Educational Buzzwords...E: Educational Paradigm Shifts

About Sir Ken Robinson

Of note in the video (find the whole transcript here):

1. There are two reasons for the current reform in public education. One is economic (how do we educate children so they are prepared for tomorrow when we have no idea what tomorrow is going to be about?) and the other is cultural (how do we make sure that children have a cultural identity while still being a part of globalization?). 
2. It's better to have a college degree over not having a degree, but it is no longer a guarantee that you will get a stable job because of that degree.
3. Everyone agrees we should raise our educational standards, but the problem is that we can't do this using the same educational ideas we've always used. Our current system of education 'was designed and conceived and constructed for a different age'. 
4. Public education, as we know it, is a relatively new concept.
5. Public education is steeped in academic ability, the idea that there are two kinds of people: smart people and not-so-smart people. The problem with that is that there are many people who are brilliant, who, based on the standards of education, are not seen as being brilliant. It's also steeped in the fact that everyone can/should/will be educated regardless of economic or social standing.
6. Public education can be compared to the plague of ADHD, not because ADHD isn't real, but because it is no longer valuable that kids learn, they are just factories for standardized testing.
7. In many ways the Arts are the answer because they are the most victimized due to their aesthetic nature. 'We are getting our kids through education by anesthetizing them.'
8. Schools are built for the Industrial age and they are mostly about conformity and standardization.
9. We need to educate kids to be divergent thinkers. We need to educate kids to have a capacity for creativity. Read the book: Break Point and Beyond and you'll find that schooling and education kills the idea of divergent thinking.
10. Most teachers understand this and don't want to kill a child's ability to be divergent, but it's part of the outdated educational process. We must stop this. We must quit putting people into categories and groups. We must collaborate. We must address our institutes of learning.