Sir-Ken-Robinson-Bring-on-the-learning-revolution!.doc

I was here four years ago, and I remember, at the time, that the talks werent put online. I think they were given to TEDsters in a box, a box set of DVDs, which they put on their shelves, where they are now. (Laughter) And actually, Chris called me a week after Id given my talk and he said, Were going to start putting them online. Can we put yours online? And I said, Sure. And four years later, as I said, its been seen by four . Well, its been downloaded four million times. So I suppose you could multiply that by 20 or something to get the number of people whove seen it. And, as Chris says, there is a hunger for videos of me. (Laughter) (Applause) . dont you feel? (Laughter) So, this whole event has been an elaborate build-up to me doing another one for you, so here it is. (Laughter) Al Gore spoke at the TED conference I spoke at four years ago and talked about the climate crisis. And I referenced that at the end of my last talk. So I want to pick up from there because I only had 18 minutes, frankly. So, as I was saying. (Laughter) You see, hes right. I mean, there is a major climate crisis, obviously, and I think if people dont believe it, they should get out more. (Laughter) But I believe theres a second climate crisis, which is as severe, which has the same origins, and that we have to deal with with the same urgency. And I mean by this - and you may say, by the way, Look, Im good. I have one climate crisis; I dont really need the second one. But this is a crisis of, not natural resources - though I believe thats true - but a crisis of human resources. I believe fundamentally, as many speakers have said during the past few days, that we make very poor use of our talents. Very many people go through their whole lives having no real sense of what their talents may be, or if they have any to speak of. I meet all kinds of people who dont think theyre really good at anything. Actually, I kind of divide the world into two groups now. Jeremy Bentham, the great utilitarian philosopher, once spiked this argument. He said, There are two types of people in this world: those who divide the world into two types and those who do not. (Laughter) Well, I do. (Laughter) I meet all kinds of people who dont enjoy what they do. They simply go through their lives getting on with it. They get no great pleasure from what they do. They endure it rather than enjoy it and wait for the weekend. But I also meet people who love what they do and couldnt imagine doing anything else. If you said to them, Dont do this anymore, theyd wonder what you were talking about. Because it isnt what they do, its who they are. They say, But this is me, you know. It would be foolish for me to abandon this, because it speaks to my most authentic self. And its not true of enough people. In fact, on the contrary, I think its still true of a minority of people. I think there are many possible explanations for it. And high among them is education, because education, in a way, dislocates very many people from their natural talents. And human resources are like natural resources; theyre often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, theyre not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves. And you might imagine education would be the way that happens, but too often its not. Every education system in the world is being reformed at the moment and its not enough. Reform is no use anymore, because thats simply improving a broken model. What we need - and the words been used many times during the course of the past few days - is not evolution, but a revolution in education. This has to be transformed into something else. (Applause) One of the real challenges is to innovate fundamentally in education. Innovation is hard because it means doing something that people dont find very easy, for the most part. It means challenging what we take for granted, things that we think are obvious. The great problem for reform or transformation is the tyranny of common sense; things that people think, Well, it cant be done any other way because thats the way its done. I came across a great quote recently from Abraham Lincoln, who I thought youd be pleased to have quoted at this point. (Laughter) He said this in December 1862 to the second annual meeting of Congress. I ought to explain that I have no idea what was happening at the time. We dont teach American history in Britain. (Laughter) We suppress it. You know, this is our policy. (Laughter) So, no doubt, something fascinating was happening in December 1862, which the Americans among us will be aware of. But he said this: 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. I love that. Not rise to it, rise with it. