EDIT: This post has been chosen as a finalist in the 2007 Edublog Awards! Thank you to all its readers! :)
Earlier today, a friend and former teacher of mine made a post (private on another blog, and therefore unlinkable) to his students about the seven ideas featured in the book “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”, which reminded me about a post I had wanted to make for a long time. (Quick explanation of the above, said former teacher is currently teaching a special unit on Leonardo da Vinci to some grade eights at my former middle school and using blogs as a learning device – very cool!)
The things mentioned in that book are ubiquitous in literature about characteristics that separate creative giants from the rest of us (there is indeed such literature, and a fair amount of it), give or take a few points. These seven things plus others – which I will go into greater detail with later – are the attitudes that contribute if not lead into genius… and they’re so very ignored by schools and society in general!
This is how we kill each trait that may yield another Da Vinci:
1. Curiosita (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Intense and insatiable curiosity; constantly learning due to a desire to ask and answer questions
The Murder: In schools, for the most part, students learn only what the teacher decides they will learn. Student questions will often go unanswered if they lead away from the material (go off-topic), or if there are time constraints on what must be learned that leave no time for these questions in class.
2. Dimostrazione (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Constant testing of knowledge through experience and persistence; accepting of and learning from mistakes
The Murder: Except in the sciences (and sometimes even then), knowledge is simply given and expected to be absorbed rather than questioned and tested. On tests and labs, wrong answers cost the students their grades, therefore it becomes unacceptable to make mistakes. Mistakes are less about learning experiences and more about losing marks. Questioning societal norms is a very negative thing, even if they don’t make sense.
3. Sensazione (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Fully noticing and observing things with all senses, but especially sight (seeing things that others miss, seeing the details)
The Murder: Except in the sciences and a handful of other subjects, students are usually taught passively through the use of only one sense, listening, or maybe sight (diagrams, photos, etc.). Classrooms and assignments may be incredibly unstimulating to most (or all) senses.
4. Sfumato (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? An acceptance of ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty out of a realization that life is not black and white (also an art technique using shadow famous for its use in da Vinci’s paintings)
The Murder: A student’s answer is either right or wrong, usually with no middle ground tolerated. Standardized tests are mostly multiple choice, and in the case of an ambiguous result, students must choose the best possible answer, not a possible answer, even though more than one is really correct. Life and its problems have more than one right answer; multiple choice questions have only one best answer.
5. Arte/Scienza (From “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Interest in both the arts and sciences and interdisciplinary work that combines them
The Murder: High school courses are most often strictly defined as an “Art” or a “Science”, and they never mingle; interdisciplinary courses at this level are rare. In college, an undergraduate usually receives a either Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, though there is more flexibility here than in high school. Scientists and artists have their own professional domains which almost never overlap.
6. Corporalita (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Keeping one’s body in good shape; attending to nutrition, fitness, and general physical well-being
The Murder: Physical Education programs – especially in the United States – are being severely cut, and obesity has been described as an epidemic. Junk food is readily available and sometimes may be the only option in a high school cafeteria. Fast food is cheaper and more convenient than healthier food ($4 for an entire meal at McDonald’s or $4 for a single, small-sized fruit bowl?).
7. Connessione (from “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”)
What? Acceptance and appreciation for the interconnectedness of everything in life; interdisciplinary approaches and thinking
The Murder: Facts and concepts are taught in specific classes that are independent of each other, and students are moved from individual class to individual class without knowledge of how the two might be connected. Boundaries like that between art and science are rarely crossed or their connectedness even explained. Facts and ideas might be taught with no explanation of the links between them (ie, learning individual details and facts but not the big picture).
8. Drive, energy, intense focus (from various studies on creative genius)
What? Energy and desire to focus intensely on one’s work and interests (often the same thing); merging of work and play
The Murder: Each class is allotted a certain period of time that is inflexible. Despite the student’s interest in a particular class, they must conform to this schedule. Many schools have required curriculum that force a student to give up desirable or necessary electives for core classes they may not need. Students must go to school and all perform well academically, despite their individual talents and aspirations. Musicians and artists especially must break focus on their real interests to attend required academic classes, and may be too drained to work on their own by the end of the school day.
