Sir Ken Robinson: Society Today

Throughout all the recent videos we've watched in class, there seems to be a common trend with most. Between Cory Doctorow's lecture on the future, and Sir Ken Robinson's thoughts on kids and creativity, their common agreement on human intelligence and abilities to advances particularly stand out. 

During the Ted Talk, we see Sir Ken Robinson pick apart and examine how art and creativity in schools today are being brushed away and overshadowed by a more intense, "academic" path. He points out exactly how much we value education, for the wrong reasons.  Originality isn't determined by college professors, how many facts you know, or even the most impressive credentials. Instead, Robinson agrees that the most original and creative people are the ones who embrace failure the most. During the lecture he stated that those who are created, are those who are prepared to be wrong. However, he mentions that as soon as we grow up and begin to be educated from the waist up (half jokingly), we lose our capacity to be creative and branch out past what we know. Sir Ken Robinson also brought up a good point, if we don't know the future now, how can we raise the children of today for something we don't know?  Today's kids will grow up for the 2065 age, something we're far from predicting.  As far as education in academic fields, learning the value of art is just as important; the national education system just seems to be missing that.

A couple weeks earlier, we also viewed Cory Doctorow's lecture in Helsinki. Although Doctorow focused more on the power of self-determination and our technological world, it shadows what Sir Ken Robinson was getting through in his speech. Doctorow's thoughts embraced our power of self-determination and controlling our futures and technology. Without self-determination he notes it leaves us feeling helpless and unsatisfied with life. In fact, through self-determination we got the enlightenment, world progress, and commerce.  Things like cell phones and computers allow us to do things for our own sake and at the same time, contribute to our economy.

These two great thoughts by Doctorow and Robinson collectively point out what builds intelligence; creativity. The power of controlling our future and setting out for a world outside of the normal 'prestige' serves as the ultimate setup for success today. Look at successful people today, most of which have cultured and different backgrounds from most.  It's self acknowledgement/acceptance and empowerment which fuel the most creative minds today.