I just finished watching the video with Ken Robinson about education and creativity. I very much agree with his thoughts that students are our future. All children are born with talents, and are excited about getting to use these talents. Children are so innocent that they are not afraid of being wrong, but by the time that they grow into adults, the creativity is gone because they are so scared of being wrong. I also agree that creativity is just as important as mathematics, so is dance. I am so afraid to dance in front of other people now that I don't ever do it or like to do it. My parents say as a child, I was always dancing in front of others. What if the same thing happened to me? I am so afraid now of not doing it right, that I just stopped dancing and do not do it anymore.
I believe as a future educator, my job is to teach students that it is okay to be wrong. It is okay to ask questions. Its okay to fail at something as long as you are trying your best. Our education system is based on TCAP scores and teach to the test, that we are missing the creativity of our students. Not all students are destined to become the President. Not all students are destined to be dancers. If we never let them experience those things and challenge their creativity in the classroom, how will they know? As Mr. Robinson said at the very end of his speech, lets "Celebrate the gift of human imagination."
That was my favorite video. He was down to earth and enlightening about the state of education today. So much importance is placed on testing that its easy to see why students are afraid to try. Now it's a matter of job security for teachers so they say there is no choice but to teach to the test. They cannot risk missing some information that will cause a kid to score lower and possible risk their job. It seems fear driven now and that ruins any possibility of learning just for the joy of it. Little children still have that curiousity and joy but I think we have to try and retain that love of learning in our older kids.
ReplyDeleteI loved this video, as well! He was pretty funny and I loved his accent. I agree that TCAP scores defintely do not expose the creativity that our students are capable of. Students who use their creativity have a higher success of actually learning the material because they are putting their own thoughts into it. They are so afraid of being wrong, though, and so their creativity is being very limited. It's very unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The teachers main focus now is to get the good scores on TCAP. Since all teachers have that mind set they are no longer taking time to integrate creativity into their lessons. It's become all about the facts. This makes the students job that much harder. How do you expect a student to score good on TCAP tests when they are miserable the whole year learning the information. If you make lessons fun and let the students use their imaginations learning is so much easier and much more enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteI love what you just said! and completely agree! TCAP takes so much out of teachers and students. It makes us teachers have to teach all year about how to answer multiple choice questions and fill in bubble sheets. Where's the creativity in that? None. About the dancing, When Sir Ken Robinson was talking about how children are not afraid to be wrong, it's soo true. We force them to be afraid to be wrong because we give them grades that criticize some students for not being at the same level as others. To tell you the truth, if we have forgotten, We are individuals. Therefore, we are not all the same or think a like. What is good for one is Not good for another. I love what is said about children, "If they don't know, they'll have a go" Let us give children a chance to have a go with out being afraid!
ReplyDeleteI am so on board with your post. Ken was very enlightening. Children are extraordinary and we stifle their creativity by forcing them to fall in line with only one mode of thinking. Children are outside of the box thinkers. Nothing is ever confined with them. This is why I enjoyed and agree with Ken.
ReplyDeleteWe teach children to try and try again but we also teach punishment by telling them not repeat the same "bad mistakes". Children are separated into categories based on test scores. Then we place such emphasis on what they must achieve and how important these scores are in determining who they are as a student. We have showed children that they don't have options, only to get it right or else there is something wrong with them. Isn't it awful? I would be afraid to try too. I have given the TCAP to Exceptional Ed. students for the past 3 years and it is discouraging to watch. Many will just mark after frustration. Some are trying but become so nervous they make clumsy mistakes. The same happens with think link testing. Ken made such a valid point with how we expect children to sit and sit while listening to lecture. Then have to give output that is correct even when they have not totally understood the material or had enough time to totally process it. We need to have more ways to explore students abilities and find ways to help them in the areas they need.