9. Confidence, willingness to take risks, and tolerance of failure (from various studies on creative genius)
What? Willing to continue on with creative work despite rejection; ability to sell oneself and one’s talents
The Murder: Many creative people must face multiple rejections until their idea is sold, and they must accept that if their idea or creative contribution is too radical, society may not yet be ready for it (many artists and writers have only been recognized after their deaths). However, as mentioned above, mistakes and failure are not tolerated in schools and this learned attitude may carry on throughout life. Instead of learning the value of taking risks, students are taught to fear any mistakes that might result. Students are often “babied” – all team mates get a ribbon or a trophy for “participation” – and do not gain the real-world skills they need to sell themselves.
10. Independence, introversion (from various studies on creative genius)
What? Willingness to spend lots of time alone working and honing skills; acceptance of possible isolation
The Murder: The social climate of high school severely discourages spending time alone, especially when spent “working”, and loners are isolated and considered antisocial and friendless. Refusing to conform and “sticking out from the crowd” is highly discouraged by peers and teachers. Creative individuals may have to accept that if the world is not ready for their ideas, they may find few people who understand and support them.
This is how we kill the spirits of our up-and-coming da Vincis. These ten things are the most commonly cited characteristics of highly creative people… and they’re heavily discouraged in the early years by the education system and social climate of adolescence. This is why we won’t see another da Vinci for a long, long time – or why, if we do, he/she would not have come from the system we currently have in place. At every turn schools and society are set on pushing back the most creative individuals. Their common traits are not welcomed nor encouraged, and certainly not nurtured. This must not persist, because I think the world is long overdue for another da Vinci-type right now.
“Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!” -LEONARDO DA VINCI
This post should be a mandatory read for every student teacher before they graduate.
Your perspective is enlightening, and disheartening. But it also holds promise as we begin to use web2.0 tools to engage students in new, more engaging ways, and teachers find new ways to collaborate and learn from each other. (Assessment is still an issue we really, really need to figure out.)
You are, and always will be, a lifelong learner who engages in a quest to meaningfully exploring your world, (dare I say like da Vinci)… I guess one would argue despite your education rather than because of it… so there is hope, and there is potential for us to find our next da Vinci… perhaps SHE is within our midst today:-)
Do you really think Web 2.0 will solve it? It is not about tools and it isnt about students doing projects or creating their own content. That already happens, within the organisations Kris is talking about. It isnt about the tools, it is about attitudes, curriculums, who defines what is relevant, and who certifies that etc. Boil it down, hard, to the residue and you hit politics. But that is not surprising, education is political, always.
Killing The Next Da Vinci
Kris at Wandering Ink offers an excellent post, triggered by a friend’s entry about the book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, to explain how schools are preventing the emergence of another da Vinci.
She offers eleven causes in the list but tw…
[…] to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! There’s a great post over at Wandering Ink entitled How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci in which the author takes point-by-point the things that made da Vinci great (according to How to […]
Nick, it isn’t the web2.0 tools per se, but the way these tools can help “teachers find new ways to collaborate and learn from each other.” It is the collaboration between teachers, learning from each other, publicly sharing their experiences (online), and engaging in conversations such as this (as a result of a student’s blog), that will make things better… in my humble opinion.
These tools help us get beyond the politics and get to the point of doing what is best for our students.
I was feeling very guilty and ashamed when I read your post because today is my birthday and non of my few friends are in town. Spending one’s birthday on one’s own…
But if it means that I might become a genius, hurray!
To David Truss…
Yes, indeed, despite education.It is not, I think, that education makes you dumber but the fact that it begins and end, that it is compulsory, leads people to stop any activity that would hae links with learning, out of school. Once people learned as a hobby more than something they had to do to get a job, and by making things compulsory, we made them universal but the elite is pulled back to the rests’s level.
