Podcast Reflection

The podcast that I listened to was a presentation done by Sir Ken Robinson on the lack of creativity in schools in the twenty-first century on the TED website. Sir Robinson was very funny and really advocated for the use of creativity in the classroom and among students. What really stands out for me is his belief in allowing students to make mistakes which will in turn foster creativity in a student. His point was that students are basically being taught to the test (real surprise there). Having high stakes testing allows can be a good way of assessing students, but Sir Robinson feels that there is more to it than just teaching to the test. I agree with him, if students are taught to the test they are not learning skills that are necessary for making the student a whole person. I feel that it is the responsibility of the teacher to not only teach a student their subject, for me this is English, the teacher should also teach their students to think outside the box and to foster creativity in the classroom. Teachers should assess students in ways that foster creativity. Instead of the same old multiple choice test teachers should allow students to show their knowledge in different ways like a simple oral presentation with a power point or for the more creative have the students create a rap video with information relating to what was learned in class. I know I have digressed, but Sir Robinson was an amazing speaker and it is worth every minute to listen to him.