Do schools kill creativity? – Listening comprehension exercise

Learning Outcomes

  • Students learn to practice  listening skills and finding information from an oral presentation
  • Students learn to check understanding of what has been said in a video
  • Students learn to produce written and/or oral response to the listening activity

Ways of working and activities

  • Individual work: watch and listen to the video https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
  • Online quiz for checking understanding >
  • examples of quiz questions:
    • According to the speaker, what happens when you ask someone about their education?
    • Select one:
      • They become angry and lash out.
      • They start talking about education enthusiastically.
      • They grab you and pin you to the wall
    • What happens to children who have talent?
    • Select one:
      • Their talent is wasted.
      • Their talent is acknowledged and built on.
      • Their talent is belittled and squashed.
    • What happened in the play?
    • Select one:
      • The boy said his line at the wrong time.
      • The boy made a pun (a joke).
      • The boy forgot his line.
    • What does the speaker say about being wrong?
    • Select one:
      • People naturally learn to avoid being wrong.
      • It is stigmatized.
      • It is the same as being creative.
  • Written response to the original speech ( writing a letter-to-the-editor)
    • Students first study how to write an LTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4mknSDWH8w
    • Then they write their own LTE, trying to follow the guidelines on the example video.
    • Students can also make an oral letter-to-the-editor if they prefer by following the same guidelines as in the written one > students can search for how to make videos themselves

How are students supported?

What kind of feedback do students get as their work progresses on their own skills and the development of their skills?

  1. Peer feedback on first versions of written and/or oral response
  2. Teacher gives feedback on the progress of the task and the final result (written or oral LTE)

How does it end? What happens next? How is the learning process and experience discussed and reflected upon?

  • This assignment can be used as one part of  a whole course
  • Caters for practicing  listening comprehension and written and oral production
  • Can form a part of a course or part of an assignment