Out of Our Minds

Jul 14

Written By Socrates - Head of School Team

Think you might want to read this book?

As teachers, how do we foster and celebrate ability and natural capacities? In Out of Our Minds Sir Ken Robinson suggests that the answer may just be creativity. He points out that our world is shaped by human imagination. Emphasis is also placed on the fact that finding, and fulfilling, our creative potential helps us live a happier life. Finally, instead of continuing to follow a more traditional set of academic standards, educational policy should instead look toward increasing students’ creativity. Based upon these collective ideas, this book guides the reader to look at the idea of learning and fostering creativity through a broader lens; building a culture of creativity.

What Would Socrates Ask?

How do you provide opportunities for students to be creative?
How do you provide opportunities for students to use their imagination?
How should we measure intelligence?
Should intelligence be something we try to quantify?
What is involved in leading a culture of creativity?
How can we teach students it is okay to fail and learn from our failures?

Research

Since No Child Left Behind became law, almost half of the school districts have eliminated or greatly reduced their arts program.
Employers want people who can think creatively, innovate, communicate well, work in teams, be adaptable, and be self-confident. They complain that graduates do not have these qualities.

Concepts

Learning to be creative
- Learning to be creative is like learning any other skill. You have to be taught how to be creative..
Imagination is the source of creativity but not a synonym for creativity.

Quotes from the author

“My starting point is that everyone has huge creative capacities as a natural result of being a human being. The challenge is to develop them. A culture of creativity has to involve everybody, not just a select few.”
“Education is not a linear process of preparation for the future: it is about cultivating the talents and sensibilities through which we can live our best lives in the present and create the best futures for us all.”
“... college does not begin in kindergarten. Kindergarten begins in kindergarten.”
“Education is not only a preparation for what may come later, it is also about helping people engage with the present.”
“...the most important characteristic of an intellectual age is the questions it asks - the problems it identifies. It is this, rather than the answers it provides, that reveals its underlying view of the world.”
“Promoting creativity systematically in schools is about transforming the culture of education as a whole.”
“The task of education is not to teach subjects; it is to teach students.”