Bring on the learning revolution! | Ken Robinson

I have probably watched each of his TedTalk's about 3 or 4 times each. They're nothing less than perfect.

My car mechanic is a genius. When he was 6 years old his parents gave him a broken chain saw to take apart because he loved to do that sort of thing. He made an air compressor out of it. When he was 7, he took apart and re-assembled a snow mobile (pre-climate change). This man went through school getting the message that he was unintelligent because he was not aiming to go to University. ''Just one of the shop boys''. I, on the other hand, went to university plenty long. I became a physician. People assume I am intelligent but I would be happy to be half as smart as my mechanic. Wouldn't it be a better world if we could celebrate all the wonderful things that humans can do.

As a retired engineer, I hear Ken's message in a retrospective context of recalling my own journey from my own school days. Like others who've posted comments here, I originally wanted to be an artist! I loved to draw, paint, sculpt & sketch. Noting that the word 'artist' also was often coupled with the word 'starving', I had a back-up plan for my education to include bread-and-butter practical classes that prepared me to get a steady-income job right out of high school. That job gave me independence that allowed me to move to my own place! After being in a 'mandatory' public school and under the 'mandates' of living with my parents, this independence was so refreshing! I didn't mind working in an engineering department as a drafter, but I was not impassioned about it, so I went to college part-time to prepare for the next step.
What was my next step? I really still didn't know what other adults did for a working income, what other jobs were available, what could bring passion & income together for a career. Education should be both personalized and realistic, but we students were never exposed to actual working adults in their jobs who'd show us what various types of work are like. How can an education system omit this? How can a young person discover his practical passion? First, I majored in Physics because I loved it nearly as much as artistic activities; but jobs for physicists seemed to be in very sterile settings, I heard. Then, I went to Architecture School because I figured architecture combined art with physics! Then, I discovered that architects do a lot of boring work to get to the final product *and* they were frequently unemployed in that field. Ouch! By this time, I was married, started a family & bought a house, so my job could not be supplanted with full-time college. What to do?
At a crossroads, I continued working my talent for drawing by starting a consulting business to make detailed illustrations of production machinery to help maintenance people & machine operators. I liked the work, but it paid modestly. Little did I realize, this activity was teaching me about machine design, about how things worked! Occasionally, I designed things for my clients, which I found to be very gratifying, though it became apparent that I had much to learn about designing structures & machines! Back to school again, part-time. By this time, I was 30. Anyway, i finally stopped being an illustrator, and went to work as a Mechanical Design Engineer. Finally, I found my profession! I discovered my passion and talent for a career that combined the creativity of the artistic process with the technical prowess that I'd originally dismissed as merely incidental & practical. It took me nearly half of my life to find my niche! It turned out that the later half of my life was filled with fascinating high-tech research & development projects that encouraged the creative process of concocting clever solutions to vexing problems.
Looking back, I knew I'd made the right choice! I enjoyed my career immensely, though I'm now worn out & glad to be retired! Now, I can think about all the gizmos I've designed over 4 decades, all the other engineers & scientists I've worked with, and now have a real sense of satisfaction! I write all this for the benefit of young folks starting out. My advice is to be aggressively curious about all your possibilities, to really find out who you are, and how you can fit the system without giving up too much. Ask a lot of adults what they do, and ask them to show you and talk with you about their careers. More importantly, work to change the education system to be much more relevant to modern economic reality while giving you tools to find your own niche. American education is due for an overhaul that will treat students with respect for their individuality, expose them to the real world for which they're preparing, and use the best mix of today's great tools for communicating useful knowledge far beyond the purchase of a diploma with money & grunt-work. Discover your niche as early & accurately as you can.

I miss him. R.I.P, Sir Ken Robinson, your ideologies and vision will be carried forward. I am here, we all are here. Thank you for everything.

