Does School Kill Creativity, by Sir Ken Robinson, is the most viewed TED Talk; it has garnered 8.5 million views on YouTube and has been downloaded over 200 million times internationally since its premier in February of 2006. On their website, TED states they are, "a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks," and, "a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world." TED is an ideal stage for Sir Ken Robinson to present his view on the importance of creativity and the factors minimalizing it in our education system. His legitimate claims that schools stigmatize wrong answers and have a subject hierarchy that denounces creativity are presented alongside humorous stories, quotes, and anecdotes. He successfully contends that creativity is necessary to the education system to prepare future generations for the unexpected challenges that lie ahead. As an author and former university professor he is well received during his speech.
Early in his talk he references being a professor as he is already widely accepted as an international advisor on education and was knighted in 2003 for his services to art. On the topic of professors he says, "I think you'd have to conclude the whole purpose of public education throughout the world is to produce university professors. Isn't it?" (Does School Kill Creativity) He furthers his believability with this statement as he has completed the rigors of college and built a very successful career as a professor. Logically, this makes him a credible evaluator of the system and an ideal candidate to offer a solution to any problems with said system. Along with the ethical appeals, Robinson employs relatable anecdotes that bring relevance and understanding to logical claims that may otherwise be ignored.
The story of Gillian Lynne, as told by Sir Ken Robinson, is compelling as it helps us to realize the possible negative effects of not nurturing creativity.
