Post #1- Core Solutions

The overall problem of education is very difficult to assess, because it covers areas rom drop out rates to bullying.  In the following video Sir Ken Robinson lays out the issues and solutions to education in America today.  Robinson uses the analogy of Death Valley where the right conditions provide a plethora of life to compare the current students in education. He claims that the students are ready to grow and learn if the current system provides the right conditions in education. 

He provides an interesting argument that states that education has become too standard and has closed off the creativity and curiosity that students need to thrive.  The current implementation of the Common Core System can be a good example of such standardization efforts presently.  He provides evidence of Finland taking broad approaches in learning and achieving enormous results, and counters the argument that size makes personalization in the U.S. unrealistic.  Robinson implies that standard tests “shouldn’t keep you up at night” most likely referring to SATs or ACTs extreme pressure on students.  His interesting take on standardized tests not helping the students and rather evaluating them is a very persuasive argument.  As we look at the nation it is obvious that students are disinterested in schools that offer the same mundane courses year after year.  While Robinson does offer evidence that supports his claim that creativity, personalization, and curiosity all can make American education great, he fails to address a key issue which is how do we institute those features in a curriculum.      The greatest solution i think he touches is the reduction of standardization.  The SATs are a burden then more of a help or evaluation tool.  It only requires study and understanding of the test rather than real knowledge in the subjects it tests.  A test should point out the weaknesses in students and education should be focused on solving those issues.  Robinson I personally feel has the greatest vision to solving the entirety of educations problems.  The more solutions that provide support for these ideas the better education that will be available.

Works Cited:

TED Talks. "Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education's Death Valley." YouTube. TED Talks, 10 May 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.