"But something strikes you when you move to America and travel around the world: Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects. Every one. Doesn't matter where you go. You'd think it would be otherwise, but it isn't. At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and at the bottom are the arts. Everywhere on Earth. And in pretty much every system too, there's a hierarchy within the arts. Art and music are normally given a higher status in schools than drama and dance. There isn't an education system on the planet that teaches dance everyday to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not? I think this is rather important. I think math is very important, but so is dance. Children dance all the time if they're allowed to, we all do. We all have bodies, don't we?"
- Sir Ken Robinson
- Sir Ken Robinson
Ken Robinson’s presentation, “Do schools kill creativity?”, discusses the idea that public education systems are “educating people out of their creative capacities”. Robinson’s central idea is that creativity is as vital in education as standard academics. He believes that the principles by which children today are taught by must be transformed. The speaker uses ethos by speaking about his career as an educator and an author, such as when he states that, “I have a big interest in education, and I think we all do. We have a huge vested interest in it, partly because it's education that's meant to take us into this future that we can't grasp”. Robinson also builds credibility with his reputation as an expert in creativity. The speaker relies mostly on pathos by recounting humorous anecdotes to keep the audience entertained. For instance, Robinson talks about a story he overheard about a little girl in a drawing lesson:
“She was six, and she was at the back, drawing, and the teacher said this girl hardly ever paid attention, and in this drawing lesson, she did. The teacher was fascinated. She went over to her, and she said, ‘What are you drawing?’ And the girl said, ‘I'm drawing a picture of God.’ And the teacher said, ‘But nobody knows what God looks like.’ And the girl said, ‘They will, in a minute.’”.
The speaker also relies on logos various times throughout his speech to prove his point, such as when he states that, “Around the world, there were no public systems of education, really, before the 19th century. They all came into being to meet the needs of industrialism”. Robinson does many things well in his presentation, such as applying a comical approach to his material in order to interest the audience.
“Do schools kill creativity?” relates to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s article, “‘Education systems too narrow': Sir Ken Robinson”, because the article is a transcript of an interview with the speaker, where he shares many similar ideas about the education system not encouraging creativity. The presentation also relates to the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education’s article, “All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education”, because the article also discusses the importance of creativity’s role in education.
This presentation illustrates American values by describing individualism when referencing the need for more creative expression. When children are allowed to be more creative, there is a greater emphasis on individual initiative. The speech relates to the American Dream by discussing the pursuit of social ideas, such as being able to redefine the principles that today’s educational standards are built upon. This reasoning is similar to that of the Global Dream in which there is also a pursuit of social ideas surrounding better education. The presentation relates to America’s place in the world by describing the circumstances of national education services all over the world.
“She was six, and she was at the back, drawing, and the teacher said this girl hardly ever paid attention, and in this drawing lesson, she did. The teacher was fascinated. She went over to her, and she said, ‘What are you drawing?’ And the girl said, ‘I'm drawing a picture of God.’ And the teacher said, ‘But nobody knows what God looks like.’ And the girl said, ‘They will, in a minute.’”.
The speaker also relies on logos various times throughout his speech to prove his point, such as when he states that, “Around the world, there were no public systems of education, really, before the 19th century. They all came into being to meet the needs of industrialism”. Robinson does many things well in his presentation, such as applying a comical approach to his material in order to interest the audience.
“Do schools kill creativity?” relates to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s article, “‘Education systems too narrow': Sir Ken Robinson”, because the article is a transcript of an interview with the speaker, where he shares many similar ideas about the education system not encouraging creativity. The presentation also relates to the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education’s article, “All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education”, because the article also discusses the importance of creativity’s role in education.
This presentation illustrates American values by describing individualism when referencing the need for more creative expression. When children are allowed to be more creative, there is a greater emphasis on individual initiative. The speech relates to the American Dream by discussing the pursuit of social ideas, such as being able to redefine the principles that today’s educational standards are built upon. This reasoning is similar to that of the Global Dream in which there is also a pursuit of social ideas surrounding better education. The presentation relates to America’s place in the world by describing the circumstances of national education services all over the world.
Author's Notes
Robinson's presentation was both inspiring and amusing. It showed me how much our national education services need to be reformed.