For part of the final discussion grade, watch the video (we will also watch it during class) and then make THREE connections between his talk and his key ideas in The Element.
Tip - Make sure you put your three connections in three separate comment boxes that way students can respond to each of them. Thanks
Then leave TWO responses to the connections of your classmates. This will be worth a total of 50 points. I left a connection as an example of what will earn full credit.
Robinson's contention that all kids have tremendous talents and we (as in the education system) squanders kids' abilities is a theme running throughout the book, especially the chapters "Think Differently" and "Making the Grade." Unfortunately, schools value the core subjects of math, science, and language arts above all others. The problem is that not all students excel in those areas. Decades ago, students who didn't have strengths in those areas could find other areas like Home Ec, Shop, Carpentry, and so on to excel in. However, those programs were cut in the name of raising test scores and getting all students college and career ready (which really means just college ready). The problem is that a vast majority of our jobs today don't require a 4 year degree in math, science, or language arts. In fact, many jobs are very technical in nature and require students to be skills in class that no longer exist, such as shop and carpentry. That needs to change in our schools.
ReplyDeleteRobinson states that today he believes that creativity is as valuable as literacy. I saw someone on Twitter rebuke that by saying, good luck getting a job with that type of thinking. And to some extent that is true. It's tough to get a job without being able to read, BUT Robinson isn't saying teach creativity INSTEAD of reading. He is simply advising us to give it equal status.
ReplyDeleteCreativity is so vital. The factory jobs left America decades ago. A vast majority of jobs that are now readily available all entail creativity in some way shape or form.
So let say that you have a business manufacturing and applying rain gutters to homes (don't laugh. This is a very lucrative field and one where very few people are in. I was willing to give someone at least a thousand dollars to put them on my house after it was resided, yet it was all I could do to find someone to come and do it eventually).
When they company finally came, what I loved about them was they had a creative solution to the problem with downspouts (the things that run several feet into your yard to carry the rain water away from your house). Their creative solution was to have a hinge at the bottom of the downspout that allows me to lift up the drains. They even come with velcro that allows me to attach them to the downspout so they don't fall down.
This is a creative feature from the company that I love. This makes them stand out as unique and that is why if anyone ever asks about gutters, I always recommend this company.
Creativity in any field cannot be emphasized enough.
Robinson makes an interesting note when he talks about Gillian Lynn when she was surrounded by people who were just like her: people who had to move to think.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, this illustrates the importance of finding your tribe. Once you have found a tribe, you then get the benefits of tribes, where others inspire you and push you and accept you. This tribe, no doubt, allowed Lynn to delve deeper into her element and to become a better dancer.
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ReplyDeleteAll kids have talents, but education can squander them. Robinson refers to this in his speech. It is almost as if the children aren't allowed to explore their true passions. They are shut down if their passions aren't in one of the main and required subjects taught in schools. This is one of the main ideas talked about in the element. Robinson talks about how the children can be suffocated and shut down because of how education is set up without encouragement to find their element and that it's okay not to be good at everything.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because many kids don't have a passion for the main subjects schools teach. If they were able to explore the other "less important" subjects without being shut down for it they could discover their passions so much earlier in life
DeleteI totally agree. Kids are taught that they need to be great at these four main subjects to be successful. They could grow up never pursuing art and finding their element early in life because our education system only cares about those four subjects.
DeleteHis statement about how all kids have talents but we look over them I agree with 100%. Schools don't give us classes that fit everybody passions. They only give us the core classes. So what about someone who his interested in Interior designing? Or fashion designing? Those are just examples but its goes to show that schools don't give us variety. This will slow kids down from finding their passions. Some people might have a passion that they had no idea they even had which is due to our education system and our schools.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you're saying. The education systems gives us, students, narrow choices for what classes we can take in school. They don't give us the chance to explore the things we might be interested in.
DeleteI believe that this is true also. Our schools have had the same tunnel vision look on education. The only things that you need in life are the core classes provided in our system.
DeleteWe all have different talents as kids, but a lot of the talents that the kids want to pursue are pushed out because it might not be the main things that are taught. A lot of people who found the element quit everything that was pushed on them, the things that everyone says you need to be successful.