Well-stated, and excellent food for thought. Schools are under tremendous pressure to show gains on standardized tests, and the result is often the squelching of creativity, initiative, and curiosity. While much of this can be traced to No Child Left Behind and other “reform o’ the day” movements foisted on education through political channels, I sometimes wonder what school would really look like in the absence of these pressures. Would teachers teach any differently? What other models of good pedagogy do they have? Are our schools of education properly preparing teachers to teach creatively, or are they (or should I say “we,” as I am an education faculty member) simply perpetuating the traditional models?
[…] an excellent case for the suppression of creativity in her Wandering Ink post entitled “How To Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci.” Based on ideas from the book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci [Amazon link], Kris […]
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Wow. Your blog is going on my “must read” list and I’m going to share this post with teachers at my campus.
I think you have done a great service for educators everywhere.
I do have hope that somewhere many of us do get it. And I hope that web 2.0 will help drive this needed change in schools, just as it has started doing in business and elsewhere.
[…] at Wandering Ink, has done a brilliant post entitled How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci. Although some of what is described is more […]
You have provided me with a lot of food for thought recently. Here is a link where I hope to return the favour…
I just meandered my way to this ‘older’ post and thought I would share it here.
Stephen Downes: Things You Really Need to Learn
http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2006/08/things-you-really-need-to-learn.html
Enjoy:-)
Kris,
Congratulations! Yet another example of your insight stirring thinking. My challenge for you is to work to the solution(s). How do we get from the constraints of our current predicament as educators to empowering students like yourself to learn the way they you want to and to have opportunity to be exposed to learning and thinking? Another brain wrestle is that public education is, in its idealistic form, meant to be a great equalizer. Is this a valid goal for our education system or should we concentrate our efforts to those who are intrinsically motivated? Is there a standardized curriculum that all children of BC should know? It is important to understand that I am not asking these questions of you as a rebuttal but with intentions of hearing your ideas. I look forward to your responses.
[…] Take this as a counterpoint to the preceding post about living in fear and how that limits us. To live in a state of constant discovery allows us to find new answers to old problems, and to uncover new questions that will lead us into a brighter future. This article How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci […]
Kris,
I found it. Interesting commentary with some worthwhile thoughts. I certainly agree many students would benefit if the education system taught and reinforced the traits you specify.
However, with regards to the next Da Vinci…
1) If a person really had the nature and skills of the prototypical “Da Vinci”, it would seem unlikely they would be stopped by the current education system (…although perhaps impeded and probably frustrated by it). I would think that Da Vinci probably had minimal “formal” education until he went to apprentice at age 14. It’s hard to stop true genius. I guess I think that no particular education system will make or break a “Da Vinci”. A more critical problem is limited access to information, which, for many, has improved significantly in the last decade thanks to the internet.
2) I suspect the world may not, in fact, ever see somebody as set apart from everybody else as Da Vinci was (…although who knows). The reason is that the accumulated knowledge of humanity is growing exponentially, and to make a significant impact in any area now requires tremendously specialized skill, typically acquired over years of study in a focussed area, working with colleagues that are just as brilliant. The connectedness of our world enables information to be shared at a prodigious rate, but consistent information sharing encourages rapid, incremental advancements rather than fundamental leaps (although admittedly not always). The net result is that we end up with more brilliant people making more advances all the time (look at the significant changes that are happening in our understanding of physics, mathematics, chemistry every day), but no one really stands as obviously apart. So, I suspect quite a few geniuses are actually coming out of the school systems – it is just that the stuff they are working on is very specialized and not really known by the general public (for some reason, they prefer to focus on Paris Hilton)
3) I think if we were really serious about encouraging brilliance, it would probably mean having a tiered education system where those with serious potential are selected early (which means coming up with a good identification mechanism), we spend more to educate them (very best educators trained to deal with geniuses and with access to all resources needed), we use the principles you mention above, and we enable them to move as quickly as they can (which means they aren’t in regular classrooms with all the other students). It seems likely that educating brilliant people requires different methods than educating the masses, and anytime you give more to someone, you take away from someone else. It seems unlikely that our society would have the political will to undertake something like this (…although I guess we already do it in some limited way with IB programs)
…Just some thoughts.
