Category Archives: Uncategorized

haruka t, Uncategorized

Audio essay

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I agree with the basic conception of Ken Robinson’s speech. He believes human have the richness capacity. All kids have tremendous talents. I like these phrases and I believe it. He say the talents and creativities of children are should be improved in education. I think it is right and important, and of course I was very amazed by the success story of Gillian Lynne. However I also think his opinion is just ideal in current society. To make action and to accomplish the revolution is more difficult than expected.

 

For example, there is the education system known as yutori in Japan.

That was designed to relieve the pressures on students and broaden their perspective. Educators expected that the system would improve student’s creativities.

I am exactly a memner of the generation who received the education. I used to go to school five days a week. I took classes with thinner textbook. New subject “General studies” was introduced. The aim of the subject is to increase the time for independent. General studies are not have exam and score. It was fun for me to learn based my own interest.

Looking back over the past, I realize my childhood are free and lively. After school I had time to go swimming school, painting gallery, playing the piano and violin and playing outside with my friends. I have never gone to cram school before. On weekends, I had enough time to travel with my family because I didn’t have school.

However in recent years the education was phased out. Why it was changed despite improving children’s creativities is wonderful? It is said that one of the reasons is the rank of international exam was falling. Didn’t it focus on creativity? Are you care about the rank of exam yet? You would feel some contradictions.

 

 

I think “creativity” is something ambiguous. To keep the balance of academic studies and creative things are important but how to distinguish these subject are not clear. In case of the mathematics, who studies hard can take good score and who doesn’t study enough take bad score. That is very simple. It would make you feel easy that you can see the figure. In other words people usually want to visualize the effort and the result. But you can’t see the result of creativity easily. I think in public education the classroom teachers can’t wait until children get the great achievement by using their creativity because one teacher has many students and the time limit is one year. It took even Gillian Lynne long time to be a famous dancer.

 

In short, we need long time and big effort to change the system, to continue  it and to ingrain it. Then what should we do? I think the cooperation of home and  school is key success factor. The parents should be interested in their children’s lives in school and shouldn’t say complaint to teachers all the time. They don’t forget their home is the first education place for children.

To change the social system is difficult but to change our own mind and action is easy. I hope I can support children who make the future in the whole society as well as the school education.

shizuki, Uncategorized

Audio Essay-Education and Creativity

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In this day and age, the school education is manualized and children are only required to sit down and study, following their guidelines. They are educated to get a better grade, enroll in highly evaluated university, and work for a big company. Ironically, however, this educational system is now one of the main problems that cause unstable society we’re living in. According to his presentation, intelligence can’t be calculated by a school grade. It’s much more diverse, dynamic, and distinct. Under the process of academic inflation, children grew up feeling suppressed. Now they should be released to face the future they are going to live in. Education was supposed to give children rich experience and amaze their mind. I thought about some factors that would let children’s creativity free.

There was a story about being wrong in his presentation and I totally agree with his idea. If you tell your child not to make a mistake, he/she will become a shallow person. Today’s educational system doesn’t put much emphasis on sports but they should because playing sports teach students how it’s like to be beaten. You might face someone you can’t beat even if you try hard. Then, you need to be creative to come up with great idea which will allow yourself to make it better next time. Like playing sports, life is literally a series of fails and that is how we live.

Art is also one of the underestimated subjects as he remarked. The subject hierarchy should be vanished not only because every subject is equally valuable but because subjects interact each other. I studied graphic design in University of the Arts London and I thought it was really good I was in law department before that. Lots of people think they are totally different subject, but for me, they are not. In an art school, you need to think logically and create meaningful piece not like I just made this because I thought it’s cool. The researching ability that I achieved in there still helps me study after I came back to law.

