Are schools killing creativity?

I have to say that I enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's lecture - he was able to entertain while presenting facts that I believe are true. I agree with what he was saying, that schools are more focused with actual "fact based" learning. The hierarchy that he spoke up, with mathematics & languages on top, followed by humanities, and then arts, is very true. In schools today, we provide excellent knowledge for the higher "priorities," while leaving the arts in the dust. Now, I don't want to say that the arts are left out completely, but they are not as emphasized upon as the other subjects. Academics are strictly becoming the basis of teaching in today's schools. When he spoke of the little girl that was drawing God, the teacher's response was good proof. She basically was shooting down this girl's imagination, because she could not possibly know what he looks like. He is right to say that students do not recognize their own talent, because it was never preached to them. He also draws a valid point when he says that "creativity is being able to think of things in multiple ways." This is an excellent tool that everyone should experience.

When he says "if you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original," it is so true. Students become so afraid of being wrong that they don't even bother trying anything that might turn out "wrong." Wrong can be classified differently as well, depending on the person. Students fear rejection so they stick to what they know will keep them "safe," and follow all the instructions without straying aside. He also points out that "education is meant to take us into the future that we can't grasp." This brings us back to the fact that we are getting students ready for things that we are not even prepared for ourselves. Students need to be able to think for themselves, and think FULLY for themselves - in whichever way that they please. It's basically showing that students need to have their own opinions, regardless of how others are going to look at them.

Finally, I agree with the statement that "creativity is as important as literacy." I believe that students need to understand that there is more to learning than just hitting the books. They need to be able to explore, to understand the world in ways that they feel comfortable. Creativity can make that happen - it allows for students to have a comfort zone. The ballerina that he speaks of is an excellent example - once she figured out that she was a dancer, her life made more sense. It is all about allowing the students to understand themselves and to be able to express themselves so that they can have a better understanding of their life.