The current education crisis is just as urgent as the climate crisis, as we are experiencing a crisis of human resources due to a poor use of our talents. People often do not know what they are good at, and some do not even enjoy what they do - they just endure it. On the other and, there are those who truly live what they do. Human resources are often undervalued, and education needs to be transformed, not just improved. Innovation is key, as it fundamentally challenges what people take for granted. However, not everyone is comfortable with change.
Children live in a world that is digitalized, and they see traditional items such as watches as outdated. Education needs to encourage creativity and exploration of talents in relation to the circumstances that life presents. Rather than a singular conception of ability, we need a diversity of talent. We should refine our understanding of ability and intelligence, recognizing that the education system is built for conformity while human talent is diverse. Passion plays a significant role, and it needs to resonate with the individual.
The industrial model of education needs to give way to an organic one that creates conditions or minds to flourish and inspire thinking. Creativity should be treated with the same importance as literacy, and all kids have talents that need to be nurtured. Mistakes should not be stigmatized, and we need to encourage risk-taking. Unfortunately, many adults have lost the openness to be wrong due to nationalized standards and testing, which make mistakes the worst thing you can do in education. As a result, we are instilling less creative capacity.
We don’t grow into creativity; rather, we grow out of it. We stop drawing and playing as we get older. Why is there a hierarchy of subjects where math and language are more important? Academic achievement is not the benchmark of all human achievement, and degrees are not worth everything. Intelligence is diverse, and we think about the world the way we experience it, be it visually, kinaesthetically, or through abstract patterns. Our ability to interact dynamically and creatively comes through different ways of seeing things. We need to rethink fundamental principles and prepare students for a new world. Imagination is what sets us apart from the rest of life on earth, and creativity fuels art, scientific wonder, and architecture, all of which are essential to the world. While useful subjects are meant for jobs, creativity is often considered useless. If EQ is high on the list of 21st-century skills, shouldn't empathy and creativity be prioritized in schools? The ability to put oneself in others' shoes is essential so I ask again are we killing creativity in the quest for robotic progression?
Sir Ken Robinson’s narrative, “Changing Education Paradigms,” offers an inspiring and insightful overview of the current state of worldwide education, its impact on students and society, and an invitation to consider the shift required to create a more sustainable approach to learning. In the 21st century, technology has revolutionized the way we learn and has created a constantly expanding concept of normal. However, this constant state of distraction and disinterest in certain things has led to the labeling of school-aged children as having Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Robinson offers a different perspective on ADHD, attributing it to the intensive and stimulating environment children are living in today, including the information overload and the constant need for attention from various platforms such as computers, iPhones, and advertising hoardings. The growth of standardized testing and the increase in technology are seen as factors that mirror the increasing trend in ADHD prevalence.
While the current National Curriculum recognizes the advances of technology and its increasing place in education, the overall structure of education remains archaic. To create a more sustainable approach to learning, technology or the arts need to be integrated into the curriculum in the same way that reading and writing have been integrated. It needs to attain the level of importance that teaching the classics has traditionally had.
Robinson argues that we need our students to make sense of their world, a world that is very different from the one we experienced. To achieve this, we need to create opportunities for them to think at higher levels, to think outside the box. This requires creating an environment
of divergent thinking within the classroom environment. By doing so, we can develop the skills and abilities needed to deal with the problems of our times.
To engage with today’s tech-savvy students, we must encourage them to be active, reflective, inquiring, and investigating in their learning, taking time to explore ideas. We need to provide them with learning activities that create opportunities for divergent thinking. We must constantly learn and develop what is required to better equip ourselves and our students for life and work in the 21st Century. Overall, the narrative calls for a shift from the current industrial concept of schooling to a more sustainable approach that integrates technology and creativity and that encourages divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a type of thinking that emphasizes creativity and generating multiple solutions to a problem. It involves breaking free from traditional and linear ways of thinking and exploring a variety of ideas and possibilities. While convergent thinking is focused on finding a single correct answer to a problem, divergent thinking is about exploring all possible answers and solutions, even those that may seem unconventional or absurd.
One of the key components of divergent thinking is brainstorming, which involves generating as many ideas as possible in a short period of time. This process is typically done in a group setting, where individuals build on each other's ideas and collectively come up with a wide range of potential solutions. Divergent thinking is essential for problem-solving and innovation. It allows individuals to approach problems from different angles and perspectives, and to come up with creative and original solutions. It also encourages individuals to think outside the box and challenge traditional ways of thinking.
Research has shown that divergent thinking can be enhanced through training and practice. This can involve activities such as brainstorming sessions, creative writing exercises, and other activities that encourage individuals to think creatively and generate multiple solutions to a problem.
In today's rapidly changing world, the ability to think divergently is becoming increasingly important. As the world continues to advance and traditional industries are disrupted, individuals need to be able to adapt and think creatively to succeed. By fostering a culture of
divergent thinking, individuals and organizations can not only solve problems more effectively, but also innovate and stay ahead of the curve.
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