ReplyDeleteI feel like when kids (or anyone) are forced to do something, they're not going to enjoy it because one, they hate it, and two, they would rather spend their time on the thing they actually enjoy doing.
DeleteI agree because some people are not always good at academics and that is alright. Everyone is different and when someone finds their element they will be more happy doing what they like.
DeleteI thought his philosophy on children is really interesting. I've never really heard someone, especially an adult, talk about how often kid's can be overlooked and labeled as not talented just because they don't excel in certain areas. Every child has talent, it's just nearly impossible to express if it isn't one of the main subjects in school.
ReplyDeleteI, Charlie, wrote this by the way.
DeleteRobinson mentions this in the introduction of The Element that kids are assumed to only have talent on laid out routes, which is just not true.
DeleteSir Ken Robinson talks about how each person has their own passion and how a lot of people are not given the option to pursue it. The schools that we are forced to go to typically focus on a select few areas. Many kids' passions are not in these specific areas, with this being said, many kids do not get to know their passion until later in life. This is the problem with our schools, they are very narrow-minded and they make it hard for kids to find their passions.
ReplyDeleteI wish schools would allow kids to discover their passion earlier in life rather than later in life. It would made things a lot easier for them rather than discovering things the hard way.
DeleteI agree with this because when students are forced to take all of the core subjects it makes it hard to find your true element. Many passions can easily get covered up when you have to focus on something you don't like. The education system doesn't really show individual talents.
DeleteI agree with this because schools tend to push back the arts and focus more on the things we might need later in life. When they do this, they cover up the possibility of kids finding their passion in the arts.
DeleteIt would be interesting to see a school based on the idea of all subject being equal. Where dace, math, and shop where on equal.
Delete"We are educating kids out of their creativity." He stated after this that "all kids are born artists." Our education systems don't give us opportunity to express all our of our creativeness. After so much time we will lose our creative side or just forget that we even have it because we never have an opportunity to use it. And as a senior in high school I would like to know what my passions/skills were being I am going to college next year. All I have been exposed to is the core classes we are required to take.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! The amount of pressure placed on people to do well on the set core classes is so crazy. It is as if the school puts a number with your name to determine your worth or how smart you are! I also feel as though I have not been able to be creative and free to find my passions, which don't include the core classes.
DeleteThis makes a lot of sense. The schools focus is strictly on the core classes. I kind of know what I like because I have had a few jobs doing it but if I didn't. I would be totally clueless on what I liked and did not like.
DeleteAll kids have different talents but most of these kids talents get squandered by teachers and people in education. They are taught to be good at math or science or history. They go through the school day as if they are in an industry, where they go from one thing to the next based on bells and different sections.
ReplyDeleteCade commented this.
DeleteEach teacher add a different part to the system. In the earlier grades they build the frame/base then in the higher grades add the finishing touches.
DeleteSchool is giving us only a few options to which way our life goes. It makes sense how Mr. Robinson says that schools are going in the direction to only producing college professor's. Working on something that we don't have a passion for like math, science, reading. We don't necessarily become good at that. We end up feeling worthless with our other talents because we are not good at those 3 things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that schools only give us a small window of career options. If we don't have a passion in one of our core classes or the few elective classes we offer.
DeleteI agree with how school can make you feel worthless if you are not good at the core subjects. They make you think that if you aren't good at them that you will have to get a bad job and you will be miserable forever.
DeleteI agree with what you say about how there are only specific routes that you have take to be successful. It's stupid that we measure ourselves to a set average. I would like to think that is good to be above average at something, not worthless.
DeleteSchools would rather have you be average at math and science and all the other core classes. They make you work the hardest at these classes and if you aren't excelled in them you are considered "not smart". When really you could be an expert cosmetologist. But you wouldn't know that because you have no opportunity to focus on that. You have to focus on the main classes to measure your intelligence and what your good at when really it could be none of those things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying here because many people that are bad at math are thought to be dumb. That is not the case, but school doesn't help them find their element.
DeleteThis is so true. If you "suck" at math then you are thought of as not smart. I think it is so dumb just because you aren't good at one subject that would make you not smart. I feel like people who are bad at something are people who just do not like it. They don't like it so they don'y apply themselves which gives them bad grades.
