TEDx Speaker, Ken Robinson Says Education Kills Creativity

Even though we're only coming up on our second year of inspiring TEDx talks here in Utica, back in 2006 Sir Ken Robinson gave what could likely be the most popular TED talk of all, previously and since.

I stumbled upon this speech randomly, but it's message resonates even more now as we come to terms with the Common Core Standards. Sir Ken takes the pulse of our education system and puts it into humorous language, although the underlying message is sobering. If you've got a spare 20 minutes and care about the direction of the education of our children and young adults and even your own job, I promise the time will be spent wisely...

His speech really hit me for several reasons which I could rant about forever, but identify with me here. What kid growing up hasn't looked at a paper or concept and asked themselves, "When am I going to use this in the real world?" What kids when they start to see themselves spending more and more time at the homework table after school doesn't start to feel that something's up? Think back to when you started to feel the conflict between pursuing your heart's desires and settling for what you HAVE to do. Kids who used to love school begin to gradually hate it, with the exception of it's social offerings of course.

After the last degree is earned, many are forced to settle for more indentured servitude in order to survive, instead of spending their lives doing what they enjoy. Instead, their enjoyment gets shuffled into the category called 'hobbies' if they can even find the time or the money for them.

As a teacher myself, I have seen time and time again that when you help students form their own box instead of fitting them into one chosen for them, they flourish. Every time. But creativity is the enemy of modern industry really, unless you're at the top, so even though we may be inspired (or scared) about a speech like Ken's, there is little that we can do in order to change the course of the behemoth that modern education has become, where even removing yourself from it isn't consequence free.