Tonight I finally got around to watching the 7.30 Report’s interview with Sir Kenneth Robinson that aired last week. (16/6) on ABC TV. Quite a few staff at school had seen it, and were talking about and it was worth looking at, both for his ideas about the importance of finding your passion and interest (and how schools didn’t do that well) and how the current trend towards testing narrowed the focus of schools, in a bad way.
That first point is critical, and I’ve sometimes made it to parents when speaking at information evenings and curriculum nights: that it could be argued that the most important thing a school can do for a student is awaken in them their particular area of expertise and passion which will lead them forward.
I’ve mentioned Robinson in this blog before so it was good to be able to see him interviewed in a two part presentation. You can see it too on the 7.30 Report site with video and audio.
Transcript of interview on 7.30 Report Site
Direct link to video interview (broadband speed, streaming in Windows Media Player)
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It was interesting when Sir Ken took Kerry to task for his language choice when talking about people who work ‘conventional’ jobs ‘indulging’ in creative pursuits on the weekend.
Perfectly illustrated the mindset being discussed.
I could listen to this speak for hours. He makes it sound such a no-brainer. It is, isn’t it?
also a more complete presentation on Tedtalks
get there from itunes or direct http://www.tedtalks.com
search on ken robinson,
his Tedtalk entitled ‘Does schooling kill creativity’
[...] on schooling and creativity amongst other subjects discussed. Warrick Wynne has managed to create a direct link to part 1 of the interview on his [...]
I feel Sir Ken got it right when he called for balance in curriculum [i.e. value the Arts and Humanities]. I agreed with Kerry and Sir Ken when he said that parent and some educators anxiousness about the future was driving this cramming in schools for state and national tests scores and the consequential narrowing of curriculum.