It came as a sheer shock this morning when I learned that we lost a beacon of hope in the field of education. A man without whom I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. A man who believes in us teachers. A man who sees the key to human flourishing. Sir Ken Robinson - a true hero. Today, I grieve for the loss of a wonderful soul.
Mr. Robinson once contended that human flourishing depends upon 3 things: diversity, curiosity and creativity. He said that unless we acknowledge this in teaching and learning, we will “labour” painfully, and students will “endure” suffering.
Mr. Robinson, we hear you.
Your silver speech, your deceptive sense of humour, and your infectious smile…
You will be well missed.
Rest in peace.

"Everyday everywhere our children spread their dreams beneath our feet and we should tread softly." Wow! I was deeply moved.

As always Ken Robinson doesn't disappoint. I'd love to hear him talk for hours, he is that good and enlightening.

Just because you've seen this talk doesent mean its lost its value. By it being posted again, it gives people who dont dig through channels the opportunity to be influenced by this amazing Ted talk (if anything, that adds value). Furthermore, this topic is still relevant, as there has NOT been a revolution. If great words fall on deaf ears, what is the use? So we try, try, and try again, until the right ears hear the right words, and a revolution is set afoot.

He should do stand-up comedy full time. Will be a huge hit.

WOW I LOVE THIS! And like many people, I really needed to hear this .
I'm currently doing gap semester. And with my time i'm doing community service at a home for the disabled, looking for a job and scholarships for when I start uni in the spring, honing my mandarin, reading historical fiction on the side, etc. Of course I've been frowned upon by family and friends but what hurts most is my mother trying to talk me into going down a road she knows i would rather not take. yes mom i would love to go to college, just not the one you want for me nor the major you would prefer. and i dont feel the need to rush into a post secondary education at the moment, so if its fine with you please allow me to live in peace with my service to the needy and the works of john steinbeck.

I literally tear up at the undeniable beauty of the reality that Ken speaks. He's good and I like it, I like it a Lot! I was sent to "The best" schools and they taught me next to nothing except that back then i was a reject! I have had the most incredible life and i honestly feel sorry for those that looked down on me. God bless.

I was deeply impressed by your lecture. My dream is to be an elementary school teacher. Nevertheless, I seem to be more interested in the current education system than in the future. But now your lecture has changed my mind. As you say, all children have their own talent. It's just that we, grown-ups, can't find it. So I admit that we need a Michelin restaurant education tailored to each student, not a standardized fast food education. So, I hope to become a teacher who can be customized for every students rather than standardized teacher. Thank you for teaching me many things.

I could literally listen to this man talk about most anything. Wish I had the capability to so easily purvey a message while also being engaging.

If TheXvid devised a 'Love it' button, I'd use it.
Until then, the single, blue thumb-up will be it for this highly efficient, deeply profound, and truly galvanizing talk. Well-done, Sir Robbinson.

I agree, it needs a revolution, and customization in education. However....the logistics of giving each student a personalized education is far from an easy problem.
It would be much easier to work on gamifying education (which inherently would give more agency to the students), and try to build from there. Trying to leap 15 feet/meters is harder than taking 15 1 meter steps (not to mention is more prone to critical failures).

Absolutely entertaining and inspiring in one. He's awesome!

Man when he said "It's not what they do. It's who they are," I felt that. Art isn't just something I'm talented in. It is my passion and how I show my best self to people.
Edit: typo

A+ speaker, I love his voice, humor and tone.

Please allow this man to have more minutes!! I'd be listening to him for hours.

Wonderful talk. His warmth and humour always put in me in a kind of altered state of possibilities and his Yeats quote from The Cloths of Heaven at the end really moved me. I love children and it is the world of possibilities that they show us, if we are not to anxious for them to be what we want them to be when they grow up. I think we could all resonate with negative experiences from our childhoods, where we were told not to think or act in certain ways that damaged our spirits and imaginations and ultimately what we could be when we grow up and could still be if we are encouraged by such wonderful speakers as Ken. All the best to him and TED for all the different points of view that it brings to us. C

Great topic, great speaker, great speech :) The metaphor of the dream, used in the poem, at the end was the cherry on the cake. I am watching this 4 years from when it was published, have things changed in the model of education in US or else where?

You will always be an inspiration for me, thanks for everything you gave to us, you were a magnificent human being and beautiful mind... thank you, for real thank you!

