Do schools kill creativity?
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
In his talk, Kevin Robinson asserts that schools inadvertently "kill" creativity by discouraging students from thinking beyond the usual restrictions and expectations of a given subject. Teachers are often so focused on teaching the curriculum that they don't allow students to grow beyond the curriculum, stifling their creativity by telling them they're "wrong" when they give an answer that doesn't precisely follow the format of the curriculum. Teachers have to remember to teach to their students by nurturing their ability to think outside of the box.
When I was in school, especially in my math and science classes, I felt that I wasn't allowed to do anything that the teacher didn't tell me to do specifically. Even when doing projects that allegedly allowed for a little more creativity by design, we were given samples of the teacher's expectations for the project, and any variation would most likely result in a reduced score. Only in English class did I think that my opinion and creative input were valued by the teacher. As a student, I only felt comfortable stepping out of the rigid box of curriculum when guided by a teacher who respected my potential to grow and learn in my own way.
When teaching my students, I plan to encourage rather than stifle their creativity. Although I want a certain amount of structure to my class, I'd like to supply my students with the tools to create their own opinions and analysis rather than provide them with a design from which I'd like them to copy exactly.
posted by Mrs. Pelczarski @ 2:42 PM
1 Comments:
I also agree that Ken Robinson's speech sheds light onto the fact that creativity in the classroom is a necessity. I realize that as an educator it is my job to include creativity in my lesson plans and let my students know that being wrong is okay. I really enjoyed the part of Ken's speech where he told the story of the little girl who was drawing a picture of jesus. When the teacher told her no one knows what Jesus looks like the little girl said, "Well they are going to find out when I'm done". I thought that this was a perfect example of how teachers limit student's creativity and how younger children are so okay with being wrong that they end up being right.
I know that from my own educational experiences I was encouraged to use my imagination and creativity when I was in elementary schools, but after that I was too afraid of saying a wrong answer. I know that I am not creative at all now because in middle and high school creativity was not promoted and I have been negatively affected by that. Many times I have wished that I was more creative and could be okay with being wrong.
I also feel that lately the educational system in America has been leaning towards rote learning, which completely undermines Ken's plans for creativity in the classroom. I think that the government who set up this type of educational system will see the negative effects of standardized testing in students once they reach a certain age and enter the work force. In the end I had never thought about creativity in the classroom and how important it is to my student's future lives.
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