Photo: Flanders DC
Ken Robinson’s in the spotlight again. This is sort of going to be a re-hash of some stuff I talked about earlier, but I’ll give it a go anyway. Really, what Ken’s trying to promote is a change in the way we teach children in schools. His theories make sense, too. Fostering, nurturing and growing creativity, that’s what it’s all about. Forget segregation of classes by age, forget academic brilliance as the only indicator of a successful student. It’s not about what you do, but how you do it. Establishing creative process and ability in kids, rather than teaching kids how to make creative things (or in some cases, not very creative at all things).
The idea behind this, is that we create a generation of human beings who are innovative, creative, risk-taking and capable. Then we continue to do it, for generations to come. A complete shift in the way we educate. This would encourage progression and development. It would make organisations and individuals more successful. Not only that, but it would make people happier. This kind of learning encourages people and teaches them to trust in their capabilities and potential, take chances and keep an open mind. That sounds like the recipe for eternal bliss. If you’re adaptable, able to respond well to challenges (hello resilience) and incredibly creative, what in the world is going to stop you? Absolutely nothing. Give this talk a watch:
I’m not saying it’s foolproof (it practically is anyway, I think the success rate would be much higher than the current system), and learning styles certainly aren’t as good for one Joe as the next. But this is a system that is adaptable to all kinds of kids. It fosters individual talents and abilities. If everyone has a chance to grow in their own way, won’t the chances of a successful generation be much more likely? I know from experience that there are a lot of kids who struggle (currently and in the past) with the public education system. It’s a system that is based on old foundations (as Robinson explains) which are no longer relevant.
This is one of the reasons I was attracted to Networked Media from the get-go. Adrian embraces the qualities and ideas that Ken Robinson suggests. Sure there will be some hiccups along the way and change will take a while (we’re all taught to be so defensive [hello Mode I and II] and don’t manage change well), but in the end, the grass will never look a more lustful green. It’ll probably be clipped closely and neatly too. If that’s how you want it. When you come out of this process, the grass is yours to model and style as you like. That’s the greatest perk.