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. I love that word, disenthrall. You know what it means? That there are ideas that all of us are enthralled to, which we simply take for granted as the natural order of things, the way things are. And many of our ideas have been formed, not to meet the circumstances of this century, but to cope with the circumstances of previous centuries. But our minds are still hypnotized by them, and we have to disenthrall ourselves of some of them. Now, doing this is easier said than done. Its very hard to know, by the way, what it is you take for granted. (Laughter) And the reason is that you take it for granted. So let me ask you something you may take for granted. How many of you here are over the age of 25? Thats not what I think you take for granted, Im sure youre familiar with that already. Are there any people here under the age of 25? Great. Now, those over 25, could you put your hands up if youre wearing your wristwatch? Now thats a great deal of us, isnt it? Ask a room full of teenagers the same thing. Teenagers do not wear wristwatches. I dont mean they cant or theyre not allowed to, they just often choose not to. And the reason is, you see, that we were brought up in a pre-digital culture, those of us over 25. And so for us, if you want to know the time you have to wear something to tell it. Kids now live in a world which is digitized, and the time, for them, is everywhere. They see no reason to do this. And by the way, you dont need to do it either; its just that youve always done it and you carry on doing it. My daughter never wears a watch, my daughter Kate, whos 20. She doesnt see the point. As she says, Its a single function device. (Laughter) Like, how lame is that? And I say, No, no, it tells the date as well. (Laughter) It has multiple functions. But, you see, there are things were enthralled to in education. Let me give you a couple of examples. One of them is the idea of linearity: that it starts here and you go through a track and if you do everything right, you will end up set for the rest of your life. Everybody whos spoken at TED has told us implicitly, or sometimes explicitly, a different story: that life is not linear; its organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help to create for us. But, you know, we have become obsessed with this linear narrative. And probably the pinnacle for education is getting you to college. I think we are obsessed with getting people to college. Certain sorts of college. I dont mean you shouldnt go to college, but not everybody needs to go and not everybody needs to go now. Maybe they go later, not right away. And I was up in San Francisco a while ago doing a book signing. There was this guy buying a book, he was in his 30s. And I said, What do you do? And he said, Im a fireman. And I said, How long have you been a fireman? He said, Always. Ive always been a fireman. And I said, Well, when did you decide? He said, As a kid. He said, Actually, it was a problem for me at school, because at school, everybody wanted to be a fireman. He said, But I wanted to be a fireman. And he said, When I got to the senior year of school, my teachers didnt take it seriously. This one teacher didnt take it seriously. He said I was throwing my life away if thats all I chose to do with it; that I should go to college, I should become a professional person, that I had great potential and I was wasting my talent to do that. And he said, It was humiliating because he said it in front of the whole class and I really felt dreadful. But its what I wanted, and as soon as I left school, I applied to the fire service and I was accepted. And he said, You know, I was thinking