Response to Sir Ken Robinson's TEDTalk

From this video, I took away the idea that we, as parents of a future generation, need to teach our children to embrace learning and to never be afraid to speak their mind, right or wrong. I also gleaned that by leaving our education system as it is, America could easily be surpassed by other nations that have similar intelligence but a lower level of empathy and creativity. To become a world power in education, America must find the specialized skills of its population and nurture those talents until we become a force not only of math and science but of every creative aspect. Sir Robinson frequently infuses his speech with humor, adding his own laughs to the audience’s. A similar tactic is Robinson’s use of stories; as Daniel Pink illustrated in A Whole New Mind, using tales that people can relate to in some way help listeners remember key points and information. Robinson also transitions into a serious tone of voice when he wants to be sincere about his speech, causing the audience to take note and perk up. Sir Robinson talks in a relaxed, easy manner, which prompts the audience to feel calm in his presence. His stance is casual and comfortable, giving off no sign of rigidity or tension. He pauses for emphasis at the right times, and also adds in his own chuckles or side comments, thus connecting with the audience. I was particularly fascinated by the mention of Gillian Lynn, the choreographer, and how her school didn’t understand her need to move. When I was in elementary school, my teacher suggested to my parents that I get tested for a learning disorder such as ADD due to my inability to devote full attention to people- I would get caught reading under my desk constantly, fidget with things, and ignore entire lectures. Fortunately, my parents decided that this was “stupid”, as my mother put it, and encouraged me to find parts of the lecture that I was interested in. Now that I think back, I’m angry that my school didn’t understand that a little girl who had just moved away from her friends wanted to dive into a book for an hour. The education system tries to mold kids from a young age into the “perfect” students: obedient children who do all of their homework, sit still and silent in class, and cause no trouble. The issue is that those who cannot quell their inner energy or focus on one subject are excluded, and become outcasts. Their grades drop because they can’t play the game of school, and their level of effort is diminished—they become the dropouts, the disappointments. Another pitfall of the star student is that school becomes a jail, where a child must hold in all of their youthful urges and then, finally, is freed as the bell rings. Learning in its purest form is discovering information that is satisfying or thought-provoking to the learner, and school is trying to force-feed facts into youth from age five. In my opinion, schools should offer basic overviews of subjects and then allow children in 6^th or 7^th grade to choose their top priority, which would become a larger part of their academic life. I know many people who already know what course their life is going to take, and yet are required to take one with no benefit. If I could have an English class for more than an hour every day and only 30 minutes of Math, I’d be far happier going to school. Plus, if kids become curious about another subject, they can go try it out, and learn what they want to, which is the point of education. Sir Robinson’s best point, in my opinion, is the fact that the arts are discouraged as occupations that will not prosper, i.e., a starving artist. I believe that he is right, but that to have a job as a musician, artist, dancer, or actor, that one must have intense drive in addition to talent and a will to set themselves apart from others. Any country in the world can put kids through a strict education system and get results, but by finding the hidden love inside children and enhancing it, America can become a nation of excellence for all citizens. -Grace M.