Dayum, I want this guy to be our school principal

Brillant absolutely brillant man. He is indeed one of my real life heroes!!! RIP you incredible man!!

I'm with you 100% Ken and I want to become part of your movement - I'm the Programme Leader for Engineering university level learning at a UK college and I'm regularly forced to stop all student learning so I can hold a full-team management meetings!

One of the most important and humorous speakers😁...love the way he presents.. brilliant man 👏

This guy is great. I have conformed with education right up until i'm 18. I still feel like I haven't found any sort of real talent. I worked my way through it and achieved A levels (not the greatest) and now I am at college having could have gone to university. My class is so bad, my teacher (no disrespect to him) is spontaneous with his lessons and doesn't even have a passion for what he is teaching. It frustrates me as I thought it would help me discover talents which to an extent it has helped me realise how much I enjoy designing. I have been contemplating leaving for a while now and taking a gap year whilst trying to learn design online and self teaching, then start a wide range of projects from web design to actual game design. Any input is appreciated as I am unsure whether it is worth it? Any source sharing how they became successful ironically did it by leaving U.S. Colleges. I understand it works differently with people, I am just finding it increasingly frustrating writing essays and not learning anything about Interactive Game Design. Any advice is appreciated :)

I admire Sir Ken Robinson and his stunning talk about education! Pure inspiration! I wish I could give it more than just one thumb up ;-)
That fast food allusion, that point about linearity, the agriculture image and that touching poem and link to student dreams, and everything spiced with his hilarious humor xD a great man and speaker.

Be still my ❤️. What an amazing contribution to the world was Sir Ken Robinson! I hope he's still telling jokes & guiding us to innovative education from heaven. 🙏

Brilliant! My favourite poet (WBY - and fav poem: He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven) - and my favourite education super-hero, SKR symbiotically encapsulating meaningful learning and a life well-lived. Thank you.

Ken Robinson is like sugar on a stick to listen to :) thank you for your amazing lecture!

I freaking love this guy !!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I agree with you , we are taking away the creativity of the students. As a foreign language teacher , I wish we can create a curriculum that would actually improve the linguistic skills in Spanish rather than standards.

Brilliant man. May he rest in peace ☮️

The brilliant idea of this talk is what we need to address the crisis of the pandemic where the crisis of Human Resources is at its worst. Though he is gone, I continue to follow Ken Robinson's talk he is a light that illuminates the Liwanag ng Buhay Foundation reading his book "The Element" makes me keep his memory alive with the work I am doing not as a teacher but as a facilitator in in the field of program management and development. I totally agree that we should create the conditions where kids can find their talent and flourish. My passion grows stronger to help others who are struggling to find out what they are good at I like in particular the ones written by Mikala (whose mechanic found his forte) btw, Total Trash Mammal: society cannot dictate your passion neither can it stop you from pursuing your dreams. We care for our children's future; let us work together help the next generation find their dreams.

RIP! One of the most Wisest men to have lived! Sir Ken!

Everything he says makes so much sense!

Brilliant, give this man a podcast or something!

Ken Robinson is such a great communicator.

Perfect! Everyone who sees and feels this will know its truth.

What a fascinating person!! It certainly is a huge loss for the world to lose such a person who has worked so hard for education! May God bless his departed soul! I hope we could truly take his lessons and try to implement them in our education system all over the globe.

The greatest educator ever! 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻♥️♥️

I remember seeing this years ago and not quite understanding whereas now that I am in college, and changed majors from film to physical therapy assistant. I realized that the purpose of film is to express ourselves in a visually artistic manner but college teaches one how to make living through films in a standard manner but in no way does it encourage us all to make thought provoking, heartful and memorable films. I do not agree with film teachings therefore have roam in film projects outside of college. I ended up changing majors to physical therapy assistant instead and that decision makes sense, solely on the lack of resistance to do well in classes and learn something that is so far out from film. And there is a very beautiful aspect of majoring in something in relations to health such as being able to provide assistance in someones recovery. The health care system is at a fragile state though and it is in desperate need of people who genuingly want to make a difference for the contribution of the patient- doctor or nurse relationship by creating a strong foundation that everyone can depend on! Rather than thinking in further contributation for bussiness.

for this guy I think TED should make an exception to the time limit : [

That was a beautiful end to the speech.

