This will mainly be of interest to students on the first module (WBS3730).
We know that reflection (of the critical, questioning type) is an essential element of professional practice in any discipline. We know this because practices and contexts change over time. So while we might be educated or taught how to respond to a given situation, we cannot predict how to respond to a future situation, one that may be difficult to imagine or predict. Critical reflection is the thinking process by which we adapt to the changing face of our professional and personal lives.
One way I like to think of reflection is as a practice in itself. As a practice, it is a skill that can be developed, honed, changed and generally experimented with to see how it can be used to good effect.
I posted a while ago on this, and think it is still relevant and may be helpful to you as you further explore what critical reflection means to you: What reflection might look like?
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Alan, thank you for this post. I cannot believe that I didn't know who Sir Ken was until now! I watched both the videos of his talks and I'm lost for words. I feel so inspired. His ideas about educational revolution, about creating an agricultural education system just makes so much sense!If you think about it he's completely right, the system we have now has a clear hierarchy, with subjects like maths and language right at the top! Why!? At what point did the world start viewing intelligence as proficiency in those subjects only, and more importantly why isn't proficiency in the arts valued!?
ReplyDeleteIt's made me question the whole concept of education and the way I view it, and it's made me even more desperate to get more involved in education.
Watching those videos has been a real revelation.
Hey Alan
ReplyDeleteThank you for highlighting the existence of these videos and Sir Ken Robinson (he is not your brother by the way is he?)
Truly inspiring, as someone aspiring to be a speaker, but also as someone who feels passionately about people fulfilling their true potential.
I had never considered the fact that maybe this comes from all the way back in peoples schooling but it is highly possible that peoples lack of willingness to forge there own path through life doing something that they are passionate about stems from the habits formed in the schooling system. People not being encouraged to develop their own solutions, or being supported in their individual areas of aptitude. Everyone being funneled down the traditional route of education could very well be the main culprit for the lack of the imagination people need to live, and not just endure, life.
The final point that resonated with me was dis-enthralling ourselves from life. It is, in my opinion, so relevant to our own current course work, as indeed is his whole talk. I will continue to attempt to challenge and not just accept the currently held concepts of "the norm".
Watching these videos has certainly given me a clearer perspective on BAPP but also other rotes to explore in my own material to teach in the future.
Thanks again Alan
Thankyou for posting the link to take us back to your older post with the talks by Sir Kenneth Robbinson.
ReplyDeleteHis talks are so inspiring and 'current.' He involves all aspects of teaching, learning and life into his theories, and they all really make sense with me.
I love how he pointed out the idea of 'passion' as a catalyst for success and progression. If we find something we are passionate about it is so much easier to spend hours at this subject, working harder at it and therefore improving and progressing. I think one of the main problems with education today is that some student don't find their passions at 18 or 16, or at a fixed age. It is important that people are allowed the time to 'grow' and find their own passions, not ones that are forced upon them at a certain time, age or place. Passion cannot be faked, it is natural and organic and instilled in us from when we are born. An educators job is to bring out these possibilities, in some cases it's harder than others. I believe everyone is passionate about something, they just find it at different points in their lives. I was lucky I found it so early!
Thank you for this post. It's very illuminating. Sir Ken is hugely entertaining and an intelligent academic comedian. I have listened to both the talks and some of what Sir Ken was saying has resonated with me over the years as I have picked up these points throughout my career in teaching too.. He states ‘Creativity has same importance as literacy and should be treated with the same status’ I totally agree. It would indicate that we do not yet have a balance in the education system though. As a child, I changed schools at the age of 11yrs and up until then I was of average standard in maths and thoroughly enjoyed the subject, but the new school had the strictest male maths teacher and you couldn’t ask a question about a maths problem. From that time onwards my maths standard and understanding dropped considerably and lead me to stop being creative with the subject. I became ‘frightened of being wrong’.
ReplyDeleteWe have become culturally conditioned to a ‘standardised’ level and structure of education. . I don’t totally agree with his statement about ‘Grown out of creativity’, From my teaching experience, it seems more Secondary schools are emerging as Academies with ‘Performing Arts’ status. Fifteen years ago, in a three year contract as a dance tutor, I was laying the foundations, in collaboration with the Art, Drama and Music departments for the school to convert to ‘Performing Arts’ Status. It’s all about my passion for dance and this intense drive to work in dance, in particular to give children the space and time to explore and nurture their creative nature to explore their dreams through the movement of dance. I am currently in a position to explore and experiment with structured formal dance and abstract dance. In my experience the UK has a relatively healthy ‘Dance’ awareness compared to thirty years ago.
‘Children are innovative’ and I’m always learning from children and using what I have learnt from them to forge new paths. I hadn’t been aware that I was forging new paths until Adesola explained this to me! Sir Ken talks about ‘Richness of human Capacity’ and I truly believe we should ‘Educate their whole being’ I often discuss this with friends and professionals in Education. In ’Bring on the Learning Revolution’ video Sir Ken explains about ‘the organic process of learning and ‘Customising your circumstances and developing a ‘personalised curriculum’ , an individual structured lesson, would this not be difficult to manage in a classroom? The logistics would be a nightmare. I think this would arguably work for college students but this becomes a very complex matter to manage as humans are so diverse and so individual.
In a conversation with one of my advisers I mentioned that I hoped to re-invent myself, but I prefer Sir Ken’s version of re-inventing; ‘Reconstitute our sense of ability and of intelligence’ I think Universities students and academics should perhaps consider this make over. Will any of the Education policy makers take on board these facts and ‘Revolutionise’ our education system?
Thanks for the comments. He is such a powerful speaker. It is partly the humour, but it is also perhaps the personal anecdotes that make what he says so meaningful? Or perhaps it is because he is arguing on behalf of the Arts that we feel such a connection?
ReplyDeleteI think it's all of those things. You definately feel more engaged with a speaker who has a great sense of humor. It relaxes you and it feels like you form a personal connection with him. He also puts all his ideas into context with his anecdotes, making them easier to understand, and of course we're all invloved in the arts in one way or another, so obviously his argument which fights the arts corner so strongly is going to really resonate with us.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree, his sense of humour makes a 20 minute speech go feel much lighter and easier to digest. He also relates to current issues, making them easier to absorb. I loved how he joked about his teenager not owning a wrist watch. I also feel sometimes that no matter how up to date with Technology we are, there is always the next iphone, laptop, or way to communicate. I am now on 'twitter' as I am experimenting whether it will bring me a wider, more useful network, but at the moment I'm just finding it hard to even find people who I already know there!
ReplyDeleteI suppose this is all related to the 'revolution' of education that Sir Ken is talking about also. We are constantly 'evolving' to keep up with the changes which are happening in society and technology, and education also needs to keep up with the pace. As a born socialiser who likes having personal meaningful networking connections with people, I just hope that in an effort to stay current in technology, we don't loose this natural way of 'connecting' with people. 'Connectivism.'