gregg Fraley | February 1, 2008 at 5:39 am
I’ve seen this clip before, Robinson is amazing, insightful, and entertaining. What I wonder is simply when the educational system as a whole is going to integrate these insights. Robinson is not the first, or the only person, to say these things about creative thinking and education. I’ve heard them in different forms and from different people for the last 20 years. The Creative Education Foundation has been espousing these things for over 50 years. And what do we have instead? Less arts education and more testing, schools in Chicago banning recess, and no child left behind…it’s sad really.
2.
terileavens | February 2, 2008 at 1:41 pm
The question of actually implementing these ideas we keep discussing is a very good one. Even Bill Gates is talking about it with his recent comment of the need for ‘Creative Capitalism’ to assist undeveloped countries. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to put tangible results to something like creativity, and therefore, risk in people’s minds increases exponentially.