Do Schools kill creativity?

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

The above talk given by Sir Ken Robinson in 2006. In summary, he believes that schools today "squander talents" since so much emphasis is put on academic ability. With emphasis put on grades, creative people don't believe they are intelligent. I completely agree. Even though I am planning on teaching math, one of the most highly valued subjects, I can't help but thinking how having only one right answer affects students. Robinson says that children today are afraid of being wrong. I definitely felt that as a student in grade school, high school, and even college. I believe that students are even afraid of asking the wrong question are admitting they don't understand a concept because that might mean they are different or have to admit that they learn differently than other students. Schools and society are killing out creativity by putting emphasis on certain subjects, and telling children that their band will never make it big or that acting is only a good hobby. My mom is a perfect example of this. She was a dancer for nearly 13 years and that's what she wanted to be. Her mother told her she would never make any money, and now my mother is a physical therapist. Robinson also spends time talking about a successful choreographer who this generation would have been put on ADHD medication and suppressed. It's sad to think about how true his statements are.

In my future classrooms, I have to take this in consideration. Hopefully I'll make it clear to them (somehow) that questions and "wrong" answers can spark more learning, to help me shape how I am teaching to better present information to a wide variety of minds. I even think that having more activities where students are working together, where you get out of your seat and actually DO something will help students learn who wouldn't normally pay attention by sitting and copying notes. It's a lot to consider and it is going to be challenging, but all I can do is try.