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ReplyDeleteSomething that is similar between this video and The Element is when Ken Robinson says all kids have talent but we squander them ruthlessly. In this he is referring to how the education system doesn't let kids discover their elements early in life.
ReplyDeleteI love how he uses the word squander. It completely is true with kids and talents they have. If a kid has a talent that is not seen as useful according to the three main subjects, then the talent is allowed to pass or even seen as wasteful.
DeleteSecond, they both talk about how if your not prepared to wrong you will never be original. They both say that you must be prepared to fail in order to succeed.
ReplyDeleteFinally, they talk about how the arts are at the bottom of the hierarchy of subjects. In all cases it is thought of as the least important subject.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the arts are usually thought of as not nearly as important as everything else when for some people where their Element is the arts they don't really get that chance to excel in it at a young age because it's not encouraged.
DeleteEvery kid has talents. However, if their talents does not involve the core subjects in school such as math, language, and science, then their skills are ignored. In the book, Robinson talked about how every education system has the same hierarchy of subjects, math and languages at the top, and art is at the bottom of the list. Academic ability have already dominated our view of intelligence.
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DeleteCindy ^^^
DeleteThis is so true. It is so easy to feel not good enough in this world we live in today because we are not taught differently and allowed to explore what we want to take classes on. As Robinson talks about in the book, people who maybe didn't do the best in school were able to overcome that and do what they love and do best, whether the school said the were intelligent or not.
DeleteTotally agree, we shut out every kid that's different. We aren't allowed to explore our skills. Education is stuck on those 4 subjects and kick out the rest.
DeleteI agree with Ken Robinson when he said creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status. Some many creative and brilliant people think they’re not because of the standardized tests they give for college entrance. Many times, the thing they are really good at and love are overlooked.
ReplyDeleteKids need to learn to take a chance. They shouldn’t be scared to be wrong, however, being wrong isn’t the same as being creative. Ken Robinson brought up how when most kids grow up, they lost the capacity of wanting to take chances. They’re being taught that mistakes are the worst thing you can make, this drives them to be less creative. Robinson stated a quote from Picasso in his speech,
ReplyDelete“All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist when you grow up”.
I agree with this because in school there's so many times where kids will just not ask questions or share their work in fear of being judged for it. If our school system was more open to our opinions and creativity we would not have this issue.
DeleteThis is so true because kids have this fear of speaking out because they might give the wrong answer or people might laugh at what they say.
DeleteKen Robinson said "all kids have talents and we squander them." I think this is true because schools only focus on the main topics like math, english, and science. Not all kids are good at the core subjects and then they don't feel like trying in school because they don't like the subject. True talents of kids are not brought out instead they are covered up.
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ReplyDeleteRobinson believes that we don't grow into creativity instead we grow out of it. I agree with him because in school most of the time our creativity is ignored or covered up. Most of the characters in the book find their element after they drop out of school. The people in the book use their creativity to follow their dreams which lead them to their element.
ReplyDeleteKen Robinson said "if you're not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original". I think this is true because if you never try something new how will you know if it was going to be successful. We need to have open minds and try new things. Sometimes the best way to learn is from our own mistakes. If all of the people in the book would have been afraid to be wrong they most likely would not be famous or be in a published book.
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ReplyDeleteRobinson mentioned how we are educating children for a future that we don't know anything about. This relates to the section in The Element that was about how the school system is still related to the industrial revolution where they took away the creativity in learning. The skills that are considered most important in schools may not be what are important for our futures anymore. Getting a degree is not necessarily going to ensure us jobs in our futures like it used to.
ReplyDeleteSir Ken Robinson believes creativity is an important part of education. He mentions that kids aren't afraid to be wrong or different when they are younger, but as their education continues they become less confident in their ideas. I think that is a huge problem with the school system. It takes away our creative thinking by forcing us to learn about the “important” subjects and then singles us out if we aren’t excelling in them.