I believe that it is critical to recognize that there are talented educators everywhere who manage to search within to discover creativity that had been waiting for the perfect moment to transform the classroom experience simply by sharing their creative gifts! I was always moved by the intensity of where a child would excel. When you tell a child that they CAN do something, they truly get involved in the creative learning process.
(I could literally listen to Sir Ken Robinson read the newspaper, read every menu and then finish with an outstanding weather report!)

Brilliant, as always.

“Life is not linear; it's organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to circumstances they help to create for us.” 8:55

this is amazing. thanks for uploading this.

based in South Africa and involved in edtech i really enjoy his talks, thanks TED

absolutely 100% true!!!! all of it!

You might be interested in a book Margaret McMillan wrote in 1903: eduation through the imagination. She was the first who determined the place and function in primary education. I wonder why people that talk about education and imagination hardly refer to her.

R.I.P. Sir Ken Robinson. Your legend will live on.

Amen!
I'm an artist and make art advocacy videos. it's interesting how many people say art is a waste.
i also teach art and when I have an entire class of kids and only a couple knew how to use a ruler...I cringe at their public edu.

If we had several thousand involved in education around the world who think n do as Ken Robinson we'd see the world change even more in the next 20 years than it has in the past 200.

Great speech!!

It was a pleasure listening to Sir Robinson's talk, as always. He makes very inspiring statements n remarks about the education system and how it needs to be revolutionized, not just reformed. Couldn't agree more with him. Fine poem he ended his talk with. The Education Systems ought to identify n nurture innate talents of every child, not test them by the same yardstick of academic excellence. Reminds me of am old remark by Albert Einstein - if you judge a fish by its inability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life that it's stupid. And sadly, that's what all education systems tend to do to our children.

This guy ... changed the way I think for good.

I love how in 2010 kids didn't wear watches, but in 2016 more kids are wearing watches or fitbits... The circle of life.

this is why i need TED.. thanks sir..

REALLY GOOD SPEECH.

Always impressive. His ability to get his point across is great.

I'll give you the perfect example: Band.
The kids start out in band in sixth grade knowing next to nothing. Different kids have to learn different instruments. The class size is one instructor for every 50 or 60 kids. The band is typically not well funded, is pretty much left alone to do its thing.
By the time you get to high school, most band programs are rather good. The kids are very competent at their instruments. Moreover, they march around on football fields, making complex formations while playing at halftime. They do this with kids of various ages and of various skill levels, largely peer-led, but highly motivated. There are few discipline problems, a high degree of individualism, and the self-motivation that comes from shared goals. Practice hard, and You can be the top player in your section when you're a freshman.
Unless you really screw up in band, such as skip a performance, you get an A. Yet the product is typically very good. Why do educators not examine how band directors teach their classes and learn from it?

I like the Lincoln quote:
The dogmas of the quiet past
are inadequate to the stormy present.
The occasion is piled hight with difficulty,
and we must rise with the occasion.

such a great speaker ....

I graduated from high school in 2010 and started college. where was this talk for me then? if only ive heard it maybe i wouldnt rush to college as i did because i was made to. everything's done in such frenzy

This man understands human psychology very well....

A GREAT MAN!

I love his British humour and he is wise beyond his ears. I have 2 nephews that were diagnosed with ADHD. One while he was in his early teens was able to take apart a computer and rebuild it. Later he took apart a CRT TV and he was able to put it back together. School was a challenge but he got through it but he is a genius when fixing household appliances and electronic equipment. The other nephew has an incredible ability growing and experimenting with plants and he is self taught. He now works for a winery.

Here's the real problem though, the reason we use an industrialized model is because it is cheaper. To have a proper and good education model that each student flourishes we need more educators, art teachers, programmers, facilitators, mentors, project leaders, etc.... A good education model is not cheap and it is no coincidence that the best education systems in the world value their education more. We talk about education reform but it's just a catch phrase to get votes if we truly cared we would actually fund our schools.