No matter how much you try to cram knowledge into your brain, it doesn’t mean you’re thinking by yourself.  What I think boosts your brain are group work and field work. As a group member, you need to speak up your idea at the same time listen to others. Every member in the group will learn from other and can think flexibly. Field work is a great opportunity to output what you’ve learnt so far. Plus, such a real experience leaves you a huge impression and it’s sometimes stays in your head longer than books does .

Incidentally, I love the posts “Cute Kid Note of the Day” available from Huffington Post. They show me how children interpret their own world. I bet nobody wants to suppress their ability based on pure experience. I wander how people don’t have imagination make the world better place? People enriched their lives only know what exactly the richness is and they can make the world filled with creativity.

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Uncategorized, yuka

Audio Essay

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Ken Robinson emphasizes creativity is essential citing many success stories, and repeatedly said that today’s education system ignore children’s potential. His speech totally illustrates creativity as good, and schools as absolute evil that deprive wonderful creativity from children.
But I believe this topic should be about neither whether creativity is necessary or not, nor whether schools are necessary or not. It is because both are indispensible and not mutual exclusive. It is more proper that schools play a complementary role in order to develop potential creativity.

Firstly, I’d like to begin with what is ‘creativity.’
He explains creativity as “the process of having original ideas that have value” but doesn’t define exactly what is creativity itself. Creativity is not the ability to generate something fantastic and new from zero bases. It is the ability to see the world in new perspectives, to find or make connections between apparently unrelated phenomena, and to apply pattern in other field that passed unnoticed. It is also significant that being creative is not equivalent to being imaginative. Being imaginative does not need to realize what you imagine, but being creative need to shape up images or ideas. Creativity consists of thinking and producing: spontaneous ideas and ability to embody them.

Secondly, in order to be creative, it is necessary to go to schools.
When it comes to his critics to schools, he just says conventional education systems are places where “mistakes are the worst thing you can make”, however, I do not agree with this statement. Since children need straightforward and clear criteria to learn morality or discipline, not repeating mistakes is a simple step to be socialized as community member.

In the first place, he totally ignores how schools give children highly competent communities.
Needless to say, children get basic knowledge and skills that are necessary to realize ideas through schools. But more importantly, what is unique to public education is, it is where the most diverse community that children can experience in their childhood. Schools help children to develop their potential creativity in this sense. Schools have varieties of children who have different background: regional, religious, racial, ethnic, cultural or financial. Schools are also where students having interest in other field are in the same classroom and share their schooldays. Attending a school and interacting with diverse students give them new viewpoints, thinking pattern and inspiration. Taking classes in various fields including ones of no interest also broadens perspective and cultivates children’s mind.

In conclusion, creativity is stimulated through interacting with diverse people because in the end, creativity is one of abilities that exercised for people’s good and makes everyone’s mind enrich.

Uncategorized, yusuke

Final Audio Essay -“Thinking Class” is Necessary-

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Everybody has an interest in education. So do I and I think compulsory education in Japan is just worthless. My opinion is supported by my experience in India, where I saw totally different kind of education compared to the one in Japan. I would like to explain why the Japan’s education is not good for children.

The main problem of the education is that it doesn’t make the children to think and imagine. Ken Robinson said “creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” As everyone knows, what the school in Japan makes the students do are calculations and some readings. No group activities or student- led classes. Most of the teachers just talk and students rarely listen. How can children train their brain with such kind of class? I do not deny the importance of knowledge that can be taught only by the teachers. However, current education system sees group works too low. If the teachers are good enough to attract students’ attention with interesting topics, and their storytelling skills, I think that is the best way to stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity, but that is an ideal education. Even in Keio University, which is said to be one of the best universities in Japan, it is difficult to find such teachers. Therefore, a class where students can discuss, think, and create something, is needed. All what teachers have to do is motivate the students to think by stimulating their desire to learn.

