This blog is turning into a video blog thanks to TED and YouTube! This time the talk is on whether schools kill creativity, and the answer suggested by the author seems to be yes…
This made me think again about the Problem-Based Learning system at Maastricht University… I like how it makes you think instead of memorize, and how it lets you make your own mistakes. Although far from perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
Also, the question asked by Ken Robinson goes beyond the title of this video - it is about the relevance of what we learn at schools… As well as things we don’t learn… I learned more from the trainings by the U.S. exchange programme (on cultural sensitivity, intercultural communications etc.) and by AIESEC (on time management, sales effectiveness etc.) than from many fully fledged courses at Uni… I just wish everyone was taught some of these vital skills at school…
Recently I got hooked up on the TED Talks – a series of lectures on a range of topics (going beyond the Technology, Entertainment, and Design subjects suggested by the name of the conference). To me, this is what Internet IS (ok, should be!) about - disseminating knowledge that would otherwise be available to the privileged few. I am posting one of my favorite talks below, but there are so many more intriguing, inspiring topics to explore!
This one is by Barry Schwartz, a Sociology professor who also wrote a book about “The Paradox of Choice”. He argues that the abundance of choice created in modern industrial societies is not making us better off. On the contrary, it is actually having a negative impact on our lives!
The video is 20 minutes, and I highly recommend you make time to watch it…
Some memorable thoughts from the video:
“Opportunity costs substract from the satisfaction of what we choose, even when what we choose is terrific”
“The secret to happiness is low expectations”
And the conclusion is this: “There’s no question that some choice is better than none. But it doesn’t follow from that that more choice is better than some choice”.
It is especially interesting to watch as a (future) marketeer. It is the idea of “choice confusion” which has been raised in the academia, articulated clearly and convincingly. But it is also relevant to someone interested in politics and sustainable development: Barry argues that a global redistribution of wealth would not only help the poor countries, but also the so-called developed world!
And finally, it is a good watch for anyone interested in living a happy balanced life in these crazy times…
I saw the video in Kyiv Boryspil airport a while ago, and now found it online thanks to volodja.
It’s quite an inspiring video, although to me most scences look like they could be filmed in any Eastern European country… It’s also very general – kind of geared towards toursits and investors and politicians at once – I wonder if that was the idea? In any case, it’s a nice effort in promoting the country.
I’ve been keeping a personal blog for almost 2 years now, since I left home to go to the Netherlands. There was no deep idea behind creating it, just the practical advantage of informing all my friends and family about the first impressions, or room search, or cultural adaptation progress, instead of writing separate mails of similar content to everyone. This has worked quite well, although I found myself still writing individual mails with comments/elaborations on the posts. Still, it’s nice to go back in time to see what I first thought when I tried a “kroket” or went to a typical Dutch birthday party!
However, as I got more involved in the blogging world, I found myself willing to make posts like “look at this cool video” or “I read this article today, and I disagree”. However, that would probably bore most of my friends who are not into technology, blogging, investment, politics, or whatever else it is I might find interesting. Such discussions would be more appropriate for classmates or colleagues. So gradually I came to the idea of making another blog just for professional or related discussions. Some kind of forum – personal, yet without the “yesterday’s party pictures” details… A treasure box for all things interesting. The kind you probably had as a kid: this old box that has your dad’s broken lighter, your mom’s old watch, and this pretty magazine clipping you made. This blog for me will be such a treasure box – and I’ll be happy to hear about your treasures, too!