ReplyDeleteIn his speech, Robinson talks about the hierarchy of subjects, in particular, the arts at the bottom. Pushing things that let kids physically express themselves like drama and music or dance, is like telling them that their passions are not important. If schools would allow these subjects to be equal with others like math, science, and history, I think kids would be more successful and have a higher chance of finding their passions young rather than after their education ends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because not every kid learns the same way. When schools push the core subjects, it tells the kids that these are the important things and the arts are below that. Some kids need ways to express themselves and find their element.
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DeleteHis remarks on why schools are failing are solid and make a lot of sense to me. I also find it realistic because of his criticism towards people like professors. I never really thought about how school started to exist the way it does now little over a years ago. The school system was put in place to coincide with the Industrial Revolution. I personally think that the reason why it is now being seen as unsuccessful is because there is a new revolution taking over the place of the Industrial Revolution; the Technology Revolution is the new age we live in and is why the school system needs to change. He directly speaks of the Industrial Revolution as being the reason why school systems are how they are in chapter 1 of The Element.
ReplyDeleteCorrection: By Technology Revolution, I meant Digital Revolution
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ReplyDeleteHe definitely speaking truth. We as students are under so much pressure to succeed in high school and continue on to enroll into college or a university and obtain a degree. The problem with this mindset is that degrees are no longer as relevant. Before, a degree guaranteed a job. Now there is so much competition and quite frankly so many degrees that they are not as crucial to getting a job. He talks about the declining value of a college degree in chapter 11 of The Element.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this, now just because you went to college and got a degree doesn't mean that you'll have a job. Like Robinson had said there is an inflation in education, too many people are leaving college and going back to live with their parents to play video games.
DeleteOne of the things Robinson also refers to is the similar idea that a kid could be great at building things, but not do well in school. This child will then feel like they are not good enough, or not smart because of the stress of the other classes. I think this is very true, because as Robinson talks about in the element, children aren't often encouraged to pursue whatever they like doing if it would not be a high paying job.
ReplyDeleteRobinson talks about the idea that children are literally pulled away from creativity, but everyone is born with it. I think that children should be able to be creative and learn in ways that benefit them, so they will realize that it is okay to be different, and that everyone is creative in their own way. Robinson talks about all of the intelligent and creative people that will not graduate knowing so because they were shut down going through the schools. Whatever they loved wasn't seen as important, therefore shutting them down. It would be so much easier and beneficial for children to be able to explore and discover their element early.
ReplyDeleteHe talks about how kids aren't afraid of being wrong. As we go through school, we learn that the worst thing you can do is make a mistake. But one of the best ways for a person to learn is by making mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThis is Maryssa
DeleteRobinson talks about a hierarchy of subjects, arts being at the bottom. If schools put as much emphasis on the arts as they do math, science, and history, kids would be more successful at finding their passion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because kids may never get to find their element if they are only limited to the options of math, science, and history.
DeleteAll kids have talents. If their talents aren't offered in schools they have more difficulty finding their passion. If they aren't into math, science or history, they just get pushed down.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because these courses are put above all of the arts and extracurricular activities, and the students feel as though they need to succeed in these class or they aren't good enough. At the same time, they are expected to find their passion and find what they want to do for the rest of their life, but pushing the extra classes down the scale makes this nearly impossible.
DeleteHe talks about how our schools have been jamming the arts out of importance that the students have been loosing the ability to show themselves in a different way. Kids are able to show emotion, life lessons they've learned through the years, and something deep about themselves through the arts. You don't hear math, or science being able to do that.
ReplyDeleteRobinson talks about how we are squandering children's talents. The schools are so focused on the core subjects that they completely ignore other "electives" that kids excel in. Being intelligent in an art class and not in core subjects doesn't hold them back in life. It means that they have perhaps found their element. It is an accomplishment; the same as getting an A on a math test.
ReplyDeleteWe encourage or educate students to leave their creativity behind. Being creative is just as important as soft skills. Students should be encouraged to embrace their creativity because later in life it could be what helps them to find their element.
ReplyDeleteKen brings up the topic of Gillian. He talks about how she had found someone who encouraged her to pursue dancing instead of medicating it away. This should be something schools do. They need to look at the kids that are having a "tough time" in their classes and ask themselves "how can I help them focus?" Instead of blaming the kids, we should find a way to help them.
