Sir Ken Robinson
Radio NZ Sunday 4 March 2018
Other:
TED Talk in USA: How to education's death valley https://www.youtube.com/embed/wX78iKhInsc (2013)
Every child is different - but education based on No Child Left Behind is based on not diversity, but conformity - with schools finding out what children can do across a very narrow spectrum of achievement. The areas assessed are necessary but they are not sufficient. A real education has to give equal weight to the arts, humanties, phsyical eduation,
If you set kids down, hours after hours of clerical work - don't be surprised if they start to fidget (re ADHD 'epidemic' in USA). Suffering from 'childhood'
Comment:
The implementation of NZ's National Standards Policy, while well intentioned to attempt to identify and target resources to children who were behind the average child in Reading, Writing and Maths has been doing the same.
Kids prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents. The arts are important not just because they improve math scores, but becuase they speak to parts of children's beings that are left otherwise untouched.
Question:
How do we give an even weighting across the spectrum of the curriculum?
If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child - they will learn without very much more assistance. Curiosity is the engine of achievement. In place of curiosity, what we have is a culture of compliance.
Questions:
How do we spark the light of curiosity in all children?
How does asking children what they are learning to do recognise whether the light of curiosity is sparked?
There is no system in the world that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools. Teaching is a creative profession. They are not just there to pass on information - great teachers don't do that. They mentor, stimulate, provoke, engage.
Question:
How is our school providing the environment that our teachers need to be creative in their craft?
Teachers can be teaching without children learning anything from it - the teacher is engaged in the task, but not fulifilling the objective of the task. The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning - that's it.
The dominant culture of education has come to focus on on teaching and learning, but testing.
Question:
How can we measure the success of our teaching without relying on testing?
Standardised tests have a place, but they should not be the dominant culture of education - they should be diagnostic - they should support learning - not obstruct it.
One of the roles of education is to awaken and develop the powers of creativity that children possess. Instead - we have a culture of standardisation.
System needs to recognise it is students who are learning - and to engage their curiosity, individuality and their creativity - that's how you get them to learn. Need to invest in teachers's professional learning and support.
If you remove the teachers' discretion, learning stops happening.
Question:
How discretionary do our teachers feel?
Education is not a mechanical system - its a human system. Its about people - people who either DO want to learning or DON'T want to learn.
If we all followed the concept of alternative education, there would be no need for 'alternative education' (designed to get kids back into education - very personalised, strong support for the teachers, close links with the community, broad and diverse curriculum - oftn involving students inside school as well as outside school - they work, but they are called 'alternative' schools).
Question:
How do we personalise learning, support teachers, plan a broad and diverse curriculum, involve students in and out of school?
We should recognise that there are conditions under which people thrive - and conditions under which they don't.
Other:
TED Talk in USA: How to education's death valley https://www.youtube.com/embed/wX78iKhInsc (2013)
Every child is different - but education based on No Child Left Behind is based on not diversity, but conformity - with schools finding out what children can do across a very narrow spectrum of achievement. The areas assessed are necessary but they are not sufficient. A real education has to give equal weight to the arts, humanties, phsyical eduation,
If you set kids down, hours after hours of clerical work - don't be surprised if they start to fidget (re ADHD 'epidemic' in USA). Suffering from 'childhood'
Comment:
The implementation of NZ's National Standards Policy, while well intentioned to attempt to identify and target resources to children who were behind the average child in Reading, Writing and Maths has been doing the same.
Kids prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents. The arts are important not just because they improve math scores, but becuase they speak to parts of children's beings that are left otherwise untouched.
Question:
How do we give an even weighting across the spectrum of the curriculum?
If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child - they will learn without very much more assistance. Curiosity is the engine of achievement. In place of curiosity, what we have is a culture of compliance.
Questions:
How do we spark the light of curiosity in all children?
How does asking children what they are learning to do recognise whether the light of curiosity is sparked?
There is no system in the world that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools. Teaching is a creative profession. They are not just there to pass on information - great teachers don't do that. They mentor, stimulate, provoke, engage.
Question:
How is our school providing the environment that our teachers need to be creative in their craft?
Teachers can be teaching without children learning anything from it - the teacher is engaged in the task, but not fulifilling the objective of the task. The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning - that's it.
The dominant culture of education has come to focus on on teaching and learning, but testing.
Question:
How can we measure the success of our teaching without relying on testing?
Standardised tests have a place, but they should not be the dominant culture of education - they should be diagnostic - they should support learning - not obstruct it.
One of the roles of education is to awaken and develop the powers of creativity that children possess. Instead - we have a culture of standardisation.
System needs to recognise it is students who are learning - and to engage their curiosity, individuality and their creativity - that's how you get them to learn. Need to invest in teachers's professional learning and support.
If you remove the teachers' discretion, learning stops happening.
Question:
How discretionary do our teachers feel?
Education is not a mechanical system - its a human system. Its about people - people who either DO want to learning or DON'T want to learn.
If we all followed the concept of alternative education, there would be no need for 'alternative education' (designed to get kids back into education - very personalised, strong support for the teachers, close links with the community, broad and diverse curriculum - oftn involving students inside school as well as outside school - they work, but they are called 'alternative' schools).
Question:
How do we personalise learning, support teachers, plan a broad and diverse curriculum, involve students in and out of school?
We should recognise that there are conditions under which people thrive - and conditions under which they don't.
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