about that guy recently, just a few minutes ago when you were speaking, about this teacher, he said, because six months ago, I saved his life. (Laughter) He said, He was in a car wreck, and I pulled him out, gave him CPR, and I saved his wifes life as well. He said, I think he thinks better of me now. (Laughter) (Applause) You know, to me, human communities depend upon a diversity of talent, not a singular conception of ability. And at the heart of our challenges - (Applause) At the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and of intelligence. This linearity thing is a problem. When I arrived in L.A. about nine years ago, I came across a policy statement - very well-intentioned - which said, College begins in kindergarten. No, it doesnt. (Laughter) It doesnt. If we had time, I could go into this, but we dont. (Laughter) Kindergarten begins in kindergarten. (Laughter) A friend of mine once said, You know, a three year-old is not half a six year-old. (Laughter) (Applause) Theyre three. But as we just heard in this last session, theres such competition now to get into kindergarten - to get to the right kindergarten - that people are being interviewed for it at three. Kids sitting in front of unimpressed panels, you know, with their resumes, (Laughter) flipping through and saying, Well, this is it? (Laughter) (Applause) Youve been around for 36 months, and this is it? (Laughter) Youve achieved nothing - commit. Spent the first six months breastfeeding, the way I can see it. (Laughter) See, its outrageous as a conception, but it unclear. The other big issue is conformity. We have built our education systems on the model of fast food. This is something Jamie Oliver talked about the other day. You know there are two models of quality assurance in catering. One is fast food, where everything is standardized. The other are things like Zagat and Michelin restaurants, where everything is not standardized, theyre customized to local circumstances. And we have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education, and its impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies. (Applause) I think we have to recognize a couple of things here. One is that human talent is tremendously diverse. People have very different aptitudes. I worked out recently that I was given a guitar as a kid at about the same time that Eric Clapton got his first guitar. You know, it worked out for Eric, thats all Im saying. (Laughter) In a way, it did not for me. I could not get this thing to work no matter how often or how hard I blew into it. (Laughter) It just wouldnt work. But its not only about that. Its about passion. Often, people are good at things they dont really care for. Its about passion, and what excites our spirit and our energy. And if youre doing the thing that you love to do, that youre good at, time takes a different course entirely. My wifes just finished writing a novel, and I think its a great book, but she disappears for hours on end. You know this, if youre doing something you love, an hour feels like five minutes. If youre doing something that doesnt resonate with your spirit, five minutes feels like an hour. And the reason so many people are opting out of education is because it doesnt feed their spirit, it doesnt feed their energy or their passion. So I think we have to change metaphors. We have to go from what is essentially an industrial model of education, a manufacturing model, which is based on linearity and conformity and batching people. We have to move to a model that is based more on principles of agriculture. We have to recognize that human flourishing is not a mechanical process; its an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish. So when we look at reforming education and transforming it, it isnt like cloning a system. There are great ones, like KIPPs; its a great system. There are many great models. Its about customizing to your circumstances and personalizing education to the people youre actually teaching. And doing that, I think, is the answer to the future because its not about scaling a new solution; its about creating a movement in education in which people develop their own solutions, but with external support based on a