mao

Audio essay about education

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Mao’s audio eassyI agree his ideas about education, intelligence and learning. He said three contentions about creativity.

One is the extraordinary evidence of human creativity. The second is that we have no idea in what’s going to happen. I also have a big interest in education because it meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp.

The third is that children have their capacities for innovation. He insisted that all kids have tremendous talents. I really think so. When we were kids, we had much possibility to be such as artists, musician, scientists, politician and so on.

However, education system has influenced on diminution of creativity . I think intelligence is necessary and important. On the other hand, creativity is also essential for us.  So, we should treat it with the same status.

We have been taught fear of being wrong.  As a result, we can’t try anything original easily. He said “if we aren’t prepared to be wrong, we’ll never come up with anything original.” I agree this contention. Unfortunately, almost kids lost their talents at present. We have to change national education system all over the world. We bring up talent of kids to create creativity.

It came industrialism in 19 century. It was most important and necessary for people to learn high literacy because they have to get good jobs. They learned academic ability to get better jobs. So, mathematics and languages are more important than dancing and music.

When I was a child, I would like to become a cartoonist. But my mother said “Study harder mathematics, Japanese, and social studies than writing a comic. ”Although I wanted to write a comic, I obeyed my mother’s advice. If the education system was changed, I might become a cartoonist. I would lose my talent at that time. Was I happy? “No.”

The most important is variety of talents in the future. Kids are also to invent new idea which adult is not able to think. Therefore, we must change education system for our society.

I suggest that we seek our creative capacity by new education system. Teacher and parents should change their minds. In other words, adults around children need to see through individual talents. So, they never blame children for their mistakes. Thus, adult must change how to view them. As the same, children will change their thinking. Children will be able to notice and learn what they are interested in.

I hope our children to change our life for the richness in the future.

 

etona, Uncategorized

My audio essay

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I would like to talk about my ideal education.

His TED talk was very exciting because I agree with his speech very much.
I think we should not kill not only children’s  but also everyone’s creativity. We have to take advantage of their talent for each child. But we have to keep our basic education as it is .  I have 2 reasons.

 

At first, I think creativity is very important and it has to be utilized because I believe everyone has it originally and  it is different depending on the person’s gift from my own experience.

Last year I participated in a workshop. The theme  there was a new public enterprise policy.  When we  had brain storming, my team members found different ideas. It looks only proper that everyone has his own idea but it’s very important because each person has own background. For example, their families, hometowns, schools and so on…   As Mr. Robinson says, I also think he or she has own point of view and own creativity.

 

Secondly, I think we have to catch up with future. In the present era, I think sense of value will change easily more than ever and there will be new sense of value. For instance, when the earthquake  happened on 11 March 2011, our sense of value about nuclear power generation was changed. Economic downturn precipitated by the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in 2008 was also remarkable example. So I think holding and educating each person’s creativity, we have to survive in this era. Mr. Robinson says “Degrees aren’t worth anything.” I think it means the education that is predicated on the idea of academic ability is old-fashioned and same education for everyone can’t catch up with future.

 

Although I think the education that regards creativity as important is great thing, in order to live in human community we have to have at least minimal knowledge or intelligence. So it’ s important for us to keep our basic education.

 

In the future I hope our education would be better and our life would be more creative and powerful. Everyone should challenge for better creativity and better education.

 

You could create imagination power so that you could have better creativity and educational power. Because if you could have vivid imagination, you could act and create anything much faster than when you had only vague imagination.  Imagination power is much stronger than you just can think of.

jumpei, Uncategorized

What I think about the modern education system.

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Nowadays, how to teach children and how to send promising people to the modern society are always argued. What people gains from education and how they are educated are very important because what they learned from in their childhood has a very big influence on their talents. Mr. Ken Robinson insisted in his speech that the most important thing is the creativity and he said that the education in America and England is not proper in order to improve children’s creativity. I am for his opinion that the system of the education today can not improve the creativity, and I also think that the system of the education in Japan is not proper too. In Japan, it is often said that the education for the children is improper and teachers are just teaching thing systematically. It is said that children are just compelled to study without time to use their creativity. The education in order to train their creativity is not established yet and I think it is worse than America and England.

