Wristwatches, Willy Wonka Wrapper Degrees, and the 6th sense

So, I took Dr. Jacobson's device and listened to a podcast on my way to school yesterday.

I have been waiting for a long time to listen to a podcast that I had downloaded of one of my favorite speakers, Sir. Ken Robinson (or Dr. ... I just presume that Sir. has more status? ... or is this the EdD/PhD debate all over again?). The speech was part of the Hammer lecture series and focused on his latest book titled: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Here are the parts I found most interesting:

1. Standardized Tests in Education

Robinson does a wonderful job of using the catering industry to provide a candid analogy of what our education system is vs. what it should be. He argues that we have homogenized children by removing the personalization and diversity from our education system by the increased reliance on standardized testing. I completely agree with his argument that we have been sold the "fast food" model of education. If you like where this is going, this part sets the stage for the other 4 parts I found intriguing.



2. Wristwatches

Ken illustrates Prensky's concept of the digital divide (or digital revolution) that has occurred through a conversation about wristwatches. Do you wear a wristwatch? I don't.


3. The Irony of Education Inflation

Robinson lands another solid punch when he describes the problem of education inflation. He candidly explains how degrees are becoming devalued. He explains that degrees used to be like Willy Wonka's 'Golden Ticket' and they have now become more like a Willy Wonka wrapper. The irony of this is that creativity and imagination is lost as additional schooling creates more homogeneity -- we become industrialized and confined into our disciplines. Food for thought.


4. My Aha! moment

Ken tells a chilling story of a child who was told by a teacher that they would not amount to anything, and how they were eventually vindicated. Robinsion talks about how we must accept the differences of the people we encounter and should not steer people away from their passions as we cannot predict their potential. My favorite quote of this talk comes from this segment where he says, "if we live a life that is straightened by this particular conception of academic ability we deny the multiplicity of talents on which our community actually depends." This resonates with me because this is where I feel educational technology can fit into our schools -- allowing students to explore their creativity and imagination and exposure to the world around them.


5. The 6th Sense

Robinson illustrates how schools can be closed questioning environments by talking about what children are taught about our senses. It brings up a moment of quandary for me as I sometimes question the 'holier-than-thou' value we attach to peer-reviewed journals. I feel that all people are founts of knowledge and the story of the Anlo-Ewe people is a prime example of that.



I have a feeling that if you got this far in my blog post the next thing you will do is look up the 9 senses ... now that is education!