Ken Robinson by Jackie McGraw

This Ted Talk features Ken Robinson (click on the name to access the video link), who speaks about how the current schooling system kills creativity and talent—things which all children are born with. Around the world, Robinson asserts, education has a “hierarchy” in which math and language are at the top, followed by the humanities, with the arts located at the bottom. It is this industrialism-inspired structure that destroys creativity as children are driven away from the electives they like because they are told they cannot make a career out of them. Robinson, however, argues that the arts are just as important as math and language and should be taught just as religiously in schools. Essentially, he strives to foster creativity through his innovative ideas about the education system. I too find the current system flawed and was inspired by Robinson’s promotion of creativity. School takes up a good portion of person’s life and should thus be enjoyable and foster talent and passion. I related to Robinson’s frustrations and hope to continue his progress in education.

Ken Robinson is an internationally renowned speaker and adviser, as well as author, about the importance of creativity in education. One of seven and born in Liverpool in 1950, Robinson studied drama and English at the University of Leeds before proceeding to get his PhD at the University of London for his research about the role of theatre and drama in the field of education. After gradating from university, he worked on the UK Schools Council, publishing a report called Learning Through Drama: Report of The Schools Council Drama Teaching in 1977. Then, in 1985, Robinson served as the director of The Arts in Schools project—a program that worked with over 2,000 teachers, administrators, and artists to promote the incorporation of the arts into standard education. This project ended up shaping the National Curriculum in England. At the same time, he was an adviser to the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. For twelve years, Robinson was a professor of Arts Education at the University of Warwick and is now considered a professor emeritus, or an expert in his field. He published All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture, and Education after he was commissioned to research how to implement economically-sound programs that would develop creativity in UK schools. He also established a plan to expand creativity and the economy in Northern Ireland in his work, Unlocking Creativity. In 2003, Robinson was knighted (becoming Sir Ken Robinson) for his innovation in education and contributions to the arts and now speaks worldwide about how to promote creativity in both schools and businesses.

As Robinson’s full career illustrates, his university major in the arts and education was linked to many of his jobs, although he eventually delved more into the field of economics. From the video, I can see that Ken possesses several qualities that make him such an influential speaker and writer. He is very personable, constantly including jokes that engage and enliven his audience. Furthermore, he is extremely observant. His whole career seems to be a product of simple observation. He noted that children are not afraid to be wrong and thus take risks while adults fear being wrong because mistakes are so stigmatized by schools and corporations. He said that adults are “educated out of creativity” as education has become oriented around industrialism and “practical” skills that will lead to “practical” jobs. Also curious, he has begun to analyze how people discover their talents. Clearly, Robinson’s charisma and writing skills have allowed him to touch a wide number of people, while his passion for innovative education and children has prompted him to make great leaps in the development of education and what exactly it should foster (creativity) all around the world.

I hope to become a British, American or even French literature teacher at an international high school in France. I plan on majoring in English and French in college with possibly a minor in psychology. Several teachers at Saint Francis have advised me that it is best to major in the subject I want to teach rather than education. I will definitely need to go to graduate school where I can fulfill my teaching credentials and specify my field. As for summer internships, I would like to work with a program called Spark, located in Redwood City. It helps lower income children become engaged in learning by providing them with mini internships in the field they are interested in so they have an incentive to do well academically in order to achieve their dreams. Because I want to work in France, I would also like to work at some French schools, possibly as a teacher’s aide. Ideally, I would like to teach in France immediately after college, building my experience through summer internships and jobs. However, I might try teaching lower grade levels in the United States first as a means of expanding my experience and credentials before teaching at the high school level.