I was led to this post by a comment on my blog, when I posted the question ‘Is Education Killing Creativity?’. How very relevant….and disturbing. I will direct my colleagues to come and read as well – it definately time for some major changes to be made to education, but while standardised testing hold such importance, I fear the needed changes will be slow to come.
I’ve always found that the people who have the best bead on what it means to be gifted are those who live with the label. They are also the people in the best position to know what goes right–and wrong–in schools when it comes to educating people with high intelligence. The posting about preventing another Leonardo da Vinci is a classic case of one student who understands that the worst school crime of all is the killing of spirit, and this is done too often with gifted students. Thank you for reminding us about the benefits of listening to the students we teach. Ignoring their valid calls for something more than the “same old, same old” is a peril we must avoid if our gifted students are to find school fulfilling, not stifling.
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Very interesting perspective. Although I agree with your thinking, I think we all would agree that student still rise to their potential even though our education system can have a tendancy to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. It raises an interesting question… will highly gifted (genius) people succeed regardless of their circumstances and / or educational path?
On a web2.0 note, I think one of the greatest benefits to students with the 21st century tools is voice. Everyone gets a voice in this new world era we have entered. So all the geniuses out there can participate, communicate, and contribute freely despite their context in an education system.
Very interesting times we live in…
Interesting!
I’m linking this to my blog…. Nice work!
Brilliant post. I’ve subscribed and look forward to more great content. I’ve thought a lot about education in the past few years, after dropping out as a 15 year old (now turning 18 soon), and I was at a stand still for the longest time. I’ve examined the system, and broken it all down over and over. However, it was difficult for my subconcious to determine a logical way of explaining my solutions. This post has struck a cord with my mind, and, I believe, enabled me to find my logics once again.
For the record, I strongly believe in the process of unschooling, however it is completely unsustainable in today’s world and job market to be without a high school diploma.
Also, this “discussion” about School 2.0: it won’t change much. Sure, information will be spread, but a lot of it comes down to politics. Until the politics change, school will remain very much the same as it’s been for the past two centuries.
I am currently teaching this as a trimester elective at my school for Upper School students. They receive an arts credit for taking the course. Information can be found here. I am using the Michael Gelb book and this is a new course which was offered for the first time last spring. I will be updating regularly. Please consider visiting.
http://antonioviva.com/thinking-like-leonardo
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very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
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I believe that this blog is the best blog I have ever read. (I have only just started blogging since October maybe September). I love how she touches on EVERY problem that we as humans and citizens of the U.S. face everyday: the lack of education in our children; the “beauty” of everywhere we look we find constant obesity.
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I am not the normal visitor here, but a wanderer who got linked by the inimitable Natasha at Pacific Views. Politics is my arena, not art or education.
I have asked this question for a very long time, but from a different perspective; it’s not the mistakes in the system I worry about, it’s making sure the system works at all and is open/equal to everyone.
We invest .50% of what we should in our children; what should have been making another da Vinci a total certainty is being squandered on a new class of aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford Class, at a cool 20-25$ billion each. Nimitz class cost 6$ billion.
How many geniuses and breathtaking accomplishments are we missign with that god damn ship? Makes me want to cry.
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No No No No
Teachers know this already.
Don’t snipe from a high tower, don’t mix in ancient philosophy with simple common sense.
Don’t undermine people who are working hard to do their jobs.
Some people have been known to say “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach”
I think that “Those who can teach” are different to “Those that can do but cannot teach”
Also, I think your article is a pretentious pile of balls. All teachers want to help people learn, or otherwise they would choose a higher paying job. I would describe this article as self absorbed, overly intellectual bile that does not actually contribute to a solution.
