Sir Ken Robinson - Can Creativity Be Taught?

“If there was a moment when our crisis in education hit critical mass it may well have been the date Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk went up on YouTube. In just 19 minutes his wry but eviscerating presentation gave voice to what so many of us are living through: our schools are failing to recognize creativity; we’re failing to prepare the next generation for the challenges that lie ahead.” - VANITY FAIR

Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and in business. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers on these topics, with a profound impact on audiences everywhere. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been viewed more than 25 million times and seen by an estimated 250 million people in over 150 countries. His 2006 talk is the most viewed in TED’s history. In 2011 he was listed as “one of the world’s elite thinkers on creativity and innovation” by Fast Company magazine, and was ranked among the Thinkers50 list of the world’s top business thought leaders.

Sir Ken works with governments and educations systems in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. The resulting blueprint for change, Unlocking Creativity, was adopted by politicians of all parties and by business, education and cultural leaders across the Province. He was one of four international advisors to the Singapore Government for its strategy to become the creative hub of South East Asia.

For twelve years, he was professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now professor emeritus. He has received honorary degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design, the Open University and the Central School of Speech and Drama; Birmingham City University, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and Oklahoma State University. He was been honored with the Athena Award of the Rhode Island School of Design for services to the arts and education; the Peabody Medal for contributions to the arts and culture in the United States, the Arthur C. Clarke Imagination Award, the Gordon Parks Award for achievements in education and the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for outstanding contributions to cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2005, he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN’s ‘Principal Voices’. In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts.

His 2009 book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything is a New York Times best seller and has been translated into twenty-one languages. A 10th anniversary edition of his classic work on creativity and innovation, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative was published in 2011. His latest book, Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life, will be published by Viking in May 2013. Sir Ken was born in Liverpool, UK. He is married to Therese (Lady) Robinson. They have two children, James and Kate, and now live in Los Angeles, California.

[zuutlmna]

Last night I was looking through some trivia, and came across this quote from Tesla: "It doesn't bother me that they stole my idea! What bothers me is that they had no ideas of their own!"

[teresasteele]

I could listen to this bloke for ever. He'll be missed for sure RIP Sir Ken.

[theacsaschannel]

not only can creativity be taught, but it needs to be taught. we need kids who get better--not worse--at creating things, building things, and solving problems as they go through school.

[philiphalpenny]

Facinating point of view from professor Robinson. Creativity craves incouragement. Formal education constricts because it demands acquiesence to, committe led, curriculum objectives. If talent is governed by committees it only nullifies individuality. Respect to the doctor, but, personal experience leads me to wholesale disagreement. In the same way a broke artist sells a painting to make ends meat but knows that the purchaser is unlikely to be as obsessively, passionate about the subject. Artist's often are obstinate to the point of paranoia because they are surrounded by indifference. Worse still is that formal education perpetuates this philistism.

[MiaAlmina]

Is it that people who say "creativity can't be taught" have a narrow definition of teaching, or is it that Sir Ken has too broad a definition of teaching? I think both.

He's not really talking about 'teaching' creativity, he's talking about fostering it or creating the appropriate environment that would allow for creativity. People think of teaching as showing or instructing someone how to do something and they're not wrong. That is really the definition of teaching. But you can't really show someone how to BE creative, rather... since everyone is or can be creative (some more than others, naturally), you just have to provide them with the right resources, encourage them to follow their interests and use their core strengths, and give them autonomy.

Then again, it seems this is what he means when he says that creativity can be taught, but it's an important distinction to make and clears up confusion.

Creativity, at least the defining points, happens at random moments, it's not very predictable. That's why organizations often fail to teach creativity to their employees, because they're trying to teach them the PROCESS of creativity, but actually, creativity is anti-process — it's not something you can follow step by step or force in a set timeline. It's the free flowing of one's own ideas and making connections, both of which happen as they work on something. Different people will approach it differently (should be obvious). An organic INNER process cannot be taught, by the actual definition of teaching. It can be encouraged though, that's the one thing we're really missing nowadays.

Still, I think he makes good points. And it seems he's also thinking of teaching as mentoring rather than strictly 'teaching.' He's talking about what it should or at least could be, as opposed to the common type of teaching.

So reframing the question: can we cultivate creativity by changing the way we teach and educate? Yes.

First step.... stop barking orders at students and trying to get them all to conform to one path and curriculum like in the current prevailing education system.

[ArtistsResource]

As an Art Educator I am continuously baffled about the pre-conceived notions of creativity - usually quite narrow minded as Sir Ken points out. Its up to us to make sure Creativity IS taught and more importantly that when its taught that the value is constantly and consistently made clear. Its the only way to make change.

[chrissysmith]

The most profound original creative idea is so multidimentional in its nature that is holds a factual inspiration for every field of existance to enhance the untapped creative potential still unexplored within the whole of humanity. Any thing can be taught..it just depends on the skills of the teacher to be able to intrique the students enough to want to listen.

[r.b.]

I hope Ken's influence ranges far and does so speedily.

[utoobwa]

Summary:
Definition of Creativity: Process of having original ideas that has value.
Breaking down the 3 bits Process, Originality and Value:
1) It's a process and not an event. First attempt may not get you where you want to be.
2) Original thinking - it should be original to you at the least.
3) It should add value - people will evaluate it.

[TommyJereiah]

I really enjoy Sir Ken Robinson's content

[thuglifescientist]

Creativity is a power which enables people to modify existing thing to a new thing to a new thing or an ability to create a new structure never existed which is alienware(something that is alternative alter + native where alter refers to the idea which is purely diverged thinking not a single part of it is associated with existing subject) that ability I define as creativity

[peterdaniellewestpare]

Does it strike anyone as odd that Sir Ken Robinson never…never mentions curiosity or the roll curiosity plans in creativity, imagination, learning, inventing, evolving life? Not a word! How curious!

[qcvfpbc]

#Rip_Sir_Ken 💔2020 is turning even worse

[fazalkhaliq]

I think the processing of thoughts is education. .Making letters, words, and then sentences is what is called education

[ChicagoTurtle]

Ya. First of all, creativity must be PERMITTED. our teachers and bosses don’t want to make space for it. Secondly we cannot force positivism and fear upon creativity. It’s the opposite, since creativity is a liberating and rule-breaking.

[judyallen]

I'm sorry to my hubby but I love this man..Sir Ken Robinson

[zuutlmna]

I think it's kind of a paradoxical situation.. As we evolve more creative people and societies, likewise will we probably see the teaching of creativity evolving. Unfortunately, at present, we do not have particularly creative societies, in my opinion.. We see a bit of it in the sciences and technology. But aside from that we're a bit stagnated, in my opinion. But I don't fault parents, or schools, too much on that. Sadly, I think there are special interest groups that function to keep things from moving forward. In fact, I think one could almost go so far as to make an accusation of regress, instead of progress. For those of you that might've read "Teaching As a Subversive Activity" by Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner, back in the 1970's, they mentioned an interview with Paul Goodman, as to whether he could recommend one really important skill for future learners. He answered "cr*p detecting." I think it's a very good answer. The more sophisticated things become,  similarly the more slyly stuff can be dealt to the masses that's ineffectual for the masses,  yet quite lucrative or some such, for special interests.

[DN-xlkq]

Creativity can only be explored, not taught.

[jameslinder]

The challenge is that original thought is not something you really can inspire.

[howtocleveractivities]

Not fully behind the idea that creativity can be taught. Bright Sparks exist, and just need to be exposed.