Are Schools Killing Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson speaks on schools killing creativity, found here.

He introduces his ideas by explaining his respect for and fascination with creativity. Ken then goes on to say how society runs on the idea that being wrong or making mistakes is unacceptable, it is stigmatized. Kids take chances, kids do not fear being wrong, they are not prepared for it. Ken believes that we are "educating people out of their creative capacities" and by the time they are in the school system for a few years, they begin to stigmatize making mistakes.

Education seems to grow us out of the creativity we were born with. Sir Robinson questions why we do not teach dance/drama with the same respect that we do for mathematics.

How many times have you heard people squash children's ideas of their dream job of being a singer, dancer, fashion designer, and so on, because most people see it as something unrealistic? Why?

Intelligence is diverse, dynamic, distinct (Ken Robinson). How can we expect all children to thrive in the education system the way it is right now? Sitting in desks, listening to teaching, writing notes, and taking tests. What about the students who cannot sit still, learn kinaesthetically, or need background noise?

I want to bring up the question, how can we educate students in a way that is engaging to all students and promotes creativity in all subjects? What can we, as teachers, do to organize our classrooms to involve various learning styles and levels?

I hope that as I work through this inquiry project that I am able to find at least a few ways of challenging the traditional environment of education while continuing to work within the framework of it in a more creative, engaging, and inspiring way.