personalized curriculum. Now in this room, there are people who represent extraordinary resources in business, in multimedia, in the Internet. These technologies, combined with the extraordinary talents of teachers, provide an opportunity to revolutionize education. And I urge you to get involved in it because its vital, not just to ourselves, but to the future of our children. But we have to change from the industrial model to an agricultural model, where each school can be flourishing tomorrow. Thats where children experience life. Or at home, if thats where they choose to be educated with their families or their friends. Theres been a lot of talk about dreams over the course of this few days. And I wanted to just very quickly . I was very struck by Natalie Merchants songs last night, recovering old poems. I wanted to read you a quick, very short poem from W. B. Yeats, who some of you may know. He wrote this to his love, Maud Gonne, and he was bewailing the fact that he couldnt really give her what he thought she wanted from him. And he says, Ive got something else, but it may not be for you. He says this: Had I the heavens embroidered cloths, Enwrought with gold and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. And every day, everywhere, our children spread their dreams beneath our feet. And we should tread softly. Thank you. (Applause) Thank you very much.4年前我站在这里， 我记得在那个时候， 演讲不是放在网上； 我想演讲是放在盒子里的送到TEDsters(TED的出席者)的手上， 一整盒子的DVD， TEDsters把它们放到书架上，它们现在应该还被搁在那。 （笑声） 事实上，Chris（克里斯）在我演讲后的1个礼拜， 打电话给我， 说:“我们准备把它们放到网上。 能把你的也放到网上吗？” 我说:“当然。” 4年以后， 就像我说的，已经被4 . 嗯，它已经被下载了4百万次。 因此，我推断，将它乘以20或者其它数字， 你就知道有多少人看过它了。 就像Chris（克里斯）说的，人们对我的视频 相当感兴趣。 （笑声） （掌声） 难道你们不这样认为吗？ （笑声） 因此，今天这个精心制作准备的， 就是为你们而量身订做的。 （笑声） Al Gore（爱戈尔）在TED研讨会上 有过演讲，我4年前提到过他， 和气候危机。 在我的演讲的最后， 引用了他的话， 所以我想我也从这开始， 因为我仅有18分钟，坦率的讲。 我说过. （笑声） 你看，他是正确的。 我是说，严重的气候危机是的确存在的，很显然。 我认为如果你不相信它，你就应该想法了解了解。 （笑声） 但是，我相信还有个第二大气候危机， 它同样很严重 并且有着相同的起源， 我们不得不紧急处理它。 我是说 - 但是你也许说:“看，我很好。 我已经有一个气候危机； 我确实不需要第二个。” 但是，这是危机，与自然资源无关， 即使我相信自然资源确实存在危机， 那也是人力资源危机。 我相信，从根本上说， 就像许多演讲者在过去的几天中说的， 我们完全没有利用 我们自己的天赋。 许多人回顾他们的整个人生, 感受不到他们的天赋是什么， 或者他们从未提及到任何关于他们天赋的事。 我遇到过各种各样的人， 他们不认为他们擅长于任何一件事。 事实上，我大概把世界分为两组。 Jeremy Bentham（杰里米边沁），著名的实用主义哲学家， 曾经反对这个论点。 他说：“世上有两种人， 一种人把世界分为两种， 另一种则没有这样做。” （笑声） 我不得不承认， （笑声） 我遇到过各种各样的人， 他们不喜欢他们正在做的事。 他们简单过着他们的生活， 只是对付。 他们从他们的工作中感受不到非常愉快。 他们忍受它，而不是享受它， 只等着周末。 但是我也遇到过一些人， 他们深爱着他们的工作， 甚至不能想象他们在做别的事情。 如果你对他们说：“不要干这个了。” 他们很难理解你在说什么。 因为这不是他们在干什么，这就是他们。他们说： “但是这是我，你知道。 如果我放弃这会让我显得很愚蠢，因为 这就是我最真实的自我写照。” 许多人不是这样的。 事实上，正相反，我认为 这无疑只是1小部分人。 我认为对此可能 有许多解释。 其中最可能的解释 是教育， 因为教育在某种程度上， 使许多人与他们的 远离自身的天赋。 人力资源就像是自然资源； 它们通常埋藏地很深。 你必须去找寻它们。 它们不会只是躺在地表。 你不得不创造它们自我展现的环境。 你或许认为教育 是让它们发生的氛围。 但是，许多时候，不是的。 世界上每1个教育系统 都是被改革过的。 这是不足够的。 改革不再具体价值， 因为它只简单的改进1个已破碎的模式。 我们需要的是 - 这个词在过去的几天里，已经被用过很多遍 - 不是进化论， 而是教育革命。 它一定要被转换成 其它的形式。 （掌声） 其中最艰巨的挑战 是对教育体系 的彻底改革。 改革是艰辛的， 因为它意味着去干 人们在大多数情况下不是很容易去干的事情。 它意味着实实在在的挑战 我们认为是明显的食物。 重整形态或者改革中 最大的问题 是社会常识的专政统治， 人们认为， “事情是不能用其它方法做的，因为他们是用这种方法做的。” 我突然想起了Abraham Lincoln（亚伯拉罕林肯）的经典句子， 我想他一定高兴他的句子用到了这里。 （笑声） 他在1862年12月 第二届年度会议中。 我解释一下，对于当时发生了什么，我完全不知道。 我们在英国不教美国历史。 （笑声） 我们抑制它，你知道，这是我们的政策。 （笑声） 因为，毋庸置疑，一件有吸引力的事情在1862年12月发生了， 我们中的美国人 将会知道我说的。 他说到： “平静过去 的教条 和暴风雨的现代是不相匹的。 时机 被艰难的推得很高， 我们必须和时机一起进步。” 我喜欢这句话。 不是为它进步，而是与时俱进。 我们的事例是新的， 我们必须重新思考， 重新行动。 我们必须解放我们自己， 然后才能拯救我们的国家。” 我喜欢这个词“解放” 你知道它的意义吗？ 我们所有人被解放到这些想法， 我们简单的理所当然的接受它， 就像自然的事物，就是这样。 许多我们的想法 已经成型了，它们是不能和这个世纪的客观环境相融合的。 只是对付上个世纪的客观环境。 但是我们的想法仍旧被它催眠者。 我们不得不从它们中的一些中解放出来。 真正说是比做到容易。 很难知道，随便说一下，你认为什么是理所当然的。 还有，为什么你认为它是理所当然的。 让我问你一些问题，你可能认为是理所当然的。 在座的有多少人是25岁以上？ 这不是我认为你是理所当然的。 我确信你很熟悉这个。 有人小于25岁吗？ 很好，那些大于25岁的， 如果你带一块腕表把你的手举起来。 腕表对于我们很有用，不是吗？ 同样问题问一屋子十几岁的年轻人。 年轻人不带腕表。 我不是说他们不能或者他们不许， 他们只是常常选择不带。 原因是，你看，我们这些25岁以上的， 是在数字时代前的文化中养育大的，。 因为对于我们，如果你想要知道时间， 你不得不带什么告诉你。 孩子们现在生活在数字时代， 时间对于他们来讲，到处都是。 他们不理解为什么带手表。 顺便说一句，你同样也不需要； 仅仅是因为你习惯了，你就继续做下去。 我女儿从不带手表，我女儿Kate（凯特）20岁。 她看不到手表的重要性。 她说：“这是单一功能装置。” （笑声） 就像它是多蹩脚的。 我说：“不不，它同样也显示时间。” （笑声） “它有多重功能。” 但是，你看，这就是我们被教育束搏的事情。 让我再举些例子。 它们中的一个是线性想法。 从这里开始，你在一个轨道上前进， 如果你做对每件事，你就到达 你后半生想要的生活。 每个在TED演讲的人，含蓄的告诉我们， 有时是明确的，通过不同的故事， 生活不是线性的，它是有机的。 我们创造我们共同的生活， 就像我们发觉我们的天赋， 和天赋帮助我们创造自我的关系。 但是你知道，我们变得对这个线性故事 很著迷。 可能是教育的顶峰 是被大学录取。 我认为我们一门心思的让人们进入大学， 的确有些大学。 我不是说你不应该上大学，但是不是每个人都需要上大学， 尤其是现在。 他们可以迟一点上大学，不一定马上。 我前一阵子在San Francisco（圣弗朗西斯科） 举行新书签名会。 其中有一个30岁左右的男人买我的书。 我问到