Education Vs. Creativity
 

i find this an interesting topic for everyone, because it's relevant to almost everyone. i find that artistic passion and motivation are the driving forces of advances in society.

now, this is a long watch, but i find it completely worth the time, and more. Ken Robinson is basically plugging his book, but he gives a wonderful speech too. if you want, you can search "do schools kill creativity?" and watch the 20 minute version, but it's sub par compared to this.

YouTube - Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures

i agree with all that he says, it's just the problem of implementing such an idea into the society we've created for ourselves. i don't think it would be wise for a drastic change; seeing small changes along the way would be pertinent. i know that i've learned a lot from great teachers, and absolutely nothing from bad ones.

can't you have education and creativity together? Aren't they sometimes the same thing?

You can't teach creativity, but you can teach someone to use their creativity I guess. Schools really take the imagination out of kids in my opinion, they're more concerned with what's "known" rather than exploring new things.

This is true, but I think the schooling system is changing rapidly (at least it is over here) to encompass the belief that creativity and innovation is the driving force behind success and fulfillment. I remember when I was in school, a lot of things that I did actually encouraged my creativity and imagination - I probably wouldn't have fully expressed myself in a way that I'd chosen if I didn't have the comfortable school environment, as well as nurturing teachers who encouraged to use our minds in our OWN why, not in a conventionally taught way or whatever.

And at university they teach future teachers to encourage students to think in their own way and use their own abilities in the way that fits them. Gone are the days of ROTE learning, now everything is about creativity, innovation, thinking outside the square, etc. Over here the schooling system has definitely changed drastically, in such a way that education does nurture creativity.

Schools teaching creativity is counterproductive.

How can you mold someone to be another cog in the wheel if they start being "creative"?

Schools don't want you to be creative, they want you to be efficient. Creativity is for commies.

MR. AMERICA WALK ON BY
YOUR SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT TEACH

also art schools ftw

I think his point about ADD is more interesting than his point on education.

This does seem to be partly correct, boo boo, based on what I've seen while volunteering at an Iowan elementary school. The 1st grade class was so full of rules and negative vibes I thought I'd get an ulcer by just volunteering. Kids were told to *whisper* the whole time they did projects. If a child made an exclamation of joy or surprise, s/he lost a "cube" (and whichever team of kids ended up with the most cubes at the end of the day would get a prize). I understand that the teacher is trying to get strict discipline to make sure she can teach all the kids how to read, write, and do simple math, yet it was painful to watch children forced so strongly to conform, especially since I know from my own exprerience that educating children does not have to stunt their enthusiasm and creativity by loading them down with rules.

This grade school class in which I volunteer is completely opposite of the "Alternative Program" I attended in Iowa from 1st to 4th grade, back in the 1970's when people were trying to alter public education to inspire creativity. Our alternative class (for 1st - 6th graders, all in one classroom) had no desks. We got to learn at our own pace. We got to build forts and make homes for snakes we brought in from outside. We had lots of art and science projects that we could do, or not do, depending on what we wanted.

The basic model of this Alternative Program classroom was that kids (people) *love* learning and if you provide a lot of activities and opportunities for them they will naturally explore, learn, create. You don't have to force them to learn or to conform. We called our teacher Ruth. Our teachers were friends and guides. There was none of this "Mrs." and "Mr." so-and-so that is required in regular schools as a "sign of respect" for teachers. Notice how in regular classrooms the teachers don't call children "Mr." or "Mrs."--so you can quickly tell that the adults *don't* respect children as much as adults, and they feel being an authority figure is extremely important.

Eventually, the school district ended the Alternative Program class in our community...not because the students weren't doing well, but because the program so challenged the authority of the traditional school system philosophy. Luckily, I was a beneficiary of an open-minded school philosophy as a child before conservatives snuffed it out. Those were the best 4 years of my school career.

No, they don't. That's precisely what good schools don't want to do - they don't want to turn their students into 'another cog in the wheel.' Like I said, teacher training these days places so much emphasis on individuality, creativity, directional thinking, different ways of learning, etc. Everything I've seen in schools in Australia aims to teach students to be individual and creative and learn in the way that is most effective for them, rather than hypodermically learn knowledge like some kind of production line.

It's true that there are many schools out there that operate as businesses rather than facilitators of learning and creativity. But I can honestly say that most government schools over here encourage creativity and innovation and that this concept of schooling is heavily ingrained in teacher training as well.

Over here if you are a smarty smart pants and do well in school they pretty much let you do whatever you want... at my school atleast. The lesson plans are looser and you have the option to be more creative. I was neither smart nor creative so I became a dropout like the rest of Baltimore City... can I get my "fail at life" badge please?