I think creativity is important in modern times and think that it is an urgent subject to be solved. The reason why I think creativity is important is that the creativity is necessary in modern society. It is often said that the ability to think by yourself and make actions by your own way is necessary when you work in the modern companies. This means that people who can work by the command of the boss systematically and work just like a robot are not so much necessary, compared with the old days. In the past, it was said that the people who could work systematically and sincerely by the command of the company was most important and most necessary. However, since a lot of new businesses, such as IT business or anything, have become the main stream in the modern business, the idea that people who can move systematically is important has become an old-fashioned idea. So, what shall we do now? In order to educate a promising people who can work for the modern companies, we have to change the way of the education which can improve their creativity. For example, let children think by their own ideas without supprssing them by a fixed ideas.

In conclusion, I am for the opinion of Mr. Ken Robinson and think that the creativity is very important in modern society. I think improving the system of the education will surely send promising people to the modern society and make the strength of the nation more powerful. Improving the education means improving the nation ‘Japan’.

rintaro, Uncategorized

My comment about the alcohol tax increase

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According to the article, alcohol taxes will increase in the United States. Contrary to what we can imagine, some studies show that this rise will create some jobs. Money not spent on alcohol, coupled with the newly raised tax revenues, will be used on other goods and services which will create jobs in non-alcohol sectors. Moreover this increase will help reduce heavy drinkers. David Jernigan, director, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth said that “Alcohol tax increases are an evidence-based approach to improving health, and importantly, yield a small net increase in jobs” .
I think that increasing the alcohol taxes is not an effective solution to prevent excessive drinkers from consuming alcohol. Person who are dependent of alcohol will not stop drinking because of small tax increase. They will probably buy cheaper alcohol, which are much more bad for health. As the result, instead of reaching a helping hand to heavy drinkers, this new anti-alcoholic policy may contribute to deteriorate their health… The best way to save alcoholic people is to persuade them, and make realize how drinking too much dose of alcohol is dangerous for human’s organism.
Only their determination will be able to change their mind. Increasing alcohol tax will be pointless concerning the improvement of alcoholics health.

However, I think that this increase will be effective to lessen normal drinkers’s consumption. It is evident that this plan will contribute to the amelioration of people’s health. Furthermore I have to admit that this plan is very interesting and successful to tackle the problem of unemployment. Thanks to this project, the economy of the United States will certainly grow!
…at the expense of alcohol sector’s workers.

Uncategorized, yuki

My Audio Essay about education system

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Ken Robinson have the idea that children can`t exert their creativity in current education system. He thinks we should make new education system. He said adults should care about children`s talent and believe them.  I have both ideas to agree it and disagree it.

First, we shouldn`t delete the chance for children to do what they do and improve their ability. Sometimes parents can`t find their children`s great talent of something, and he or she live a common life even if he or she have potential to become an Olympic sportsman. Also Mr. Robinson introduced a famous dancer in his speech. She called Gillian was realized to learning disability because she didn`t feel at ease in class. But her action was the hope of moving, so she had potential to be dancer. If the doctor didn`t find that, she might not be dancer. Therefore we set the art class or dance class in school same as math or language or else.

However there are problems to realize that idea. Mainly students can`t afford taking the class that is not needed in exam. Recently most students study for passing exam to enter next school. Because it is important to get job they want to do. In sure, if you find you excelled in something and you can live by using that, you don`t have to learn math or language or else. But there are little talented people who succeeded in that way. So, I agree his idea but that is unrealistic.