ReplyDeleteEducation is focused on one thing with children. Their head and slightly to the left. This meaning that they are mainly focusing on the math classes, the english classes, and the history classes. They are missing the other things that are important like the art classes or dance classes.
ReplyDeleteChildren are not taught to be creative. They are taught to be a teacher or a professor. Like the story of the kids who brought the gold, myrrh, and "frank sent this". Kids are not afraid to be wrong but what they are taught is that they can't be wrong so by the time they are an adult they are not willing to try to find something original because they don't want to be wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because, even though people are often told that it is alright to be wrong, they are expected to be right. Many times, it isn't socially acceptable to be wrong because we are expected to always have the right answer and never the wrong one.
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ReplyDeleteEducation is based around standards and children are expected to put these expectations first. Children are great at being creative, and education discourages this. Kids should not feel like if they want to be artistic or creative, they have to hide it or put it last in their priorities.
ReplyDeleteSir Ken Robinson brings up the topic of being wrong. Not many people are prepared to be wrong and will fight to find a way that they are right. We aren't prepared to have the wrong answer because it is looked down upon and it is expected of everyone to have the right answer. Having the right answer all of the time has no lessons to be learned. If you are wrong sometimes, you learn from the mistake and try to have the right answer the next time.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, he talks about how the future is unpredictable. Children are taught in a manner that supposedly prepares them for this future, even though nobody knows what the world will be like when the time comes for them to graduate, or get their first job, or even choose a career. Nobody knows what is going to happen five minutes from now, let alone several years from now, so it's hard to prepare people for something that nobody knows.
ReplyDeleteRobinson says "Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it as such." Schools emphasize four main subjects. Those subjects are math, science, history, and english. Kids may never be exposed to the arts or other things. Kids need to show their creativity in some way. They may find it in art where they can be creative with their work.
ReplyDelete"Kids aren't frightened of being wrong." They aren't until they go to school and learn that being wrong is bad. When a teacher asks a question and not one hand goes up, or nobody shouts out an answer, they get angry. But 9/10 times almost every kids knows the answer but they're all afraid of being wrong. Now that we've been taught, being wrong is bad, we'll never come up with anything original.
ReplyDeleteRobinson says how everywhere on earth has the same hierarchy of subjects, mathematics and languages are on the top. Then all the way at the bottom are the arts. Art may be something a child is secretly fantastic at, but was never able to explore it. Most kids aren't able to find their element early in life because of the strict education system.
ReplyDeleteKen talks about how the main subjects in school should all be different for each student. The hierarchy of subjects had not changed over time and it should changed. Many students do great in the basic subjects, but those who do better in other areas get no credit for their talent through schools.
ReplyDeleteKen talks about how we get educated out of creativity, and this relates to the idea in the book about creativity. Creativity is a big part of our lives and is very important, as shown in the book. Creativity is something that we are born with, and if not exercised properly, we may loose it over time.
ReplyDeleteKen discusses how everyone has a specific talent, but not everyone is given an opportunity to find it. I agree with his thoughts because many people have chances but do not realize it, and many just don’t look hard enough or think it is too late. This relates to the book because people thought it was too late for them to find their element or they did not even know it was out there.
ReplyDeleteEducation ins focused on the head and slightly to the left. This is a very true fact because what we call the core classes are math, language, and science. As he said they don't try to teach us what we like and are good at just what they have to.
ReplyDeleteKids aren't afraid of being wrong. We are taught over the years to not be wrong and it is the worst thing to be wrong therefore we do not try new things.
ReplyDeleteCreativity is as important as math or language. Back when the education system was made in the industrial revolution when creativity wasn't as valued
ReplyDeleteChildren are all very creative. As they grow older, our schools tend to make them lose the creativity they once had. This is also shown in the book. He talks about how if we don't practice creativity then we could lose it.
ReplyDeleteHe talks about how kids are not afraid of being wrong. They don't learn that being wrong is a bad thing until they go to school. That is why in high school, teachers will ask a question and nobody will raise their hand to answer because they are scared of being wrong. In the elementary school, it is the opposite. Kids don't know any better so they shout out what they think.
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