I have watched this a couple of times and think it deserves 20 minutes of everyone's time.
Are we killing creativity in children?
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About Me
- Angela
- I love to go to school. This passion did not begin until well into my college studies. Although I was a good student throughout, I did not love school until then. Now, I feel I could go to school forever, or at least, I am a student of life. I am actually a grown-up Montessorian, that is, I am intrigued by things and want to learn more when my curiosity is sparked.
What fascinating reflections about education. I like his analysis that the systems of public education were originally built to respond to the needs of industrialization. The world has changed; however, he didn't offer much about what the post-industrial, global economy needs from public education. In a global system where skills and degrees are more important than ever (as labor forces around the world compete for jobs and academic inflation reigns--at least in the U.S.) to access a middle class standard of living, how could his ideas be used to develop curriculum? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteOne thought would definitely be to stop cutting creative arts from the curriculum immediately. I agree it is important to have the right skills to compete in a global market, but we will also need innovative minds to become leaders and not just followers.
ReplyDeleteI have several friends that have done advanced degrees in order to be highly qualified for a career they don't really have a desire to be involved with by the time they finish. I think this stems from succeeding in this industrialized educational system that does not allow for swaying outside of the lines of expectation. They just keep going to school because it is expected and don't really have any idea who they are as a person in the end.
Somehow we have to rethink what the outcomes should be. And I think that is a deeper philosophical issue than curriculum.
I can't remember his name, but did you hear the guy on NPR that was very successful academically, but realized he was happier being an electrician? He loved doing it and made more money doing so than he could have otherwise. We are also eliminating shop class in some schools. People that are highly skilled and essential to our way of life are being undermined and marginalized. Let's not even mention the status/pay for teachers in this country!