education and creativity

This guy is a) really funny and b) I think makes some interesting points about education and creativity. The video is 20 minutes, but really worth it...even if you don't have any interest in education...

I have been thinking a lot about unstructured playtime and children and its importance for creativity. It is so important but I don't think our society actually promotes creativity. We send kids to school at 3 years old, or daycare even eariler, because we need dual incomes (or so we think...). But going to school is really society's way of socializing people to follow the herd. In order for society to function, we all have to do approximately the same things, otherwise there would be chaos. Starting kids in school early helps us socialize kids.

That said I don't see me staying home with my kids...but my friends who do, do a WONDERFUL job. I will try to emmulate their efforts. Before considering kids, though, I really felt that society had been cheated of these stay-at-home mom's abilities to contribute to society. These women are some of the smartest people I know, and to my then thinking self, they were squandering their abilities on their kids.

Thinking changes.