Robinson talked about how some people endure rather than enjoy life. They wait for the weekend because they do not love their career. Yes, it would be great if everyone found their work meaningful and enjoyable, but most people don't. I don't necessarily see that as a problem with the education system. I see a problem with the economy. Workers don't have an authentic connection to the good they make or services they provide. I don't think it helps workers to talk about how sad and unfulfilling their lives are. I don't know that much about Robinson, but he appears to be part of a small percentage of people who benefit from capitalism. He seems out of touch with the average human being.
I liked Robinson's recognition that we need to cultivate all different kinds of talents and abilities in our students to prepare them for jobs, not just college. In my secondary methods class I am reading articles about what students want out of high school. Only 1/3 of people ages 25-34 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. 2/3 of people my age are looking for jobs without a college degree. Many students want a high school education that prepares them for life after high school. Robinson seems to understand this.
Robinson brings up firefighting as an example of a job someone may have a passion for that doesn't require a college degree. Sure, there are some firefighting jobs, but there are also so many jobs in America do not require special talent or abilities. These "McDonalds jobs" pay wages that keep families in poverty and don't provide benefits. In the United States, everyone would like to avoid these jobs and find something that was either more fulfilling or higher paying. Millions of people are going to work these jobs anyways, even if they have talents and abilities. I read somewhere that working a "McDonalds job" in Europe is not as devastating as it is in the United States. European countries have safety nets and universal health care. People can spend the 16 hours a day that they aren't working pursuing their passion without worrying about being homeless or medical bills or working a second shift.
Okay, I've been thinking and typing for a long time, but I think I've figured out exactly what point I'm trying to make. Sir Ken Robinson wants schools to educate students to be participants in the economy of today and tomorrow. But the economy of today and tomorrow requires millions of drones that will work service jobs for minimum wage!!!! Perhaps we'd be better off with an economic revolution.
See...this is why I love teaching this class...you have provided a perspective, Virginia, that is so valid and important, and I'm really glad you chose to share it. Thank you for enlightening me on a perspective re: Ken Robinson's message that I hadn't considered before. Have you heard of David Korten? I wonder if this his perspectives are aligned with yours. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWDn6vQJKE8
ReplyDeleteI had not heard of David Korten, but I did agree with just about everything he said in that YouTube video. I thought it was interesting and exciting that he considers himself a conservative. It seems like there are a lot of people across many political parties and persuasions who see the problems with our economic system. This is also evident in the Occupy Wall Street movement, where the most diverse group of people I've ever seen tried to work together.
ReplyDeleteBut to bring it back to education. I've been wondering what the purpose of secondary education is and learning about how that purpose has changed over time. I wish secondary education was about preparing students to be citizens in their democracy and communities. It it seems as though students want secondary education to prepare them to enter the workforce. In this country, you need a decent job to survive. If you don't have a good job, you don't have freedom to pursue your passion or utilize your creativity.
I am really loving your questions (see my comment to your comment on Hannah's blog...the one about ADHD). You seem so reflective, Virginia. When you mentioned the purpose of secondary education, it reminded me of ANOTHER article I just read that speaks to what you're talking about. Check this out: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/connections/ConnectionsApr2012.pdf There is an article called "The Purpose of Schooling." Let me know what you think about it if you read it.
DeleteI love the illustration you chose. It makes me think of how different American and European attitudes toward work are: Americans love to work, Europeans work to live. It's a strange dichotomy that so many Americans endure their jobs, experiencing no fulfillment or engagement, and yet our lives revolve around these jobs. You're right that it leaves no time to exercise one's passions, interests, or even autonomy. I think this illustrates the point that there is no "silver bullet." Society is incredibly complex. You cannot reform education in isolation from economics and politics. This is why real reform seems impossible: "The System" is far greater than "the school system" or "the economy." To create real change of the kind that you and Sir Robinson call for, the kind we need, would require a shift in values so fundamental that I'm not sure it will ever happen in America. Surely if it does it will be over many decades and will never be complete, much like the struggle to reform Civil Rights.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought: I agree that, as a Knight of the Realm, Sir Robinson probably hasn't lived a "common life." However, I don't think that we should discount his ideas because he is privileged. (And it should be noted that we can't know from these videos how privileged he is. He may or may not be a hereditary "Sir." We don't know his life.) Within the current paradigm, the privileged are the ones in a position to most easily affect change: They aren't working McDonald's jobs so they have the time and freedom to sit around thinking about things. They have the resources to try things, fail, and try again. They have broader platforms and the opportunity to convert people to their way of thinking. We should not discount well-intentioned, intelligent, driven, passionate people who come from backgrounds of privilege just because of their privilege. This is as discriminatory as ignoring someone because of their address or the color of their skin. I'm not saying that a lot of education reform doesn't smack of White Man's Burden. A lot of it does. But Sir Robinson has some useful, visionary ideas. I don't think we should discount him simply because of his title, posh accent, and credentials. Good ideas are good ideas, and as long as their implementation will serve the broader good (aka the kids) and not the status quo or special interests, we need as many as we can get.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree and I don't think that having privilege makes everything you say meaningless or invalid. We all have some shared experiences. And I think that privileged people often have the unique ability to reach large audiences and contribute much needed resources to projects. I do think that with privilege comes a sort of blindness to the struggles of others.
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