Creativity Rocks...whether they like it or not!

We saw this in class on Thursday, and it's worth watching, as Ken Robinson makes some valid points. This is from the TED conference in 2006. Give it a look see... you might be surprised!

I was a "bando" in high school (back in the pre cell phone, Twitter, Facebook days). I played the saxophone. I spent all four years of high school in the marching band, and most of the time, I loved it. But, even then, school districts were paying more attention to sports than the arts. Why was it, I wondered at the time, that the band had to have fundraisers all the time, and sports seemed to get a free ride.

Now I know why.

Years later, I was opposed to the "No Child Left Behind" law, that made it mandatory that schools prove that they are teaching their students by giving them tests, then grading them on how well they did. Now we have a whole slew of teachers who "teach to the test" and not actually teach math, or science, or history. Not only are these students being "left behind" academically, but they're not being allowed to be creative. How many kids out there were labelled "learning disabled" because they'd rather doodle on their homework than listen to another boring lesson in class? My oldest son ended up at Boulevard Academy after high school because he was one of those kids who'd rather do anything than listen to a boring teacher give a lecture on what was going to be on some required test.

My oldest son is an excellent artist. He was drawing cars on his homework instead of listening in class.

Personally, I think there should be MORE money set aside for the arts, and LESS for sports. Maybe the football team should sell cookie dough and candles, and not the marching band.

Just for a change.

(Oh, and this is what Daniel can do with imagination and some art supplies...© 2009 Daniel K., all rights reserved. Used with permission.)