Sir+Ken+Robinson

Pete and C – Keynote Opening Sir Ken Robinson []

Began with discussion of his experience visiting Las Vegas. Las Vegas exists only because of imagination – in his opinion currently education kills imagination

Some people only exist at their jobs – others can't imagine anything else

Ex- seeing musician in the club - “I've always wanted to do that” Musician responded “No you wouldn't I play 4-5 nights a week and practie 5 hours a day- you wouldn't be doing this unless you loed it”

People who are fullfilled love what they do – they are in their element.

Most school systems divert people from their natural talents – we have a crisis in human resources – people are dislocated from a sense of purpose.

30% of kids don't graduate from high school – 50% in urban – 80% in Native American communities

Can't say its just the kids it is endemic of the system- not one entity (teachers, principals, etc) The key word is system. This is a system that is out of alignment with the way kids work, the way they think and the skills they need for the future.

His kids are in school here – found curriculum similar to English schools- a heirarchy driven by high stakes assessment and testing – ethic of payment by results – curriculum getting narrow – kids disaffected – teachers demoralized.

He believes it wouldn't take much to change it. Most governments feel it is just about raising standards. Who can argue? But knowing what standards to raise and how is the real trick. The irony is he finds that the pressure put on schools is in the interest of the economy- yet business is complaining that kids aren't getting skills they need. Kids can't think creatively, work in teams...etc. We need to get back to energizing kids. The whole system of education is overburdened with other people's agendas.

He suggests Peter Brook's book on theatre as a model:

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Peter Brook felt that much of theatre is useless. He wondered what you could take away from theatre and still have theatre. He suggested get rid of lights, set, stage, directors.... one thing you can't get rid of is an actor in a space and somebody watching – focus on this relationship. Never add anything into the relationship that gets in the way.

Sir Ken suggests the same should happen to Education. Make it about the student and the teacher who wants to help them. What can we take away and still have education? We have to look at Education and question what we are assuming.

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new- so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country. ” - Abraham Lincoln

What are we taking for granted about education that we can't even see anymore?

Very hard to know what we take for granted. He polled the crowd – how many people under 25 were wearing a wrist watch? None – yet most people over 25 had one. Why? Under 25 people don't need one- they know the time is everywhere. Life has changed dramatically in terms of technology.

Thought: Technology is not technology if it happened before you were born.

His daughter won't wear a wrist watch – it is a one function thing- how lame is that. She takes for granted that everything is multifunctional. The world is getting faster. What will our children's kids take for granted?

Told us about a discussion with a tech from Apple- right now most powerful computer on earth has the processing power of a cricket – in five years most likely the power of a 3 year old – this crosses a threshold- they will be able to think- write their own programs. By mid century it is predicted that you can buy a computer for under $1000.00 that has the same ability as the entire human race.

Bottom line: our kids minds are moving faster. Also a factor: huge population increase on the earth. Strain on the earth's resources unprecedented. These two factors are combining to produce a world we can't predict and we are stuck with an educational system based on the Industrial Revolution.

In late 1800's Britan was the world leader- great world power- huge influence. No one would believe that in 2 generations this would be gone. This was a nation that did not keep up with change. We need to keep up with change.

Showed a picture of tiger in green jungle. He said that in Western culture we call it a tiger. In Eastern/Asian cultures they say it is a tiger in a jungle or a jungle. Focus is different. Western focus is on individual- Eastern cultures on group. Point is that what we take for granted gets right in our brain and we don't even notice it.

Some things we take for granted:
 * going to school is all about going to college (Is this a good thing?)
 * education is linear
 * success requires earlier standards (pressure)

Implied in this is the difference between academic and vocational courses- the idea is that academic courses are for “smarter” people. Yet many go to college with no idea of what they want to do... graduate still without an idea/focus/direction.

Told an anecdote of meeting someone who wanted to be a fireman- at end of school the teacher asked all to tell what they wanted to do- all said college but him- he said a fireman and the teacher ridiculed him. Years later he saved his life when the teacher was in a car accident.

Point: we depend upon diversity

Next he discussed linear idea- why do we group kids by age? Why the pressure at such an early age? Why interviewing kids to get them in the “best” kindergarten.

Increasingly school is all about standardizing. “Our policy makers have come to confuse standardizing with raising standards.” - Sir Ken

This is a fast food concept for quality insurance- not appropriate for Education. Another concept from this industry works better- the Zagart guide or Michelin guide. They say – here are the criteria for greatness- if you meet the standard you are in. This is a better model – they are all excellent but different.

We have evolved into accepting the fast food model and what we need is the Michelin model.

Talked about the importance of allowing children to learn by discovering – following their nature. Being good at something isn't a good enough reason to do it. You need to be passionate about what you do.

Cited examples from the Beatles – Paul McCartney and George Harrison were both unsuccessful in the same school- what does that say? Elvis Presley was kept out of glee club in school.

Human talent shows itself very differently – educations' job is creating the conditions for growth. He believes we need to move from an industrial metaphor to an agricultural metaphor.

Recommendations:
 * customize to local circumstances
 * reconstitute the curriculum
 * standardized tests cannot become the culture of Education

All the great schools in the country are the ones that liberate the teachers. - Sir Ken

Encourage kids to set their compass to their own true north. There are no facts about the future, what we can do is invest in our own creative abilities.

Shared a film about Blue Man group – whose first rule was to challenge the assumption they grew up with in school that they were not creative. All people are creative. If ordinary people find their element – extraordinary things can happen.

Blue School: []

“Traditional model- children are freight cars- need to fill them with grain as they roll down the track - we are interested in creating a rocket launch pad”- Blue Man Group

“Traditionally we hide who we really are- look at the vibrant colors that come out when you let the part of you that is an outsider come out.” - Blue Man Group

Sir Ken closed with the metaphor of Death Valley. It rained in 2005 and the desert bloomed- an unexpected and historic event. Even Death Valley is not dead but dormant- all organic systems are only looking for the right conditions to bloom.