The school I used to go when I was in India had a humanity class, and in that class, we have done a unique role-playing class activity. The main theme of the class was about imperialism in Africa. The students were separated into 5~6 groups, and each group represented the countries that they were assigned. (Britain, Germany, France, etc…) I will not go into the details, but students had to work together to gain their territories in Africa by constructing their armies, and growing their economy. Students also had to negotiate with other countries to agree about the border of their territories, trades, and many others. Each class, students worked to reinforce their country, and this activity lasted for a month. Students compared the size of the area in Africa by the end.

Through this activity, students earned some knowledge about economy, politics, diplomacy, and imperialism. Moreover, they learnt how to work together as a team, how to negotiate with other people, and how to create an idea to win the competition. These things cannot be learned from teachers. Students must work out and try in order to achieve those skills.

No elementary school or middle school in Japan has held such class. Every school tries to teach math, Japanese, science, art etcetera, but children would not learn because the class is not interesting, and it doesn’t allow children to work in activities. These days, English classes are becoming more important in elementary school, even though not all students can write Kanji.

As a conclusion, if the government doesn’t want to kill the creativity and talent of the children, they must change the whole curriculum right away. They should encourage more in-class activity, and give the chances for children to think about certain topics much more. This is what I thought after watching Ken Robinson’s speech, and I support his idea strongly.

naoki, Uncategorized

audio essay about education

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I watched Ken･Robinson’s speech “How schools kill creativity”. I knew education have both sides good and bad. There is bad side in schools. I think also “schools kill individual characters and diversity”. He suggest school education which regards exam results as important kills creativity, I think it kills individual characters. I agree with him that it is wrong entering good university is the most important. It seems that now children study harder and intelligent, but they are afraid of failure, negative and have little creativity. They act according to an economic decision and behave as similar to others. Then, why schools kill individual characters? I will talk about problems of school education.
The first, the problem is, as Ken･Robinson said, that schools don’t appreciate a gift except study because of an education regards exam results as important. The purpose of studying is only to enter a good university, so they consider the other ability is not good. In preparing for exam, only one answer is right and study is only learning answer by heart. So their creativity and individuals are denied. Besides, they are afraid of failure and don’t challenge because a correct answer is the most important. In an exam, we are required not our opinion, but correct answer. The exam kills creativity.
The second, cooperativeness in classes in a group kills children individuals more than necessary. There are good points in group lesson in school, we can learn teamwork and experience the community. But too many respects for cooperation lose diversity. I will show my experience in primary school. I have often gotten scolded by teacher. Because I have spoken answer whatever I want and scribble on my notes. The reason why is, the study was easy for me. Further, teachers have demanded me to behave to others. Behavior different from others is bad, but the same with others is good. I think this is wrong. We have not to correct their talents. A weak headed child, like Jillian, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, has also good gift, so don’t regard them as strange and　grow up it. Ken Robinson said children have various talents, so we have to educate them as they are.
Thus, schools lose our creativity and individuals. It’s necessary to learn mathematics, science, history and literacy for our life and to examine children to learn them. But current school education is inclined towards studying for exam. Well-balanced education is important. Education must regard not only studying but also originality as important. We need to find children’s talents and grow up their originality.

koichi, Uncategorized

My audio essay

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I agree with his idea about education. We should protect creativity and future of children. And now , as he said , teachers tell us not to make a mistake and math and English is more important than music and art.

 

10 or 20 years ago ,if we get good score in school and graduate from good university , we could enter a good company and earn more money than people only graduated from high school. But It is different now.  Even if we graduated from good university , for example Keio university , it is not guaranteed that we can enter a good company and earn more money than average people. And as he said ,in near future more people will get high level education, so more people will graduate from university. And value of people who graduated from university will go down. So now we don’t have to stick to graduating from university. We should give children other way to make their life.

 

Every child has wonderful talent. And limitless creativity of human makes our world more richer.  So they should use that talent and make own way to make their life. But schools still stick to have us enter universities and subjects that is needed to pass an entrance examination of university is regarded as important. If schools still stick to have us enter universities , and more and more people enter universities , many people will be not able to get job , and there will be more miserable people. Not to increase such a miserable people , we should develop their talent.

