“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.” ~Abraham Lincoln
On Saturday I attended the TEDxEmory conference via Ustream. TEDxEmory is a local, independently organized TED event that strives to re-create the unique experience found at TED conferences, where world-renowned leaders, thinkers and doers congregate to share what they are most passionate about.
The theme for this year’s event was Experience Eternity, featuring talks by entrepreneurs, faculty and students. One of the most facinating moments for me was watching an animation created by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), illustrating an excerpt from a speech given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, a visionary cultural leader, who led the British government’s 1998 advisory committee on creative and cultural education. The talk identifies three troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, increased incidence of ADHD and school’s dwindling stake in the arts.
Sir Ken asserts that young children excel creatively, and they are not afraid to fail. The current educational system “educates” people out of their creativity and stigmatizes making mistakes; which translates into how most companies and organizations are run today. “We’ve been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers.” “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.”
I believe that the companies and organizations that will flourish in the global economy, will do so by using creativity and innovation to address the challenges of the 21st century. But, it starts with education. Education should encompass a holistic approach that allows the student to develop their natural talents, big picture thinking and a sense of purpose.
Check out the video below and let me know what you think…
Image credit: Screen capture from YouTube.com
