[CE] Educating Inside the Box

       In 2010, Ken Robinson presented a common misconception in the national school system during a TED conversation that I still find very relevant to how we educate kids today. 

 Creativity by Robinson, can be defined as the process of coming up with original ideas that have value in today's society. Children are our future and I agree with Robinson that by continuing to undermine and discourage creativity in a learning environment, we only worsen the situation of our future.  A major issue is that schools today are still utilizing a system where memorization and subjects including literacy and math are prioritized over the creative arts. I believe creativity is just as important as fundamental subjects and should be treated with the same status.  However, within every school system there is this hierarchy of class subjects that assimilates the next generation further away from creative thinking.

In theory, the longitudinal test proves that every child is born an artist with an amazing creative capability and the potential to excel in divergent thinking.  As we grow up to be adults, we slowly lose those capabilities by being educated out of them.  The problem is that the educational system along with society often stigmatizes making mistakes.  As young adults who have endured this standard of education, we increasingly acknowledge the consequences of making mistakes whether it's through doing poorly on a test or in real life situations. It becomes increasingly apparent that as we grow, we become fearful of making mistakes.  Usually I find myself in a classroom where students are either too hesitant in answering a question at the chance that they might be incorrect or brimming with enough ego that they don't bother trying. In many cases, children are more willing to take a chance of being wrong than adults. 

 It's also evident that the purpose of teaching in classrooms has changed in that more importantly than learning or being creative; students are being taught and prepared for standardized testing.  Naturally, I believe students are partly more afraid of failure because some these test scores may dictate their future.  Personally, I'm opposed to the SAT because it sets absurdly high standards and criteria that not everyone can meet.  I find it humorous that colleges and the education system expects people with different learning habits, goals, and techniques to conform and take a test that judges their intellect based on academic questions.  I believe that too often test scores have discouraged adolescents who have tremendous talents and yet we squander their creativity by not providing an educational system that can cater to everyone's intellectual need.

It all starts with each one of us individually working together to insure schools are supportive of the creative process. Our current educational system has served us well to develop our mental abilities.  It's now time to transcend just being "mentally smart" and give the next generation a creative learning environment they can live for.  Robinson proposes that we must rethink the fundamental education for future generations.  Although we may not see this future ourselves, we must properly educate and prepare children so they can face it and make something of it.