Creativity TED Talks

The argument of if schools foster or kill creativity is one for the ages. View these TedTalks from
both sides of the spectrum and answer the questions below. Expand thoughtfully in all of your
answers!

Before Watching

1. How do you define creativity?

Creativity is the art of thinking of something new and applying it to a medium (music,
arts, etc.)

2. Do you consider yourself a creative person?

What has your experience been in school with creativity? I don’t really consider myself a
creative person, but I have been in Ceramics for 6th grade, 7th grade, and 9th grade and
10th grade, and those were fun.

3. Do you think schools kill creativity or do they foster creativity? Explain.

I recognize the complicated nature of this question, I feel that they foster creativity
because they give you time to make projects within school. These projects give you a
broad thing that you need to do and you get to choose what that will look like.

While Watching

Take lots of notes for each video and identify the claim, purpose, and evidence of each!

Do Schools Kill Creativity? Why Real Creativity is Based on Knowledge

Sir Ken Robinson Tim Leunig

Claim: Children are educated out of Creativity Claim:

Purpose: Creativity is as Important as Purpose:

Education. We should focus on the
importance of creativity and should work
against the fear of being wrong.

Evidence: First evidence is of his son in a Evidence:

Nativity scene. Kids will take a chance they
aren’t frightened of being wrong, adults are.
frightened of being wrong.

After Watching

1. Does how we define “creativity” matter? Do Robinson and Leunig have the same
definition? Explain.

2. Do schools kill or foster creativity? With which speaker do you agree/disagree? Explain.

3. Can creativity be taught? If so, how? What responsibility do schools have in the
endeavor?