Remember that if you aren’t using simple language that everyone understands you are confusing your message
[…] ON “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci” (from Wandering […]
[…] Wandering Ink took exception to our education system which, he feels, thwarts creativity and imagination. This was a well written indictment of education today. Anyone with an opinion can speak to a wide ranging audience. Blogging has opened up the world and everyone in it to express themselves and connect with others. Not only to “speak”, but also to “listen”. […]
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[…] my rationale for why we as teachers need to find some time to encourage the students to use their ” Creativity” and talents. Within that Blog was a film of a very inciteful talk by Sir Ken Robinson on why we […]
[…] that is interesting such as Will Richardson’s “Why Can’t We Do This?” and Kris Bradburn’s “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci” but in general, reading blog posts and especially the comments can get tedious for a number of […]
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How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci « Wandering Ink.
[…] was over at Kris’ Wandering Ink blog today, reading about her perspective on our school system and how it impedes the development of […]
I think your post is interesting but culturally naive. While some students value freedom to pursue their interest, Confucian learning requires the teachers pass the knowledge down rather than the process. Whenever I have tried to cultivate free learning, I have met with much student opposition. Many students prefer being able to take the short cut to safe memorization in the hopes of getting into Harvard to the freedom to create their own lives. Some students do not want to be shown how to think, learn and explore, they expect to be told what to think–to be able to get a single right answer. Different minds are wired to learn differently. Different cultures reinforce different values.
The internet offers many valuable lessons and tools. It also offers many more diversions and easy ways to avoid studying or serious learning. It is no simple panacea.
I expect to learn new approaches. But that doesn’t mean all old methods are disposable. Look to Howard Garner. Live, love, learn, and laugh.
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Thank goodness!!! I thought I was the only one! I have tried conveying similar ideas on this subject. Half of the people recieve the idea as being too radical; the conformists and security based people. The other side of the coin, the other half, recieve the idea as being not an important ’cause’ or ‘issue’; the liberals and critics of the status quo.
Finally I almost believed I was alone on my own little island of belief, and this article after reading it, it is very refreshing and inspirational to see a look at this subject.
I could rant on about my own views but this is not the time nor place; all I have to say is this article made my day if not the next week of my life! That is until school tries to beat my spirits down again. However, there will always be those that get what it really means, and that is refreshing to see.
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I guess if you can explain it them more power to you.
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[…] development that accrue by the limitations of teacher performance as brought out by a post titled Wandering Ink by Kris Bradburn. The teacher can get the most out of students’ perspective of teachers […]
I agree with you – we tend to get so specific especially in our advanced level classes that we do not stop to connect the ideas we are teaching in math to the ideas someone else is teaching in science or art. Everything eventually must connect (no one grows up to do math, but something related to math in the real world would involve computers, technology, science, etc.). We need to continue to search for ways to make connections between our classes and our students’ interests.
[…] teacher and think Leonardo daVinci is one of the most important people in history, I was most drawn to . I am also very big on visual arts and pushing students to be creative in many ways. I agree […]
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Kris Badburn in “How to Prevent another Leonardo DaVinci” is yet another example of great points but “where’s the beef”? Sure I think all his points have merit and certainly need addressed to minimize the loss of students, and I mean all students not just the drop outs. Yet I see no answers, only problems. Who disagrees with these problems? So now what? As I put in another blog, education needs a paradigm shift, not just tweaks, yet I never see any solutions. I see the what, the murderer, but where is the healer? I want solutions, fixes. It is kind of like the education system is Hoover Dam, old, been very important and is a marvel for all to see as a monumental feat, served it’s purpose, helped millions of people. But with age is starting to crack and the water is students, and the more the cracks expand, the more students we lose. And technology today is used as a temporary fix, to stuff the cracks but these don’t address the real problem, that a new dam needs built. But who is going to build this dam? Pay for it? And more importantly, who will design it to meet the 21st century needs? So while I agree the education system is cracking, I want more then plugs to a system that will soon fail unless real change occurs and we start now collaboratively building a new dam that will last another 200 years.
