Do Schools Kill Creativity
Lindsey Claire Galt
Dr. Lee March
American Government
October 3, 2012
Do Schools Kill Creativity? If you search almost anywhere on the internet about creativity and public schools you will run into a video by a man named Sir Ken Robinson. He emphasizes that schools kill creativity in every way. On the other hand, President Barack Obama disagrees whole heartedly. Both of these men agree that creativity is important to children and schools but they disagree on whether or not creativity is being implemented in schools. Robinson stated in his lectured at TED 2006, “I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it” (Ken Robinson. TED2006). He goes to say that education is the same all around the world and everyone puts emphasis on the same subjects. “At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom are the arts” (Robinson). Schools are so focused on standardized test scores and core subjects that the arts are left behind. There is also a common belief that as school budgets are cut the first things to go are the arts.
One thing many agree on is that creativity is a very important factor in a child life and must flourish for the child to become successful. Obama believes the opposite of what Ken Robinson believes is occurring, saying that schools are taking a great initiative to bring back creativity to our public schools. In a speech at Benjamin Banneker High School in 2011, President Obama told students, “You’ve got to wonder. You’ve got to question. You’ve got to explore. And every once in a while, you need to color outside the lines” (Barack Obama. “Back-to-School Speech”). Several states, have instated a “Creativity Index” which instead of just telling the state school’s standardized test scores will tell “how effective it is at “teaching, encouraging and fostering creativity in students”” (Philip Petrov. “Measuring Creativity in the Public Schools”). When
Dr. Lee March
American Government
October 3, 2012
Do Schools Kill Creativity? If you search almost anywhere on the internet about creativity and public schools you will run into a video by a man named Sir Ken Robinson. He emphasizes that schools kill creativity in every way. On the other hand, President Barack Obama disagrees whole heartedly. Both of these men agree that creativity is important to children and schools but they disagree on whether or not creativity is being implemented in schools. Robinson stated in his lectured at TED 2006, “I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it” (Ken Robinson. TED2006). He goes to say that education is the same all around the world and everyone puts emphasis on the same subjects. “At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom are the arts” (Robinson). Schools are so focused on standardized test scores and core subjects that the arts are left behind. There is also a common belief that as school budgets are cut the first things to go are the arts.
One thing many agree on is that creativity is a very important factor in a child life and must flourish for the child to become successful. Obama believes the opposite of what Ken Robinson believes is occurring, saying that schools are taking a great initiative to bring back creativity to our public schools. In a speech at Benjamin Banneker High School in 2011, President Obama told students, “You’ve got to wonder. You’ve got to question. You’ve got to explore. And every once in a while, you need to color outside the lines” (Barack Obama. “Back-to-School Speech”). Several states, have instated a “Creativity Index” which instead of just telling the state school’s standardized test scores will tell “how effective it is at “teaching, encouraging and fostering creativity in students”” (Philip Petrov. “Measuring Creativity in the Public Schools”). When
Cited: Adib, Dara. “The Goals of Education” 12 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2012 http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~daradib/rants/education/ Bennett, Vicki, Kyou Han Koh and Alexander Repenning. “Cs Education Re-Kindles Creativity in Public Schools.” Web. 20 Sept. 2012. http://scalablegamedesign.cs.colorado.edu/gamewiki/images/9/92/Sp134-bennett.pdf Bronson, Po and Merryman, Ashley Sept. 2012 http://www.arts.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ready_to_innovate.pdf “The Impact of High-Stakes Exams on Students and Teachers”. Policy Brief. New York State Education Department. Aug. 2004. Web. 20 Sept. 2012 http://www.oms.nysed.gov/faru/TheImpactofHighStakesExams_files/The_Impact_of_High-Stakes_Exams.pdf Obama, Barack. “Third Annual Back to School Speech” Benjamin Banneker High School. Washington D.C. 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2012 http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/09/28/president-obama-s-third-annual-back-school-speech#transcript Educational Foundation. 10 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2012 http://www.edutopia.org/blog/standards-support-creativity-classroom