Reflections of 21st Century Learning

When I think about the discussion of creativity and innovation in education, I become slightly depressed.  So much is scripted that there is little room for these things in most classes.  We live in a scary present in which the future seems to change and waiver before us in a way that makes it uneasy to predict.  Now more than ever, innovation and creativity needs to be built.  However, with the onslaught of standardized testings, national curriculum and more and more oversight over all details, I fear that we will lose the very thing that students need most.  They need to learn how to learn because as the Socialnomics video indicates, the world is changing and will continue to do so.  Kids and adults need to adapt and change with it.  They need to find, evaluate and make decisions on an ever increasing pool of information.  I think that so much education is stifled.  If you haven't yet seen it, I'd recommend watching the Ken Robinson commentary on Ted:  http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html