Running head: REVIEW ON CHANGING PARADIGMS

TED 602 Week One Assignment- Journal

Review on Sir Ken Robinsons Changing Paradigms
Dario Workman
National University

REVIEW ON CHANGING PARADIGMS

Abstract
This paper is a brief review of a work by Sir Ken Robinson, titled
Changing Paradigms, and a reflection on how this work is applicable to
my future as an educator. I briefly discuss the necessity of breaking
away from outdated educational models in an effort to align my
teaching strategies with the culture and strengths of the students of
today.

REVIEW ON CHANGING PARADIGMS

Changing Paradigms, by Sir Ken Robinson, was an extremely

entertaining, yet troubling look into the current public school
methodology. As a first year middle school teacher, I find myself
constantly struggling with the task of helping students stay focused on
the lesson. In his work, Sir Robinson related that students today are
anaesthetized with prescription medication and placed on
educational conveyor belts, constantly being funneled through a
boring, ineffective machine only to come out feeling marginalized and
unimportant. Children want to be engaged, but many of the methods
that teachers utilize in their classrooms create a disconnection
between what the students want to learn and what they are forced to
learn.
I found Sir Robinsons argument regarding the outdated model
used for public schools today very insightful. Robinson explained that
in an effort to achieve globalization while maintaining cultural fidelity,
individuals tend to do what they were taught as children and repeat
educational patterns. However, the problem with this method is that
the world has a tendency to transform and society to evolve. Robinson

REVIEW ON CHANGING PARADIGMS

stated, The problem is that the current system of education was

designed and conceived for a different age. Robinson further
explained that traditional forms of public schooling were conceived in
the intellectual culture of the enlightenment and the economic
circumstances of the industrial revolution. In other words, the world
was a different place when the current model was used for educational
purposes. Today, public schools act more in the interest of big
corporations who want to hire certified, educated graduates for the
lowest price possible, essentially creating what our textbook describes
as educational inflation (Spring, p. 89). I believe that, as an
educator, I need to adapt my teaching style to align with the cultures
and strengths of the students of today, not force students into a model
from the past.
Although I am freshly arrived into the educational field, I believe
that trying to go against the grain of the traditional methodology
may prove to be difficult. While I will be able to develop personal
teaching styles on my own, I may discover resistance from
administrators who have little desire to witness aesthetically
pleasing lessons from a first year teacher. Yet, I believe, that as long
as I continue in my attempts to reach my students on a personal level,
while revealing the relevance of the topics discussed in class, I can
possibly make a positive impact in the lives of my students and help
create better opportunities for them in their future.

REVIEW ON CHANGING PARADIGMS

References
Robinson, K. (2010, October). Ken Robinson: Changing education paradigms | TED
Talk | TED.com [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms
Spring, J. (2014). American Education (16th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.