Rest in peace dear Sir Ken ❤️

love this guy

Rest in peace, legend.

Very inspiring speech first-time I felt goosbumbs came to know this man by rj anathi podcasts

Wow this is the second time i'm being amazed by him

I think the educational theories of Sir Robinson can also be applied into universities. I am looking if he talk about education at universities

I wonder how can someone dislike this.

What a wonderful Talk :).

I really really want to share this on my facebook but all of my friends are in the 12 grade of the "fast food system of education" sir referred to as. Majority of my friends and. people in this society are doing it simply because:
1) It is believed that this is the only way to gain respect and have a happy future in which you can pursue your hobbies and chase things you are really passionate about AFTER you graduate and get a job!!! ( Take note that I not referring to the people having to take this route because of financial issues having to support their family financially)
2) For those who cannot stand this system like this friend of mine, their parents just don't approve of opting out of school and learning by doing what you really want to spend time on kind of approach because of the reasons in the above point.
3) No matter if the student is enjoying this model of education or doing it because of the pressure from the society, getting good marks and getting into good college has sadly come to a stage where almost the entire society judges not only the student but even their parnets solely on the performance of the child in school!
These are just a few points. I could keep going and going!
My parents have always supported me to leave tradition method of schooling and have always been motivating me. As I left school after 6th grade, I am still in contact with my school friends and catch up with them revularly. They almost everyday mention to me how lucky and fortunate I really am to have been given a chance by my partners to not be a part of this "torturous education system" we have to gp through.
I really want to share this, but mt friends are closing on their final boards exam and because of the above reasons, you can guess why I somewhere feel I shouldn't. What should I do? I really want people to realize and adop to what sir mentioned in the video. I get to meet these students everyday who are totally hating this system of manufacturing human resources.

Another aspect that needs to change as well too, at least here in The US, is that companies never seem interested in free thinkers who utilize individual talents. Companies only seem to want obedient servants who only do what they are told and don't question the status quo. Do what you're told, shut up, or go find another job. The environment that has been cultivated doesn't foster individuals to embrace their talents. We need to get back to that.

Amazing man.

10:47 "Human communities depend upon our diversity of talent; not a singular conception of ability."

Ken Robinson does it again:)

I really really love this man😍😍😍

He's exactly right 👌

Excellent video! 2010? thanks for bringing it back to the surface... very pertinent.

he inspires me everyday

this guy was awesome.

This intensely resonated with me

omg u r the best speaker of al.....truely amazing...

RIP. Great minds never die.

I agree with this guy!

My children were so eager to go to school and they arrived at kindergarten able to read, write and numerate but within a few short years they all hated school. I found out what I wanted to be when I grow up in my late sixties. Now I race against the sun as the grim reaper closes in but I comfort myself that it is the journey not the goal.

You are more than great ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I guess people didn't really understand the message in this video, from what I read of the comments in this page.
The statement "Follow your dreams" doesn't really work for everyone because the system is not linear. It's not like "if A, then B therefore also C (and so on)". It's more complex than that. If everyone wants a slice of pizza but pizzas only have 8 slices then logically only 8 people can get a slice for each. Analogue, the same can be said about jobs and careers.
There is a limited number of companies but a higher number of candidates who finished their studies in a certain field and thus only a select number can really "follow their dreams", because they end up being chosen by those same companies. Actually, I blame schools for even daring to ask for funds for formation (education) in fields that are more prone to be oversaturated easily because those companies are few and far between. I guess teachers need the money but those same teachers end up teaching (almost) for nothing, because (some of) their students will end up working on another field (defeating the purpose of "formation").
The courses should be made taking in account how many companies there are of a certain field in that country (or city or region) and how many employees are needed for each company. It may be "dreaming a little too high" but I guess it makes more sense than the present system where there are more students with a degree they will not use because there are not enough companies' "seats" for all.

Incredible.

video starts at 2:00

O Captain! My Captain!
How blessed this Earth is that you walked on it Sir Robinson.

AMAZING!!!

im in 10th grade and i enjoy listening to robinson alot