Do Schools Kill Creativity? Ken Robinson Makes A Good Point…
January 10, 2012 
8 Comments
When I first came across this video on Facebook today, I was watching it because a friend asked a question. Little did I know that what Ken Robinson would be speaking about would have me jumping up and down, on the edge of my seat, and cheering for more.
This is simply brilliant.
It starts off about the economy and our education system. Ok…I was curious. But then at the 4:30 mark, my ears perked up as I heard Ken Robinson speak about ADHD and the epiedmic, or rather the “NOT an epidemic” of ADHD.
That’s when things got REALLY good, and I knew I would have to share this with you.
This is NOT about politics.
This is NOT just about the economy.
This is NOT just about our education system.
This is NOT just about ADHD.
It’s about the big picture. This is about life and where we are headed. This is what I have been talking about when it comes to seeing a child with ADHD for more than just the diagnosis. This is about how we can support a child with ADHD…heck, any child… We need to focus more on the big picture and societal shifts and trends than we do the micro of ADHD symptoms and diagnosis.
Watch this video, and let me know what you think (in the comments below):
- How did it make you feel?
- What was your gut reaction?
I have 6 children and have thought that our system of education is well behind the times for a long time now. They would plead not to go to school, complain about how subjects are taught. I also felt that way. As a child I loved to be hands on and I learned alot in nature. I gave my parents a lot of grief mostly because being stuck in a desk was alot like torture for me. So I hope that someone that can demand a new system of learning for our children can step in and make these changes. Occupy our school systems! We have to join together for these huge changes.
I agree with everything in this video 110%….and I am a vice principal in the public education system. I will be showing this video to teachers in the lunch room tomorrow!!!
I totally agree to this!! Nowadays the best you can do at school (as far as i can judge here in Holland) is being mediocre, what a pity..no attention for individual types of learning strategies and if you don’t fit in the regulair system, drugs are the answer? time for change, we should teach them a lesson
This makes a lot of sense. I never fitted in with the “normal” system of education. I learned far more by myself. This made me unemployable as a result but I am happily running my own businesses with reasonable success.
I will now spend some time going through the associated videos to see what else I can get. (still looking for an answer)
Great article! I really enjoyed it. The style and message are really similar to another YouTube video by Trevor Eissler, author of Montessori Madness, who I also strongly agree with! Have you looked into Montessori schooling? I think it really combats some of the standardization/factory modeling of traditional schooling. My son spent 4K in Montessori and then switched to a charter school that used the Direct Instruction method of teaching for kindergarten. He had trouble doing all the desk work and drilling, and was diagnosed ADHD. We pulled him mid-year to have him finish out K at Montessori where he can spend as much time as he wants on subjects that interest him and is free to get up and move around when he needs to, and it has been a huge change in the right direction! He is thriving there!
Dr. Rory I COMPLETELY agree! I have believed for years that our system is entirely messed up. We have to put our children in this box where they don’t fit and how does it improve our society? It does not. Take away the box, teach them to think and learn. Stop lying to them that they HAVE to go to college so they can have the “good life”. Stop punishing them for learning differently. Thank you for sharing this very enlightening information.
I struggle with the same issues i am the daughter of a diplomat who speaks 3 languages and eventually got B.S Biology
@ USF (Univ. of San Francisco- premier jesuit institution) and is a creative problem solver, who had to switch several time from the french system education to the american system while living in Argentina ( age 3 to age 8) then we move madrid, spain got put in a main stream british school, which was quite challenge as I was gifted girl with ADD-In attentive subtype and spent most of my day day dreaming if I thought the class was boring, as a result i only excel in the courses i was interested in and struggle with math and english it very boring to me. Then at age 18 i was diagnosed cyclothymic disorder had therapy and started t taking depakote/lithium .. has to drop out of school for a year just as i was getting ready to go to College two short year my lovely psychiatrist came to the conclusion that actually i was an under-stimulated gifted individual who hypomanic episodes when not stimulate properly. In my 20 I spent working on strong coping mechanism for stress and developing my emotional intelligence. Therefore , I decide to go to a Jesuit University Saint Louis University -madrid campus and i made such a difference I went from getting mediocre to excel and started getting straight A’s is most classes. Then, I eventually transfer to USF and graduate with B.S in biology , minor in psych which cumulative GPA 3.44 and 3.9 for my psych minor, science GPA 3.5. I ‘m now 31 ,i self manage, in last year able to stop the Depakote i was taking –now just take omega 3 ,yoga/taichi, long walk….I work in Cambridge, England as neonatal transport coordinator for a busy tranport team so i can polish my communication and interpersonal relationship in the work environment,which is such a hostile environment for some you thinks differently as the like to put people in boxes play mind games and always speak in a boring monotone..my boses i’m ditzy and is also dyslexic but don’t i always 5 steps ahead of them, my new line manager has decided i outshine her want to get rid of me, so I play dumm and hang with the scots, indians or anymone who is brainy or just accepts me the way I am.
Finally, I love your site and got you book its fab it remind of all the study techniques the jesuits taught me.
I agree with his whole outlook on the education that is offered to our children. Watching this made my stomach sink. It left me wondering if I should put a stop to my son’s medications and pray he will be okay. I spoke to my husband the same thing….And he wants to check out the options before that kind of change. My fear is that he will suffer more. And it will be my fault.