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Are you familiar with TED Talks? If not, it’s time for you to learn about them for they are a source of knowledge, inspiration and innovation all at the cost of "FREE." TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a set of video “talks” owned by the Sapling Foundation which was formed to share “ideas worth spreading.” Many famous and not-so-famous people have shared opinions and knowledge with those who tune into the TED talks regularly.
One of my favorite contributors is Sir Ken Robinson. I had the opportunity to hear him in person last April at BOOST, and he was just as interesting in person. His TED Talks are worth viewing. Here is some information about two of my favorites. The first one is entitled, Do Schools Kill Creativity? In this video he talks about the challenge of education to educate children for a future we don’t understand, and the importance of helping children build upon their capacity for innovation. He states that he believes creativity is as important as literacy, even though many would not agree. He asks you to think about being Shakespeare’s teacher and how challenging that might be. He asks you to consider what sort of learning environment would have encouraged rather than discouraged him. Join over three million visitors who are interested in the importance of preparing children to be great.
Sir Ken’s second TED Talk of particular interest to me is entitled Bring on the Learning. In this talk Sir Ken says we make poor use of our talents and often times people spend their time doing the things they do not like or enjoy. He tells us that it is important to get pleasure from what we do because it is who we authentically are. He says you will have to look for your talents and be willing to challenge what we take for granted. He says our education has adopted a “fast food” model which tries to make one-size-fits all learning experiences. He encourages us to create the conditions so youth can flourish and to remember that each day children spread their dreams under our feet and we need to be sure we do not walk all over them. I think you would find this talk interesting as well.
What are your thoughts on what Sir Ken has to say about education? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.