 

As he said in the speech , Gillian Lynne was not good at study in the school . But doctor told her mother to have her daughter go to dance school. And her talent flowered and she became a great choreographer. So , to develop talent of children , we should treat all subjects fairly. And if students find own favorite subject , we should let them do this subject thoroughly. And furthermore we must remember that subject one student is good at is not always his or her favorite subject. It is important that we let students do what they want to do and if needed , we support it kindly.

 

To develop talent of children , letting them make a mistake is important too. Now, teachers tell us not to make a mistake. But if we are afraid of making a mistake , our talent and creativity will not develop. Moreover if we are afraid of choosing wrong way in own life , most people choose ordinary way in own life for example graduating university , entering a company and so on. So to increase their choices in their life and to develop their talent , we should let them make a mistake.

 

People who make future world is now children. So children is our hope. And to make future world more richer , we have to let children do what they want to do.

koichi, Uncategorized

My reaction about oil price article

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Summary

The price of oil has gone down below ＄50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009.  　Going  down of the price is happened because of slowing global growth and increased supply of oil. CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said that if OPEC won’t do nothing about over production , the price of oil will declines towards ＄40 in the coming weeks. And oil industry insider said that it will takes one or two year to have prices return to around ＄80-＄90 per barrel.
Recently Saudi Arabia’s main oil company has stopped a major clean fuels plant and several new machines to stop going down of price.　　And now Iraq , Russia and Venezuela are suffering badly because they are  major oil producing countries.

Opinion

I have a driver’s license. But I don’t drive a car. So I don’t care about the price of oil usually , and I didn’t know this news. When I read this article’s title , I thought this is good because a bus fare will go down. But when I read whole article , I found that This is not good for everyone because there are some people and countries that is suffering badly , for example Iraq , Russia , Venezuela and so on. I learn that even if there are good things for us , these things may load us in long time view.

daiki, Uncategorized

My Opinion For Education

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I’d like to mention about both pros and cons for Mr. Robinson’s opinions.

 

Basically, I agree with his opinion that teachers should notice children’s talents and try to develop them. There is an idiom “what one likes, one will do best”. The story of Gillian Lynne who is a dancer he provided is a good example of it. So teachers should notice students’ curiosities and respect each imagination. And I also agree with the opinion that score isn’t everything of students.

 

However, I can’t agree with his opinions at mainly three points.

 

First, it’s about the role of a school. He said, “There isn’t an education system on the planet that teaches dance every day to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not?” Of course, I think “minor subject” called in Japan, such as arts and music should be respected as same as other subjects. But originally schools don’t set the motto to develop children’s specific abilities. I think public education is for all people so educations in the school should meet common needs. One of the common needs is to learn basic and universal knowledge to live. It is natural that reading, writing and arithmetic are focused on classes. In addition, students can enjoy club activities so there is an opportunity to develop their talents except studies.

 

Second, it’s about the way to find your talents. I don’t hope schools make an atmosphere that each talent is the most important. Because if you can’t notice your talents, you’ll spend too much time to find what your talent is. It’s a waste of time, isn’t it? Takashi Saito, a Japanese educator, writes as follows in his work “Lessons from Yukichi Fukuzawa”. “If you think about your talents, it must be difficult to challenge new things.” We can’t find own talents easily so we have to pile up much experience. After that, we can decide own way based on own abilities. Mr. Robinson says “all kids have tremendous talents” but his examples are rare cases so we shouldn’t expect that all kids have special talents.

 

Third, it’s about the kind of talents. “Talent” doesn’t mean only a talent of arts or sports. Mr. Robinson only focuses on them and he didn’t mention about the talent of studies. I think he missed to evaluate the big role of school which develops children’s curiosities for studies. As I said, the score has nothing to do with the worth as a human being. However, students study hard for the score and also find interests of each subject through studies. Hence, I think the system of score shouldn’t be abandoned.

