Do Schools Kill Creativity?

AstroFan

I loved to read at a young age, and was pretty good at it for my level.

At the school library there was a section of books for each grade level and we were all supposed to read a certain amount of those books and answer 10 questions(multiple choice) on a computer to receive a certain grade in Reading. In around 4th or 5th grade, I was at the school library reading 'The Killer Angels'(About the battle of Gettysburg; I loved history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killer_Angels ), but I was supposed to be reading some crap 30 page book with a drab storyline.

The librarian took the Pulitzer Prize winning novel from my hands(didn't even let me bookmark it. Bitch.), and told me to go find one of those childrens books that put me to sleep. Incidents like that really hurt my interest in reading for a few years, but I picked it back up again(after no longer attending that school, if it matters. Thankfully I got out).



I never did finish the book, but now I feel like I should.


EDIT: OH GOD. How could I forget to mention the worst teacher I ever had. In the first half of 4th grade I had the biggest motivational killer I could ever imagine. With her class, I went from getting A's and B's in everything, to almost failing in two subjects.

For example, one time a classmate asked a question because he didn't understand what she was teaching, and she yelled at him for not paying attention. I don't think she ever did answer his question.

Another time she assigned us math homework, and I can specifically remember her saying "If you don't know what to do..., read the directions" ... I may have been in 4th grade, but I think everybody knew we were supposed to read directions. Apparently she didn't know she was actually supposed to teach the class.

Because of that one teacher, my parents took me out of public school and put me in the private school that I originally talked about.

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I'm in my first semester of college now and my English professor is a tough SOB. I don't have any complaints about it though because I get the impression that he actually wants us to learn something, and it's keeping me interested. I would much rather have a mean teacher than a lazy one.

soulsinging

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

This was really an inspiring presentation!

http://opposingdigits.com/vlog/?p=1843

"A must-see for every parent and teacher. Education guru Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. Sir Ken Robinson is author of “Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative,” and a leading expert on innovation in education and business."

20 minutes is too long, but i fully support sweeping overhauls of the education system. the current system is broke and beyond repair. education is not a product that can be packaged and distributed in a one-size-fits-all formula.

Collin

catefrances wrote:

10 hours?! holy shit! our kids are at school from around 9am until around 3pm. that's 6 hours. minus lunch and recess and there's not much time left for learning, let alone creativity.

We were in school eight or seven hours. Seven or eight 50 minute classes. After the first two "hours" (100 minutes) there was recess for about 10 minutes then the next two "hours", then lunchtime, which was one hour. And then we had the three remaining "hours" without recess. Sometimes four "hours" but with recess. And of course there are plenty of school where there was no school on Wednesday afternoons. Not mine, though.

Carlos D

From my own personal experience I have to say that private schools kill creativity more than Catholic schools,at least here in Ireland.I went to a Catholic run school for 5 years and then had to repeat my final year this year in a private school and I never could have imagined such a mechanical approach to education,you were expected to study from 9-7 Monday to Saturday in a tiny 5 room building and what really amazed me was how you hear people talking about how uniforms supress individuality etc.Well in privatte schools here there's no individuality,there's no uniform yet the personalities are virtally all the same,all spoilt boring rich kids.The teachers shout you down if you express an opinion contrary to their own(I tried telling a teacher once she was wrong to invent bullshit stories about how 'evil' America is and I nearly got expelled) and for the most part I don't think I ever heard one inelligent independent thought expressed by any students.
The opposite was true for my old school,it wasn't an amazing school by any means but at least people were allowed to develop as a human being.

surferdude

The question is what role do you want schools to have in your kids' lives?

I'm not looking for school to replace my role in my kid's life or replace his own curiosity. It's where I want him to learn to read, write, arithmetic, learn how to learn so he can support himself to the level he wants to be at when he's an adult. School is just 6 hours of at least 14 waking hours a day plus he has all weekend. There's more than enough time for me and him to find ways to dive into his curiosity and creativity.

The thing I'm sick of is people wanting schools to become this great social equalizer, dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator so that all feel equal and none excel. Making some great social experiment of education. Making school and government the focal point of people from birth through to death. Minimizing the role of family because some people have shitty families and they feel that school and government should become the replacement. Wanting and expanded role for government in just about all facets of our lives while complaining about government corruption.

Abookamongstthemany

surferdude wrote:

The question is what role do you want schools to have in your kids' lives?

I'm not looking for school to replace my role in my kid's life or replace his own curiosity. It's where I want him to learn to read, write, arithmetic, learn how to learn so he can support himself to the level he wants to be at when he's an adult. School is just 6 hours of at least 14 waking hours a day plus he has all weekend. There's more than enough time for me and him to find ways to dive into his curiosity and creativity.

The thing I'm sick of is people wanting schools to become this great social equalizer, dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator so that all feel equal and none excel. Making some great social experiment of education. Making school and government the focal point of people from birth through to death. Minimizing the role of family because some people have shitty families and they feel that school and government should become the replacement. Wanting and expanded role for government in just about all facets of our lives while complaining about government corruption.

