As I discovered after the tutorial this week, there were in fact several Youtube clips for us to watch in place of not having the unlecture. The particular video shown above shows a TED talk by Ken Robinson about creativity in children and what schools are potentially doing to this. I found it very interesting how he spoke about how original ideas are formed on the basis of being wrong and making mistakes, and when looking at past experiences that I myself have had I found this to be 100% true. With this in mind he then made it clear to see how there is a new notion in schools where children are punished or discourage for being wrong and it became obvious how this could lead to lack in creativity, something he describes as “just as important as literacy”. I won’t say much more he is such an engaging and interesting speaker that a recommend that it is well worth a watch!

This week there was no unlecture due to classes being stopped due to strike action, but I did however in the optional reading provided, The Age of the Essay, come across some interesting thoughts. I found it fascinating how the author completely shut down the way in which the majority of us were taught to write in school. This being the structured essays, usually about a text, that are so methodical and dry that we end up not enjoying both writing itself, as well as the particular text we are attempting to write about. I feel this to be

very true as I am aware that I was personally turned off writing to an extent when I was told so strictly exactly what I should write, how I should write it and what it should be about. I like how the writer suggests through this piece the essays should be flexible and not restricted and it is specified how the writing should be convincing not because you argued well but because you present the right answer. There were many other stimulating points raised but these were the particular things that resonated with me. I will certainly be thinking differently when I next sit down to write an essay!