At the time of Sir Ken Robinson's 2006 TED talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?", web2.0 tools were in their earliest stages, and in truth, a niche concept that had yet to pour over into schools. Robinson contends that we are born to be visual and kinesthetic learners. He states that education is at a cross-roads, an intersection where the direction chosen will have a profound impact on future generations. Robinson believes that creativity is best nurtured through the arts; programs such as dance, theater, and art.
Creativity promotes critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis. Therefore, web 2.0 tools provide a level ground for all students to enhance their creative thinking powers; especially to those who can not, quite literally, dance or sing.
I believe that if Robinson offered in 2011-2012 the same topic as he covered in 2006, he would include web 2.0 tools.
And he would be excoriated.
It's easy to win a crowd over by referencing all the subjects they experienced as learners, but to content that web 2.0 deserves a spot on the shelf next to venerated programs such as art and dance would be an act of recklessness and irresponsibility.
I feel that in every crowd there is someone somewhere who will not agree with an idea or concept. I would not necessarily use the word “excoriated” when describing how people would react and treat Robinson for including Web 2.0 on the shelf of “venerated programs.” I believe he would receive some criticism because everyone’s a critic and some meaner than others, however, I feel that with technology being a part of every facet of life the thought would be welcomed by many. Open-minded people will embrace new theories and new ideas; close-minded people will reject them. I believe enough open minded people who use technology and rely on technology in their daily lives would have the capacity to see the reality in Robinson’s statement regarding Web 2.0 tools.
ReplyDelete-Chera
I am not sure that I agree with the idea of Sir Ken Robinson being criticized for including Web 2.0 tools in a speech that he would give today. I think that there are plenty of people out there that are accepting of the new tools available to reach today’s learner. I did not learn the same way that I teach the children now but I am open to trying Web 2.0 tools in my classroom. However, I am completely aware that there are those teachers who are stuck in their ways and not very open to new ideas. Some teachers will take longer to come on board but given the proper resources and training they may be more prone to try new ways of teaching. If one subscribes to Robinson’s idea that “learning is dynamic” then just as creativity is enhanced by the arts then why is creativity not enhanced through the use of technology?
ReplyDeleteSusan
@Susan, I agree that teachers will take longer to come on board, it's all about building the case for change. If people believe that changing is a good idea then they will come on board too.
ReplyDelete-Chera
I think Sir Ken Robinson's speech would have been very different if he had given it today rather than in 2006. However, I do not necessarily think he would have been criticized when including Web 2.0 as a form of fostering creativity. I think if the crowd was accepting of the idea that art, dance, and music should be given as much respect as all other subjects, then in today's world they would also be accepting of the fact that technology should be included in that list.
ReplyDeleteEither way, I do not think much has changed in schools in the way of building creativity since this 2006 speech. Instead the education system is focused on assessment and accountability. Forcing teachers to feel that they need to constantly "teach to the test" in order to be deemed a successful teacher definitely does not give them the leeway to allow for creativity in their classrooms.
Also, although technology is usually now included as a specials class at the elementary level, I have not seen many elementary technology curricula that successfully use these technologies to foster creativity. Instead students spend time learning how to type and use basic programs like Word and Powerpoint. Although these are important skills, there also needs to be time to teach them how to use different Web 2.0 technologies.
~Heather
@Chera
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that any open-minded person should be accepting of the idea that technology should be an important subject in school. It would be hard to reflect on how much we use and rely on technology and then say otherwise. Meanwhile, it is clear that technology use will continue to change and grow. This is even more reason why children in today's world need to be comfortable with technology and aware of the resources that it offers. Of course, as you said, there will always be critics, but I agree that I do not think this is an idea that Sir Ken Robinson would be severely criticized for.
@Susan
ReplyDeleteOne very important thing that you mentioned in your post was the idea that many teachers may feel more comfortable jumping on board with using technology in their classrooms if they had more training, time, and the proper resources. It is very unfortunate that many teachers feel uncomfortable using technology because they have not been given the opportunity to learn. I do not think it is fair of us to expect teachers that did not grow up using technology to just know what to do with it and how to use it in their classrooms. There needs to be professional development and time given to these teachers to learn.
@Heather, I agree that not much has changed since his speech. Assessment has definitely been the number one concern, schools scores are much more important than anything else. As you mentioned that tech is now seen as a "special" for students, my school district does not even incorporate tech into the 5 specials that we currently have, therefore, we do not have tech teachers. Weekly computer time is determined by the classroom teachers, so you know the teachers who are not on board with technology are not taking their students to the lab nearly as often as those who support tech. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with my district and I am hopeful that one day we will integrate tech into our specials and maybe I can be the tech teacher. :)
ReplyDelete-chera
@Chera
ReplyDeleteWow! I hope that they do eventually add technology classes. I am surprised they haven't. That would be great if it could be you too :).
~Heather