Additional Assignment #3

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing the Paradigms
I loved this video more than I can say. It was beautiful. I feel one of the most important topics Sir Ken Robinson discussed is that of collaboration between our students. This applies to myself and many students that I am sure have a tendency to be introverts. I thought deeply of it first before when I read the post about Mr. McClung's first year of teaching, which I have included a link to in Blog Post #9. I have been thinking about how I can find ways to instill creativity and motivation into my students. However, I never stopped to think about the fact that I would not be able to do it alone until I read his blog.

Sir Ken Robinson's presentation along with Mr. McClung's blog post really helped me to realize I have to start communicating if I want to be able to communicate with others and make a difference. Sir Ken Robinson's video, on the other hand, has given me a greater push of motivation to inspect curiosity to the fullest extent. The communication and imagination skills I need can only be developed again by communicating with others in my profession, not just family and friends. I believe this is another important point Sir Ken Robinson puts forth in his artwork. When he tells us the percentage of Kindergarteners who scored as genius and beyond was 98 percent, I was astounded. However, I wasn't shocked after all that I have learned in EDM310, and I know the change that needs to take place to break away from the system we have grown dependent on. We must learn to learn together.

I am now studying the western civilization of Europe from the 1500s on, and it seems very true that not much has changed since the initial Enlightenment Period, which began in the eighteenth century. We have been thinking as individuals with free thought for a long time, but sometimes I feel it is not in the right direction. The reason I say this is because of all of the high school drop outs, and the poverty and unemployment rates. Many children drop out at a young age because there is poverty in their homes, they have a bad home life, or they simply do not understand the importance of school. Times have gotten harder throughout the last century with the introduction of so much new technology and so many corporations. Prices must increase if there is to be any stability in the economy.

This leads to the most important point Sir Ken Robinson arises, the much needed reform our world needs. I think every teacher needs to realize it is not just their school, their community, or their country. It is the world, our world. We must join hands and do what it takes to educate our children in this Internet Era so that they feel like a free bird with numbers of goals and ambitions that can not be limited. We can not scare them into thinking they barely have a guarantee to get a job without a college degree. If they have the mindset to think about that and only that, they will never enjoy their childhoods and true passions. School should be about passion, not the number one association relating to boredom. That is why there must be less focus on divergent thinking and more on creativity. I can not say there was anything I disagreed with in this eye-opening production.

To further explore the issues Sir Ken Robinson takes into account, I must first work to better myself concerning what I talked about earlier in my post. I must have the opinion of others and discussions which lead to creating development in the Education system. However, as a teacher I will try different techniques in order to teach my children how to learn and have fun at the same time. I used to really enjoy reading and acting out Archie comic books when I was young, even before I knew what they said. It would be cool to find some cute, easy-to-read comic books and have the kids pick their parts and "audition" for which part they would like in the play. I plan on letting them listen to good, happy music and choosing their favorites. I also will take them outside a lot to get fresh air and enjoy the the beauty of nature and all the unique creatures. I will make lessons using these simple tools and various ones I will pick up and learn about along the way. Technology will be a huge part of the fun. I can envision Smartboards bringing some smiles to children's faces. I see us making podcasts of plays and other activities that allow them to watch themselves and have some fun. I will also reward children for their good work in ways that make them happy, whether it be candy or anything else they enjoy. Most importantly, I will never give up on them. I will take my stand for changing the paradigm, and if there is more I can do I would like to know.

I enjoyed this presentation tremendously. I feel if I were involved in a presentation like this I would most like to play either the idea generator, narrator, or designer. Being an author would be nice as well, but I definitely can't draw. I think the designer would be best suited for me. If the right random pictures come to my head when I hear of the story, I feel I may be able to form an outline of what the artist draws.