Before you go off on a rant you should read through the thread. Plenty of great points have been made concerning the video and you haven't mentioned any of them.

surferdude

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

Before you go off on a rant you should read through the thread. Plenty of great points have been made concerning the video and you haven't mentioned any of them.

Why are you tring to deprive me of fun???? Were we married in a past life or something??? Now you want me to stop and think!!!! You know, your mother is right. If you keep this instistant nagging up you'll never get married.

Good call Abook. I'll try to watch the video tonite. But my initial question is bang on. What role do you want school to have in kids lives?

Abookamongstthemany

surferdude wrote:

Why are you tring to deprive me of fun???? Were we married in a past life or something??? Now you want me to stop and think!!!! You know, your mother is right. If you keep this instistant nagging up you'll never get married.

Good call Abook. I'll try to watch the video tonite. But my initial question is bang on. What role do you want school to have in kids lives?

LOL! I'm still laughing...:D

I want schools to benefit each child and their own uniqueness. Let them grow into individuals with different approaches and ways of solving things. Some children learn differently and excel at very different things. I don't want some children's 6 hours to be well spent while the other's 6 hours is spent being bored and daydreaming. There can be a better balance on the time children spend at schools...most of the 3R's is just repeated year after year anyways.

catefrances

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

LOL! I'm still laughing...:D

I want schools to benefit each child and their own uniqueness. Let them grow into individuals with different approaches and ways of solving things. Some children learn differently and excel at very different things. I don't want some children's 6 hours to be well spent while the other's 6 hours is spent being bored and daydreaming. There can be a better balance on the time children spend at schools...most of the 3R's is just repeated year after year anyways.

i think the curriculum needs is to expand on those basic skills. as a child progresses through his school life, the work gets more complex and challenging. kids get bored easily we all know that. let's help them stay engaged in the learning process.


ps. ive spent my entire life daydreaming.

Abookamongstthemany

catefrances wrote:

i think the curriculum needs is to expand on those basic skills. as a child progresses through his school life, the work gets more complex and challenging. kids get bored easily we all know that. let's help them stay engaged in the learning process.


ps. ive spent my entire life daydreaming.

I just don't think schools are covering enough to suit the needs of the vast majority of children. The basics are easily taught and mastered by those who are into that kind of learning. All I'm saying is there is equal opportunity to provide those who don't flourish in the areas with the type of learning they can really get into.

Oh, I love daydreaming and I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just saying there is room to provide those minds with more stimulation and outlets to express themselves and show off their highly creative nature. They can build upon those skills and have the chance to become great...genuises in their field even, given the proper encouragement, setting and environment that nutures this kind of learning instead of putting it off and down playing it.

catefrances

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

I just don't think schools are covering enough to suit the needs of the vast majority of children. The basics are easily taught and mastered by those who are into that kind of learning. All I'm saying is there is equal opportunity to provide those who don't flourish in the areas with the type of learning they can really get into.

Oh, I love daydreaming and I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just saying there is room to provide those minds with more stimulation and outlets to express themselves and show off their highly creative nature. They can build upon those skills and have the chance to become great...genuises in their field even, given the proper encouragement, setting and environment that nutures this kind of learning instead of putting it off and down playing it.

perhaps what is needed is more performing arts schools, more alternate schools that get equal funding from the governments.
i also think that it is up to the families of these children to encourage their creativity. to provide the outlets necessary. it should never be left solely or even primarily, to the education system to fulfill a childs needs where imagination is concerned. i think as societies we need to see artistic pursuits in the same light as the physical pursuits. encourage the budding mark rothkos, stephen kings and van goghs as well as the gladiators.

Abookamongstthemany

catefrances wrote:

perhaps what is needed is more performing arts schools, more alternate schools that get equal funding from the governments.
i also think that it is up to the families of these children to encourage their creativity. to provide the outlets necessary. it should never be left solely or even primarily, to the education system to fulfill a childs needs where imagination is concerned. i think as societies we need to see artistic pursuits in the same light as the physical pursuits. encourage the budding mark rothkos, stephen kings and van goghs as well as the gladiators.

I'm not saying this role should be solely on the educational system at all. I just think that this kind of nurturing needs to be inside the ed system as well as the home life...just as parents are supposed to encourage reading and problem solving in the home. I think if we don't address this and school continue to undermine a child's creative potential we will as a society continue to see a decline in orginality and ingenuity.

catefrances

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

I'm not saying this role should be solely on the educational system at all. I just think that this kind of nurturing needs to be inside the ed system as well as the home life...just as parents are supposed to encourage reading and problem solving in the home. I think if we don't address this and school continue to undermine a child's creative potential we will as a society continue to see a decline in orginality and ingenuity.

as a parent i already am a teacher. but you know what? i can't wait to be a teacher in a school.

Abookamongstthemany

catefrances wrote:

as a parent i already am a teacher. but you know what? i can't wait to be a teacher in a school.