write 2 peer evaluation each for 200 words

Today for my Summary and Response I will be going over Ken Robinson’s video: “Do schools kill creativity?” Sir Robinson explains: “My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” Meaning we are teaching our children that to focus on English and Math is heavily recommended in school whereas Art, Music and Dance would be much less desirable skills in which they will need in later life.

His focus is pointing at today’s children. “The really extraordinary capabilities that children have—their capabilities for innovation.” The thoughts he has on how children are not afraid to take chances, not afraid to fail are what we should be praising them for not hindering them into worry about being perfect and making mistakes. I completely understand the thought process in believing that schools are essentially stripping children of their creativity. “All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up” Picasso. If we allow children to embrace their passion and follow what they love rather than conform to the cookie cutter child mindset in which schools are teaching we can have a future of people who are happy inside and out. Mind body and soul working together to accomplish daily goals rather than only relying on the mind and shutting out all the other senses or muffling them to a dull hum in the very least.

“In the next 30 years, according UNESCO more people worldwide will be graduating through education than since the beginning of history.” The degree is becoming less valuable and the levels of degrees seem to be continually rising. His thoughts are focused on three points on intelligence. 1. It’s diverse. 2. It’s dynamic.

“And the third thing about intelligence is, it's distinct. I'm doing a new book at the moment called "Epiphany," which is based on a series of interviews with people about how they discovered their talent. I'm fascinated by how people got to be there. It's really prompted by a conversation I had with a wonderful woman who maybe most people have never heard of, Gillian Lynne. Have you heard of her? Some have. She's a choreographer, and everybody knows her work. She did "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera." She's wonderful. I used to be on the board of The Royal Ballet, as you can see. Anyway, Gillian and I had lunch one day and I said, "How did you get to be a dancer?" It was interesting. When she was at school, she was really hopeless. And the school, in the '30s, wrote to her parents and said, "We think Gillian has a learning disorder." She couldn't concentrate; she was fidgeting. I think now they'd say she had ADHD. Wouldn't you? But this was the 1930s, and ADHD hadn't been invented at this point. It wasn't an available condition.” (Sir Robinson) She explained her mom took her to see a specialist to try and get some answers. The specialist asked all pertinent questions and then had them leave her in the room as he put on some music for her. When they got into the hallway they watched her dance. His diagnosis was she wasn’t sick, she was a dancer. Take her to dance school. (G. Lynne) Had the specialist diagnose her as if something was wrong she could have never lived up to her potential or every be truly happy feeling like there was something wrong with her. People taking the time to focus on all of their senses could greatly improve the quality of many of their lives.

I would have to say after watching this video to answer the question I do believe it is a fact that schools are attempting to kill children’s creativity. I would love to see the curriculum focused a little more on wellness of all of the senses rather than only just the mind. Finally acceptance would be key. If we truly choose to listen and not just hear the children we may be surprised at what they are feeling inside. Especially since a lot of our own creative little geniuses were stifled in childhood long ago.