Carol’s Summary:
Are we boring students to death? Are we telling ourselves ADHD is the reason kids can’t learn or focus? What if the real reason is that the very thing that inspires kids to be excited about naturally in learning, is squelched with our educational methods and testing? Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert, holds public education was built, and continues to stand on two elements: economy and culture. For this structure to stay current, it would be required for school systems to change with the times. However, we are looking to change the future with the same inefficient tools used in the past.
We’re at a point where these two elements are unpredictable. We can’t anticipate what the economic future will be like for the next generation, and cultures are trying to hold on to their identity while participating in globalization. In this unstable time, it’s no wonder it’s so hard to let go of our familiar systems. But look to the students to see no matter how comfortable the archaic ways are to older generations, today’s student needs a new learning environment and more stimulation in the classroom. Today, students get stimulation from more sources, during more of their day than ever before. Robinson’s theory is the ADHD epidemic in America is fictitious. He points to a student’s shorter attention span as being a result of being bored in the classroom not a result of a disorder.
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and Drive, argues the most desirable qualities in workers of the future will be empathy, storytelling, play and inventiveness. If we are telling our children to conform to the production-line mentality of today’s school system, we aren’t preparing our children for a future in the evolving world of work.  What can we do to shift our teaching and learning paradigms to ignite true student power, motivation and purpose?
Watch an animated video of Sir Ken Robinson’s speech at: http://bit.ly/9qpM35