 

As for me, I’ve been playing the piano and the cello, and I tried to be a musician when I was an elementary school student. But after I entered the junior high school, I became enthusiastic at studying history and became to want to be a scholar of history. If I had been provided musical professional education, the curiosity for history would have died for music. To educate them under the special situation at an early age would decide children’s course. It could kill other potential talents in children.

 

Therefore, I think the education which develops each talent is an ideal but extreme special educations would ruin children’s opportunity to study broadly. I expect schools and teachers to understand each student’s talents and respect it but they should let students do many activities including studies. They shouldn’t do special education from an early age. So I agree with keeping the education system in these days.

 

shizuki, Uncategorized

So embarrassed everyone is posting an essay and I’m doing a reaction to “Tax rises on alcohol”

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Some people believe that raising taxes on alcoholic beverage will increase job losses. According to the new findings, however, the result is opposite. Frank Chaloupka, a professor of economics stated money not spent on alcohol may possibly be spent on other goods and services, creating jobs in non-alcohol sector. His team estimates an increase in alcohol taxes will not on only reduce the number of heavy drinkers but also stimulate economy. The study shows the tax increase on alcohol leaded to more employment in California. In response to this research, David Jernigan, the study author remarked alcohol tax increases are an evidence-based approach to help drinkers to health and create jobs. Conversely, some experts are warning those findings are not published in a peer-reviewed journal yet so considered preliminary.

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I don’t think this article is 100% reliable. Firstly, there is no explanation about the connection between the tax rising and the job creation. How do they know people spend money not on alcohol but on other goods when the tax is raised? Though it’s showing the study result in California and Louisiana, it is undeniable that it just happened by chance. Secondly, it is doubtful only 10 cents or so tax increase work quite effectively. You can find 10 cents around self-checkout machines in seconds. Such a small rise seems not to be enough for a heavy drinker’s health.

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saki, Uncategorized

Audio essay

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Ken Robinson talked about human creativity and education system. I agree with his ideas. In his speech, the creativity is as important as literacy in education. So we should treat with same status. Children have potential and originality, can show exceptional ability. Even if they don’t know anything, they try to do. If they are afraid that it is wrong, they don’t conceive of the original thing. The current education system eliminates human being original creativity. To study mathematics and language is given priority to art subjects. However, there are not only the children that have academic ability but also the children that have artistic sensitivity. Moreover, human intelligence is various, dynamic and peerless. We should educate that all children can make the best of their intelligence.

 

I want to speak my experience in the following. I studied the subjects like mathematics, science and history very hard in childhood. Strictly speaking, I was made to study hard by my parents. They often said that if I studied hard, I could go excellent university and get a good job. So I have thought studying is the most important in my life. However, only the subject to use brain isn’t most necessary in our lives. If I had tried to do various things in childhood, I would take interested in a lot of things and have extended experience. That’s why I want children to identify their ability and think a great deal of their possibility.

 

Ken Robinson said that many people think that academic ability is superior to artistic subjects in order to work companies. Present education system has a few problems. It isn’t only academic ability to need in a lot of companies. It is important for children to have creativity, cooperativeness and sociability and so on. Adults should teach children to have them. What should we do to improve such power? I have three ideas. First, school should increase discussion in the classes. There are few opportunities to discuss in elementary school and junior high school. To talk about their opinions leads to develop their creativity and positive thinking. Second, it needs to carry out field works. For example, to touch them naturally, to perform an occupation experience, to appreciate traditional arts and so on have them think about themselves. They will learn something that cannot learn in academic classes from field works. Third, reading many books is good for them. Books made them more creative. But now, almost they read few books. I want them to read various books.

 

 

 

Human creativity is limitless and make in the future. So that he says, we have to become the support that children make the future.