Watching Ken Robinson's TED talk open my eyes and allowed me to take a new perspective on education. Through his effective use of relatable stories and humorous antics, he points out the negative impact of schools, teachers, and the teaching methods that he believes harm kids creativity. His laid back and friendly presentation style is easy to listen to and very entertaining. I wish that throughout the presentation he had backed up his opinions with facts and statistics to make his point more dynamic and believable. Sir Robinson explains that people are intrigued by the unpredictability of the future and therefore it is important to educate young children that have ample potential and flourishing creativity. In Ken Robinson's opinion, creativity is just as important as literacy. I agree with his statement because in the same way that A Whole New Mind mentions the left and right sides of the brain functioning as one, children need both literacy and creativity to function in the corporate world and be contributing members to society. The two aspects pair like peanut butter and jelly and create a pleasing result. Additionally, literacy is important to stimulate creativity because only with concrete thoughts and ideas in place can creativity be born. One must have information to exhibit creation. I picture this as a tree. Strong roots, or literate information, must be in place to support the outstretched branches of creativity. Once the building blocks are in place, the creative juices will flow and forever build off each other. However, I disagree with his next point that as kids grow older they grow out of their creativity because of the ways in which they have been taught. In fact, I think that as kids grow older they become more in tune with their creative sides and learn to use them in the world. When I was younger, I always participated in art class but never thought of myself as an artist. As I have grown up, the teachers and classes that I have been in have stretched my abilities and made me think outside the box. The projects that have pushed me have allowed me to see a whole new side of myself that I otherwise my not have noticed. In the exact opposite way that Sir Robinson presented his argument, my creative abilities have been unleashed at school through the influence of my teachers and the projects that they assign. Now, I would consider myself an artist and a creative thinker. Literacy skills and creativity that have been taught at school, create dynamic learners prepared for the future. I agree that creativity is equally important to literacy but I don't agree that schools drive the creativity from blossoming in children. I see schools as the catalyst for breeding creation. They are the "Miracle-Gro" that stimulates the trees growth and allows it to grow faster, stronger, and healthier. In my opinion, schools should put classes like art and music below math, science, English, and history because in those core classes there is room to integrate creativity that will fuel even deeper more meaningful learning and provide literacy and creativity in-sync. I think Ken Robinson makes valid points in his TED talk through his relaxed and entertaining presentation. I think that if he stated a more direct call-to-action at the end of the speech that told the audience what he would like them to do next it would have been more effective. In my opinion, I think society should be reminded of the important effect of creativity in the world but still thrive in the dynamic information that schools can provide to strike a balance… a perfectly crafted peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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