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Week 2 Written Assignment

Sir Ken Robinson critiques the American education system for being based on an outdated industrial model that prioritizes conformity over creativity. He supports his argument with historical evidence and studies showing a decline in divergent thinking as students progress through traditional schooling. However, Robinson's proposed solutions for educational reform lack specific implementation strategies, focusing instead on theoretical approaches to foster creativity and collaboration.

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6 views4 pages

Week 2 Written Assignment

Sir Ken Robinson critiques the American education system for being based on an outdated industrial model that prioritizes conformity over creativity. He supports his argument with historical evidence and studies showing a decline in divergent thinking as students progress through traditional schooling. However, Robinson's proposed solutions for educational reform lack specific implementation strategies, focusing instead on theoretical approaches to foster creativity and collaboration.

Uploaded by

robloxfilter
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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1

Kim

Conner Kim

Professor Hardwick

ENC 1102

01/24/2026

Week 2 Written Assignment

1. Sir Ken Robinson argues that the main problem in American education is that the school

system is built on an outdated industrial-age model that values conformity, standardization, and

narrow definitions of intelligence rather than creativity and individual strengths. In RSA

Animate: Changing Education Paradigms, Robinson explains that public education was

“conceived in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment and in the economic circumstances of

the Industrial Revolution,” meaning it was designed for a very different society than the one

students live in today (Robinson). The factory-like structure of schools which includes bells and

age-based classrooms and strict subject organization creates feelings of disconnection and

discouragement among students according to Robinson who states this system has brought chaos

to numerous lives (Robinson).

2. Robinson uses historical evidence about public education origins as a trustworthy source

which he includes in his research. He explains how schools were created to serve industrial

economies and are still influenced by the idea that people are either “academic” or “non-
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Kim

academic” (Robinson). A scientific study serves as the second reliable source which monitors

how people think differently throughout different time periods. Robinson explains that 1,500

children were tested, and 98 percent of kindergarteners scored at a genius level for divergent

thinking, but this number dropped significantly as the same children grew older and went

through the school system (Robinson).

3. One issue Robinson is somewhat ambiguous about is how schools should implement change.

The author demands a complete educational transformation from standardized teaching methods

yet he fails to demonstrate how schools should implement these changes through specific

educational reforms (Robinson).

4. Robinson does offer a general solution, but it is not very specific. Robinson enables

educational organizations to develop new teaching approaches which promote collaborative

learning and creative thinking and multiple intelligence detection instead of their current

emphasis on standardized testing and student conduct management. His proposed solution fails

to include particular policy measures together with execution methods which makes his approach

based on theory instead of practical application.

5. The argument presented by Robinson is supported by me because students experience

excessive stress and boredom and receive negative labels through their test results instead of

getting help to discover their individual abilities. His presentation shows how traditional

educational systems prevent students from showing their creativity and keeping their

individuality. The educational system should teach students to collaborate and solve problems
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Kim

critically because these abilities lead to genuine success in actual work environments instead of

concentrating on standardized tests.


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Kim

Works Cited:

Robinson, Sir Ken. RSA Animate: Changing Education Paradigms. RSA Animate, 2010.

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