The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

[Skip Zilla]

A new posting at the TED Blog announces Sir Ken Robinson's new book titled The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything and provides a link to an earlier TED video of his. I continue to listen to what has been Robinson's clear voice on creativity and human being. Awakening students' passions of mind and heart in learning/doing is as revolutionary and fundamental an aim as I can imagine for constructing an educational agenda.

[Skip Zilla]

In the words of the great Louis "Louie" Armstrong: "If it ain't got that swing, it don't mean a thing." Who knew Louie was saying something like the Spaniard Lorca asked about any work (of art--including self-engaged learning): "Where's the duende?"

Laura, I hiddenly knew the truth decades ago about creativity; I just didn't live it until nearly too late in my life. You, my brilliant friend, can do much good spreading the truth of it.

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Skip!!! Just this weekend, my husband sent me a link to Robinson's creativity TED video, which made me happy - in the unpredictable viral way that things spread through the Internet, it is now circulating through the meteorology community where my husband came across it. Through the various discussions and reflections here at Fireside, I've adopted CREATIVITY as my own word motto for educational reform, and the litmus test I now apply to any kind of educational reform that someone tells me about. Does it foster, enhance and expand student creativity and teacher creativity? If so, I am for it! Is creativity not part of the reform? Well, that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad... but it means I for one am NOT voting for it.

So, for example, I was completely depressed when I saw that there was NO MENTION at all of creative writing in the much-heralded Common Core Standards initiative. No room for creativity? Then I vote no. I'm now a single issue voter on the creativity issue.

[Connie Weber]

Hey there Ian and Skip,
Funny, that book is sitting on the top of the pile right here on my school desk. I read it a while ago and was sharing it with colleagues. I read it with a parent of a former student; we're discussing creativity in her business--how to help people orient around support of each other's creativity.
Skip, I hope you come by and participate in some discussions! Missing your voice here. Have any other books to recommend?

[Ian Carmichael]

I've just made a start on this book - very much encapsulated in Ken's TED talk on the site here - but great reading - very racy style. And being readable, it would be a great gift for the creativitiy-sceptics. A great gift for the positive voyagers in the field as well.

[Connie Weber]

Just ordered it, Skip! Thanks for the heads-up! I'm sure it'll be fascinating. Maybe we should add it to the books-to-read-together poll, which you haven't signed up on yet... ! You will, won't you?