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[…] blog that really resonated for me was Wandering Ink: How to Prevent another Leonardo Davinci https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/ . I think that even with all of the technology we have available today to help make learning […]
[…] to get the thoughts out of my mind that are so clearly articulated in Kris Bradburn’s post How to Prevent Another Leonardo DaVinci. So much of standard education seems devoted to killing curiousity and the love of learning. Many […]
[…] https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/ […]
[…] be had here. I am particularly moved by Kris Bradburn’s blog on Wandering Ink entitled “How to Prevent another Leonardo da Vinci.” Theses ideas could be read as if a mantra to help keep teachers focused on what is truly […]
[…] be had here. I am particularly moved by Kris Bradburn’s blog on Wandering Ink entitled “How to Prevent another Leonardo da Vinci.” These ideas could be read as if a mantra to help keep us focused on what is truly […]
Murder? Choose a better term to describe some of things that “have” to occur.”
Adaptation is a survival skill that we all must embrace as we “journey” through this.
No none can be all things to all people.
Don’t try.
A teacher is a name of a profession.
People do it.
A student is a name given to a learner.
People do it.
To learn, you have to be adaptable and the better you get, the quicker you learn.
Rock on.
[…] unexpected benefit of reading blogs came while I was reading How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci. I have a couple of very bright and creative sons-one in particular is an outside of the box kind of […]
I think that the author in the article, “How to Prevent another Leonardo Da Vinci,” has made an accurate assessment of the state of not only the institution of education, but also society as a whole. Crucial to this issue is that there is one box that everyone must fit. Unfortunately, fitting everyone into the same box has an important role, which sustains its occurrence. It enables teachers that have the insurmountable job of teaching under the NCLB to get through the curriculum. They have to move on to the next chapter even though there are students that have not fully grasped the concepts. There are many wounded and there continues to be casualties in this battle to prepare students for state testing.
[…] of artistic bent, I went straight for the daVinci titled post. The more I read, the more I said to no one in general, “Yes! Yes! That’s exactly […]
[…] How To Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci […]
[…] felt that reading the blog is like reading a magazine, article or a professional newspaper as in the Leonardo piece. The writing is similar to a combination of a personal letter and a high quality […]
[…] for that and not leave it up to someone else. I wholeheartedly agree with this blog https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/. Since I come from an artistic family, I believe that highly creative people are greatly […]
[…] Preventing another da Vinci […]
[…] Responses to the blogs were more often short and positive. With the exception of a response to How to Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci, responses were encouraging, offered extensions (What Did You Create Today?) or expressed […]
Wow, My husband read this book and I think I will read it. I remember him telling me that he learned from the book that a sign of a genius is someone who doesn’t give up until he/she “gets it”, no matter how long it takes. I really like #4, Sfumato, an acceptance of ambiguity. You would think just the opposite, that a genius would think they have all of the RIGHT answers.
[…] to my confession of lack of creativity, one of the blogs I read was the Wandering Ink blog about How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci, which was an interesting read since a large part of my teaching experience is in Gifted […]
[…] Blog 1 – Wandering Ink: How To Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci […]
[…] in blog style is broad. Of the blogs I read the styles varied from a paragraph format found in How to Prevent Another Leonardo daVinci, to a bulleted format found in PowerPoint Reform, […]
[…] Leonardo da Vinci […]
[…] Blog Comment #4:Wandering Ink: “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci” […]
[…] just loved the Leonard da Vinci Blog from the list of readings. Blog writing can be formal or informal, but it is mostly opinion based […]
[…] to Kris Bradburn, the answer is no. In his post “How to Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci,” Kris laments the fact that our current approach to learning stifles student creativity by […]
this is brillantly, awesomely written..
you are correctly, education has become more about marks on a paper..
i belive some day in future , we can break the 4 walls and start learning from nature and experimenting..
