Sir Ken Robinson delivered a TED Talk in 2006, “Are Schools Killing Creativity?” which has been their most viewed talk to date with 25 million of us viewing it online. In 2013, he recorded the following 45-minute podcast for On Point entitled, “On Discovering Your Passions,” which could be a helpful resource for teachers, guidance counselors, and parents as we continue helping our students find their paths forward.
Which podcasts do you share with your colleagues and students to help inspire them, make them think, or pique their curiosity? I’d love to hear from you!
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Hi Naomi! This is an awesome podcast. I reference Robinson on my audio post as well, in fact the audio of the ted talk you described! It resounds with me because I first viewed in college in my first education class. It made me really reflect on what I valued as a teacher and what I considered to be important in my classroom. To answer your question, I haven’t worked with podcasts in my classrooms, but that is mostly due to ignorance- I am more of a visual person, so I would much rather watch and listen versus just listen. Usually when I share content to students, it comes in video format.
Great post!
Robinson’s words have resonated with so many of us, Kristin, and I appreciate how you noted that his TED Talk made you reflect upon what matters in your classroom. With more of us introducing Genius Hour / 20% Time in our classrooms, perhaps the creativity and innovations unleashed will play a strong role in reshaping what education will soon look like. Thanks for your comment!
One part of his TED talk sticks with me even to this day. When he’s talking about dinner and what other people think teachers do. In Korea, the role of the public school teacher has become much less respected the past ten years or so. Student opinions matter more than the teachers’ opinions and parents now side with their children. I’ve heard this is also often true in the States. In 2010, the Korean government banned corporal punishment (good idea, of course) but this stripped teachers of their power in the eyes of the students. At the time, teachers knew no other discipline other than to carry their stick around and whack the students. When the stick was taken away, discipline went out the window. Koreans are only envious of teachers now because of their benefits, i.e. paid summer and winter vacation.
** I can’t speak for all Koreans, but these are my observations after being here before and after 2010 and discussing the issue with many teachers and parents..
Robinson’s TED Talk was truly powerful, Todd. It is curious how teachers’ roles are perceived in various cultures around the world. I can imagine that your conversations with parents have contributed to a better understanding of the impact teachers can have on the lives of their children. Change comes slowly, but it sounds like you did the right thing addressing the issue head on. Thanks for your comment!