“You find something in your life that interests you, and then you pursue it.”
-Sir Ken Robinson
Ken didn’t think he would ever find himself in education.
He began his closing keynote by asking the audience, “how many of you wished that you’d have a career in higher education at 15?” Not many. That’s because we — and most everyone — can’t predict the life we are going to live, he said.
Ken discussed how public education doesn’t quite touch the ways that people truly live their lives. And with that in mind, he explained how he has been campaigning for the “principles of human flourishing” and critically looking at higher education and the influence of technology on it — which puts him right at home here at High Ed Web.
“We’re living in times of revolution. If we want to meet this revolution, we have to think differently and we ultimately need to re-think how education works,” he said.
“Human beings are born with boundless talent and capacity, whether or not they realize their talents, in both senses of the word.” (“Realize”) #heweb18
— Anne Petersen (@apetersen) October 24, 2018
Ken used athletics and sports as examples where we as a society accept there is a range of talent. But with education, it is a different scale.
https://twitter.com/farktal/status/1055153344031780865
Academic is not synonymous with intelligence, though we tend to group students as academic and non-academic, or really, able and less able. @SirKenRobinson #heweb18
— Christy Grant Glaze (@ChristyRGG) October 24, 2018
Ken recounted a time when he met a student who was studying dance. He asked, “What did you get out of it?” She said, “I got a B.” He chuckled to the audience and said, “Did you get anything else out of it?”
Achievement is not just a letter grade in a class, he stressed.
"A linear education means we just teach in school what people need to know to get jobs… we need alternatives." -Sir Ken Robinson #heweb18
— Ingrid Hoogendoorn (@ingkling) October 24, 2018
Education is about social, spiritual, cultural development, not just academic, says @SirKenRobinson #heweb18
— Christy Grant Glaze (@ChristyRGG) October 24, 2018
Ken then turned to the importance of technology. From the time when the concept of having a phone inside of your home seemed absolutely absurd to now — where we carry the internet in our pockets — technology has done nothing but influence our lives and ultimately, education. Ken reflected on the steps technology has taken, and in turn, allowed us to take. Consider the time before smartphones, color televisions or record players.
We’re in the birth pangs of the digital revolution. We’re just getting started. Need more infrastructure, to start with. Hasn’t kicked into the exponential growth part.
Our phones now will eventually be curiosities. “You have to TOUCH it? With your fingers? Gross.” #heweb18
— Anne Petersen (@apetersen) October 24, 2018
As he considered the growth of technology, he recognized that while it has positive consequences, there were unforeseen negative ones. Ken explained that by the age of 7, most children will spend roughly 2 years in front of a screen. At least half of that time is that child alone somewhere with that screen, living their lives through it.
“We were like cats when we were growing up. We went out to play after school and only came home for food. And if your home didn’t have food, you went to the home that did.” – @SirKenRobinson #heweb18
— Jenn Jones (@JennJNY) October 24, 2018
When you have generally transformative technology, it takes a while for reach changes to kick in. It takes a while to build the infrastructure." Where will the smart phone take us? @SirKenRobinson #heweb18
— Ingrid Hoogendoorn (@ingkling) October 24, 2018
Social norms are changing, and it’s far from over, Ken said. Human beings need to adapt with the changes and somehow deal with them in a positive way. But, are we?
News outlets are reporting left and right that depression is on the rise — seemingly from our social media and other technology use. Why depression? Ken questioned. He explained that we are living much more comfortable lives now than in 1900, even those who experience poverty. We have grown dependent on our technology, and the use continues to increase.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 #heweb18 @SirKenRobinson pic.twitter.com/4ZOYwVXmRR
— Piero Tintori (@pierotintori) October 24, 2018
Young adults now are considering education in a different way. They consider the pros and cons of the debt they will incur, for example. Now we’re forced to consider so much more about the future because of changing technologies, Ken explained. We are no more able to predict the impact to society because of the use of augmented reality, for example, than those who were being first introduced to a car.
The pangs of the digital revolution: “It’s going to be a convulsion, and it will spread across the world in ways we couldn’t possibly have foreseen.” #heweb18
— Anne Petersen (@apetersen) October 24, 2018
We are not unfamiliar with the increasing introduction of machine intelligence being used to replace physical labor, Ken reminded us. He also urged that this trend is not going to slow down. We have to think harder than we have in the past, beyond conformity and compliance, Ken stressed.
He said us that humans have unique capabilities: Curiosity. Delight. Discovery. Wonder. “Too often this gets dulled by, frankly, the way we educate people” he said.
“Too often education kills off the very curiosity upon which it depends.” – @SirKenRobinson #heweb18
— Aaron Rester (@aaronrester) October 24, 2018
There’s a big difference between learning, education and school. The problem isn’t the kids, it’s the school.
Kids love to learn on their own.
Education is an organized method of learning. Schools are really hierarchical, but at base should be a learning community. #heweb18
— Anne Petersen (@apetersen) October 24, 2012. creativity. The process of having original ideas. “Creativity isn’t some exotic thing. It comes with the kit.” Ken said. The power of creativity is transformative, he said.
https://twitter.com/SvenAas/status/1055162622612393984
https://twitter.com/cdorso/status/1055161081331503104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Ken closed his presentation by stressing the importance of bending the education curriculum we currently use to foster the key, unique qualities of humans in terms of curiosity, creativity and collaboration. While this is certainly a big challenge to take on, it’s incredibly important for us and our children, and ultimately the future of our society.
“I think this is a historic challenge, but I think we’re capable of rising to it,” he concluded.
