Blog Post #2

Creating more creativity

Ken Robinson's video "Schools kill creativity" is enlightening. In this video Robinson talks about how children do not learn to be creative, but yet learn to not be creative. As young children we are given a pen and paper to behave during church, a coloring page at the table in restaurant and we paint pictures to give to our parents on holidays. When and where do we lose creativity as a part of what we praise children for. In school, like Robinson points out math and english become most important and arts fall to the bottom. I have always been Complimented on being a well rounded young woman. Growing up my parents took me traveling, I also took sewing, painting, piano and violin classes. I grew up with parents who blessed me with these opportunities. I am aware that most children do not have the opportunity to embark on such creative outlets. This is where the public schools come in, arts needs to become important once again. Painting and dancing is not the only type of arts we have, we now have technology as an art outlet.

The schools need to make art apart of school work and make extra art activities available to k4-12th grade students. Art can be integrated in so many ways, teachers could implement it in math and english. Teachers could have students make a colorful chart of time tables or write poetry and draw a picture to go along with it. Students need to be using their hands and challenging their brains in a way that only an art can push it. Teachers need to become responsible for praising children once again for what they do, no matter a child's age. We need to remember that there is no wrong question and that children need to be encouraged to explore their minds and to not only cling to the test that we teach them. Teachers, however can not be held completely responsible. Parents need to also encourage their own children to explore their brains and this beautiful world.

The Video "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts" featuring Vicki Davis shows her powerful teaching techniques. In the video Davis shows how important technology is in her classroom and also how important it is in connecting the world to one another. One good techniques that Davis shares is that every teacher shouldn't try to know everything before they try to teach it. She feels like it empowers children when they learn things for themselves. This statement reminded me of growing up almost weekly my dad would bring a trivia question to table at dinner time. Whoever of me and my siblings figured the answer out felt this way exactly, empowered! Like I have said in my past post's, children like to be praised, and this trait is carried into adulthood, everyone likes to do a job well done. A part of feeling like you have done a good job is to learn about what you have accomplished. In my college experiences, lectures, tests and essays, I have always done better when teacher's give me guidance, but still give me room to learn things on my own and to be original.

Technology is a excellent area to give kids the opportunity to explore on their own. Teenagers are often technologically savvy with networks like facebook, twitter, Youtube and many other websites, why not teach them in a school setting a successful way of using these websites. Computers and internet make communication instant, with the ability to contact millions of people. It is so important to make use of the advantages of technology. My sister's mother-in-law lives in Slovakia, the only way she gets to see my nephews on a regular bases is Skype. Technology has so much to offer, so we need to make sure that students get the opportunity to learn as mush as they can about technology.

The video of Cecelia Gault interviewing Ken Robinson shows not only intelligence and maturity, it shows a special talent that she has. In the video of 13 year old Cecelia it is very apparent that she has a gift of speech. For Cecelia's age she is well spoken and portrays good posture and body language. There is something very important to take from this video, as teachers we need to recognize special talents and gifts that each child holds. The world is a glorious place in the way that it flows. Children are a big part of this world, they grow up to be adults and need a place to fit in. A way to approach teaching children is to take it on as a puzzle, each child is a important piece that needs help being molded and shaped for their special talents and gifts. We as teachers need to pull these talents out of children and encourage them to pursue them. Children spend many hours a day with children, we need to stay positive for children and help them flourish.


Did you know 3.0 is an eye opening video about how fast the rate of technology is changing. This video by far is one of the most impressive videos I have seen in a long time. The video itself was face pace, but I kept my eyes glued to it to catch each clip of information. The world as we know it has changed, communication is different, school is different and jobs are different. It is important that we become different also. We need to adjust ourselves so that we can keep up with the technology.

We have such opportunity because of technology. America seems minor when watching this video and to see the statistics of China and India. It is hard to think about ranking with China and India when their population blows us out of the water. As far as education goes in America compared to China and India we need to take some ideas. India is obviously doing something right. We need to educate on technology and well prepare our future teachers so that they can ensure quality workers as well in the this fast changing world.

Mr. Winkle Wakes is a video that talks on a level as if it is for children, but it is defiantly for adults. The video talks down to adults in a way, but is something America needs to hear. How sad is that everything in America is technologically advanced except for our schools. How can we expect the future workforce to be successful in technology if the first time they are exposed to it is in college or worse their first job. In the Video Mr. Winkle wakes up after years of being asleep and goes to offices and hospitals but is overwhelmed by how the technology has changed. A school is the only place he can find that has not CHANGED!

So what this is saying is that the school is sleeping, we are letting schools slip through our hands. Technology is just as important in our schools as it is in our jobs. We are letting school aged children down just as much as we are letting the future down, because these children are our future. We need to WAKE UP. My 2 year old nephew can use my I-phone to play games and my 7 year old nephew can go further and even send a text. Children are not the ones that are not capable of learning technology, we are not giving them the opportunity to advance themselves in it. Technology is fast pace and is always changing so the longer we wait to integrate it in our schools the longer we are hurting ourselves.