Second I agree with his idea that making a mistake is rather good thing than bad thing because nobody can do everything since first time and can learn something to succeed by making a mistake. I think so, and I usually try to do something without scaring to make a mistake. That is said to everything, for example education, connection between humans and etc. In current education system, students don`t think in their selves and don`t willing to do new action. That should be changed.

Finally I think in realistic the most important education is language. The reason of that is learning language allow you to communicate smoothly with other countries people. We should do international business for growing up economy. So we need not only paper skill like writing skill but also practical skill like speaking and listening skill. But students study more paper skill than practical skill, so the government should let them study more practical skill.

 

rintaro, Uncategorized

My audio essay about education

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Our future is unpredictable. Nobody know what our society will look like in 10 years. According to Ken Robinson, education is a system which is designed to help us deal which the change of the society. Effective education should help children to discover and develop their creativity. For him, creativity is as important as literacy.
That is why he strongly criticizes the current state of today’s educational system. He flame that the education in our time has lost its objective. Instead of evaluating the potential and special ability of children, teachers only judge capacity of children in accordance with the result of their exam. Because of that we are forced to believe firmly that mistake is bad, and therefore we are not prepared to be wrong and we are tend to be reluctant to create something new.
I totally agree with his argument. Biased education which only think about producing university professor will certainly kill our creativity. Today’s education misunderstand the meaning of the word intelligence. Intelligence does not only indicate being brilliant at mathematics, or having success in an examination. Intelligence is a diverse, dynamic, and distinct concept. As Ken Robinson has pointed out, we sometimes misunderstand what does intelligent exactly means. Different from what we believe, the way of being of intelligence is not fixed, and there are countless form of intelligence.
Especially in Japanese school, learning means memorizing a mysterious magic formula by heart. For example in japan, students learn the multiplication table like a poem. The greater majority of lessons in Japanese university consist in glancing at the professor repeating the textbook word for word. What a intelligent and interesting practice! So grad to be entitled to attend such informative and educational class, it is as exiting as counting sheep when i can’t sleep.
In those system you don’t need to consider to be qualified as an intelligent person, you just have to memorize the entire textbook, like completing monotonous work in a fordist industries. Such a restrictive view of intelligent should be corrected. Adopting a new conception of education, putting emphasis on the richness of the human’s capacity is required.

How ever I want to notice that, bringing out the hidden talent in a person is very difficult for both school side and student side. First, school will have a duty to look at children’s potential very attentively, and should furnish some diverse class.

Concerning the students, things are more complex. To clarify the problem, I’ll tell you about my childhood.
I was born in 1992 in France because both of my parents were artists. At the time I wanted to be an artist like them and I used to spent all my time painting pictures. At school I was really hopeless, I never did my homework and I never listened to my teacher. I was planning to be a painter so I didn’t mind about my result at school. But when I enter to the junior high school I understand that I wasn’t talented enough to have a successful life as an artist and I gave up. Furnishing effort is sometimes not sufficient to cover your talent. In exchange for my dream I start studying at school and it was really pleasant for me because effort expended on study is almost always rewarded.
In study, the result is in most cases proportional to the effort. In contrast in artistic field, talent is the most essential element.

It very easy to encourage young children to develop their individuality but, school should teach children that bringing out the hidden talent is one hundred time more difficult than studying. Every children born artist but to stay an artist you should be strong and determined.

yuya

Definition of education, intelligence and learning (AUDIO ESSAY)

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I’m going to talk about what the education, intelligence and learning is with Ken’s idea.

First of all, I am going to talk about education.

According to this meeting, I understood Ken defined education as one of the way to enhance children’s creativity because he stressed how important the creativity is for our future and he emphasized we must enhance children’s creativity by education.

I almost agree with Ken’s definition of education because as I will explain later, there is similarity between Ken’s and mine.

I define education as to enhance people’s ability of solving problems and to give them knowledge which we need to solve problems.

Why I define in that way is we do education to give children the ability of living in our society, and the most important and necessary thing to live in our society is the ability of solving problems, and we need variety of knowledge to solve problems.