[…] How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci […]
[…] About Our Missing Duck) and non-fiction. The blogs I read were filled with opinions and emotions (How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci). They were often personal and revealing, such as Patrick’s Update. Some were well […]
[…] me the most interesting blog was the one about How to Prevent Leonardo da Vince. In many respects I thought that this article was right on. I thought the article was correct about […]
[…] “What Did You Create Today?” questions! Another favorite, was Kris Bradburn’s How to Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci. This one definitely speaks to both my professional and parenting […]
[…] about the creativity aspect, which I hope to write about somewhere else on this blog. I loved the Wandering Ink post on squelching creativity, as well as Sir Ken Robinson, who I have read about but not seen the […]
[…] to do it – do it over the top. I also applaud the points made in How to prevent the next Leonardo Da Vinci. I know that our teachers work hard to help all students learn – but it is a good reminder […]
[…] Wandering Ink: […]
[…] article, “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci,” by Kris Bradburn on the Wandering Ink blog presents an interesting idea about the stifling (or […]
[…] A Breath of Fresh Air or A Bunch of Hot Air? I just spent some time reading “How to Prevent Another Leonardo Davinci” , a post from the Wandering Ink blog. This led me to a myriad of other blogs and links. It is […]
[…] followed the duck blog by looking at the post How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci. I love the TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson (Do Schools Kill Creativity? )that is referenced in the […]
[…] Wandering Ink: How To Prevent Another Leanardo Da Vinci – When I read this blog, I thought about location, location, location! Nationally, school districts vary in their method of operations. This varies from funding, staffing, and overall community involvement. As stated in another blog, students need to have relevance to classroom lessons. This enables the teacher to be creative in his/her presentation. Students will attend classes on a regular basis. Brenda=) […]
[…] Leonardo – This discusses how we need to allow students to explore their creative abilities and interests. […]
Wow, this is thought-provoking! I would almost like to turn it into a “Clue” style game at a faculty meeting casting different faculty members randomly as the “Murderers” you mentioned in your post. It may be an eye-opening activity that would make us think twice about how we handle student questions and how we plan activities for the classroom!
But honestly, for the most part, all the teachers I know truly embrace and strive to engage students and help them achieve the highest level of learning possible in every aspect (including creativity, critical thinking, and ethical boundaries, along with the goal of high test scores).
[…] Da Vinci! I just read a blog entry on Wandering Ink by Ken Blackburn, called How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci. He could have been taking the words out of my mouth and the thoughts out of my head! […]
[…] How to Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci was explaining how we are stifling creativity in our children. We only teach children what we have scheduled to teach. If and when we go off topic, many times, their curiosity’s are not answered. Another good point was that children ,by testing constantly, are taught that they are not allowed to make mistakes. The blog pointed out ten ways we stifle creativity. I am not sure how I feel about some of the points. A good blog to make you think. […]
[…] with a different point of view from the original blogger or someone else who has commented. (https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/#comment-1592) David Truss’s response to someone else’s comment: ”Nick, it isn’t the web2.0 […]
[…] are http://shelleywright.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/an-hour-in-the-classroom-of-a-tech-teacher/ , https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/ and […]
[…] Wandering Ink: How To Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci […]
[…] How to prevent another da vinci – https://wanderingink.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/how-to-prevent-another-leonardo-da-vinci/ […]
[…] I do agree with many aspects of Kris Bradburn’s blog: How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci (click here for his blog post). One of the points Bradburn addresses is the educational institution’s stellar ability to squelch […]
[…] reading some of the blogs listed than I should have today. One article that really struck me was “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci” because the behavior that Kris Bradburn says is created in our educational system is magnified […]
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been doing a little research on this.
And he in fact bought me dinner because I stumbled upon it for
him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanx for spending the time to discuss this matter
here on your site.