For example, think about the solving math problem and drawing paintings. If you are not taught how to solve math problem or how to draw paintings, I’m sure almost every one can’t solve and draw. But after we are once taught how to solve or draw, we will apply that method and become able to solve new problem and to draw original picture. That’s how we get the ability of solving problems.

I suppose Ken’s idea about definition of education is closely related to my one because if we have creativity, we come up with a lot of way to solve problems and as a result, our ability of solving problems.

Second, I am going to talk about intelligence.

Ken said intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinct thing, however, he didn’t define it clearly.

I suppose he doesn’t want to define what the intelligence is because if we do that, we will definitely distinguish what is intelligent and what is NOT intelligent, and finally there will be the hierarchy of subjects then it results in decreasing creativity. He doesn’t want that.

I define intelligence as the ability of solving problems. According to this definition, education can be defined as enhancing people’s intelligence and we can get intelligence by education.

We call those who can get good score at math or paint well “intelligent”. In other word, we call those who can solve problems well intelligent. That’s why I define intelligent in that way.

If we define intelligence like that, there won’t be the problem of hierarchy of subjects.

At last, I am going to talk about learning.

Ken didn’t define learning In this meeting, But guessing from what he talked at his meeting, he will define learning as enhancing creativity by oneself by using the methods taught at school..

I define learning as to try to solve problems and enhance the ability of solving problems because we learn at school to enhance the ability of solving problems.

Listening to Ken’s meeting, I rethought about how important the education is, so if I have a child in the future,  I want to give him good education.

haruka s, Uncategorized

flexible education is necessary

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Japanese current education is lacking the ability to foster creativity. Not unique opinions but correct answers are wanted from students. The talents of students are hidden by current education. This is why such education system should be changed as soon as possible.

Ken Robinson says that the education practiced in almost all over the world seems to make children lose their creativity rather than develop it, and that it is no longer supporting raise childrens’. For example, schools in every country consider there are difference levels of importance in subjects. Math and language are usually considered to be the most important subjects, humanities are the second importance, and art is the least important. This difference shows that people think subjects which are necessary in getting good jobs are prior to others.

Also he criticizes that the idea that the academic ability determine one’s intelligence, and at the same time, he tries to rethink of the idea from three points of view. First, he thinks intelligence is consists of the senses such as sight, hearing, touch. Second, intelligence is very interactive and dynamic. Finally, intelligence is something so unique people cannot put all the aspects of it together into one definition. Therefore, he argues that people should reform the education system so that children can develop the true intelligence.

I agree with his opinion. It seems like the existing education system is depriving potential children of their talent. For example, teachers often say that mistaking isn’t a bad thing so students should not hesitate to make a mistake. But in fact, if students make mistakes or fail in exams, teachers don’t praise students. Not only that, teachers often criticize such students also in existing education system, and they only teach questions for which answers exist, so there is no room for supporting creativity. What I mean to say is that, true intelligence isn’t being cultivated by the existing education.

Recently, Japanese educational facilities try to change the education system. For children’s creativity, the Minister of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is planning to change the National Center Tests for University Admissions. MEXT consider that flexibility and creativity is becoming more important because of the globalization. To be more specific, MEXT announced that the center test will be add an essay test and interviewing in a few years.

However, I don’t think they will be able to make any good result only by such modification. It is difficult for people to measure flexibility and creativity. But MEXT tries to measure them at the Center Test. If those who are educated by existing education system make the test and interview, this modification would not be a drastic reform.

I think if people want to develop the true intelligence, the distinction between teachers and students is no longer necessary. There is no answer in creativity. Everyone has different answers about it. By building an equal relationship, it becomes possible for people to express their opinion freely and foster creativity.

The Japanese education institution tries to change a part of the education system such as form of the examination. However, it will have little effect. To support children’s talent,   more flexible education is necessary.001_150118_2241A0

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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