TED2010
Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids
Adora Svitak: O que os adultos poden aprender dos nenos
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A nena prodixio Adora Svitak di que o mundo precisa ideas "infantís": ideas simples, creatividade aloucada e especialmente optimismo. Di que os grandes soños dos nenos merecen grandes expectativas, comezando coa vontade dos adultos de aprender dos nenos tanto coma de ensinarlles.
Adora Svitak - Child prodigy
A prolific short story writer and blogger since age seven, Adora Svitak (now 12) speaks around the United States to adults and children as an advocate for literacy. Full bio
A prolific short story writer and blogger since age seven, Adora Svitak (now 12) speaks around the United States to adults and children as an advocate for literacy. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
Now, I want to start with a question:
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Quero comezar cunha pregunta:
00:17
When was the last time you were called childish?
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¿Cando foi a última vez que vos chamaron "infantís"?
00:20
For kids like me,
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Para os nenos coma min,
00:22
being called childish can be a frequent occurrence.
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que nos chamen infantís é algo frecuente.
00:25
Every time we make irrational demands,
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Cada vez que facemos esixencias irracionais,
00:28
exhibit irresponsible behavior
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amosamos un comportamento irresponsábel
00:30
or display any other signs
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ou manifestamos calquera outro indicio
00:32
of being normal American citizens,
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de que somos cidadáns estadounidenses normais
00:34
we are called childish.
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chámannos infantís.
00:36
Which really bothers me.
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E iso amólame moito.
00:38
After all, take a look at these events:
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Despois de todo, botade un ollo a estes acontecementos:
00:40
Imperialism and colonization,
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Imperialismo e colonización,
00:43
world wars, George W. Bush.
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guerras mundiais, George W. Bush.
00:46
Ask yourself, who's responsible? Adults.
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Preguntádevos: ¿quen son os responsables? Os adultos.
00:49
Now, what have kids done?
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¿E qué fixeron os nenos?
00:52
Well, Anne Frank touched millions
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Ben, Ana Frank emocionou a millóns de persoas
00:54
with her powerful account of the Holocaust,
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coa súa impactante versión do Holocausto;
00:57
Ruby Bridges helped to end segregation in the United States,
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Ruby Bridges axudou a poñer fin á segregación nos Estados Unidos;
01:00
and, most recently,
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e, máis recentemente,
01:02
Charlie Simpson helped to raise
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Charlie Simpson axudou a recadar
01:04
120,000 pounds for Haiti
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120.000 libras para Haití
01:06
on his little bike.
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coa súa pequena bicicleta.
01:08
So, as you can see evidenced by such examples,
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Entón, como queda demostrado con estes exemplos,
01:11
age has absolutely nothing to do with it.
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a idade non ten nada que ver.
01:14
The traits the word childish addresses
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O trazo que a palabra "infantil" implica
01:16
are seen so often in adults
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está presente tan a cotío nos adultos
01:18
that we should abolish this age-discriminatory word
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que deberíamos suprimir esa palabra que discrimina pola idade
01:20
when it comes to criticizing behavior
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cando criticamos comportamentos
01:22
associated with irresponsibility and irrational thinking.
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irracionais ou irresponsables.
01:25
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
01:31
Thank you.
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Grazas.
01:33
Then again, who's to say
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Pero, ¿quen pode dicir
01:35
that certain types of irrational thinking
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que algúns tipos de pensamentos irracionais
01:37
aren't exactly what the world needs?
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non son exactamente o que o mundo precisa?
01:40
Maybe you've had grand plans before
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Pode que tivesedes grandes plans no pasado,
01:42
but stopped yourself, thinking,
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pero que os detiverades ó pensar:
01:44
"That's impossible," or, "That costs too much,"
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"É imposible", "custa de máis",
01:46
or, "That won't benefit me."
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ou "non me vai beneficiar".
01:48
For better or worse, we kids aren't hampered as much
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Para ben ou para mal, os nenos non poñemos tantos obstáculos
01:51
when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things.
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á hora de pensar en razóns para non facer algo.
01:54
Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations
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Os nenos poden estar cheos de aspiracións inspiradoras
01:56
and hopeful thinking.
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e ideas esperanzadoras.
01:58
Like my wish that no one went hungry
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Coma o meu desexo de que ninguén pase fame
02:00
or that everything were a free kind of utopia.
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ou que todo fose coma unha utopía de balde.
02:03
How many of you still dream like that
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¿Cantos de vostedes aínda soñades así
02:05
and believe in the possibilities?
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e credes nas posibilidades?
02:08
Sometimes a knowledge of history
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Ás veces o coñecemento da historia
02:10
and the past failures of utopian ideals
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e os erros pasados de ideais utópicos
02:12
can be a burden
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poden ser unha carga
02:14
because you know that if everything were free,
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porque sabedes que se todo fose de balde,
02:16
then the food stocks would become depleted
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as reservas de alimentos poderían reducirse
02:18
and scarce and lead to chaos.
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e a escaseza levaría ó caos.
02:20
On the other hand,
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Por outra parte,
02:22
we kids still dream about perfection.
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os nenos aínda soñamos coa perfección.
02:24
And that's a good thing because in order
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E iso é bo porque para podermos
02:26
to make anything a reality,
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facer algo realidade,
02:28
you have to dream about it first.
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primeiro temos que soñalo.
02:30
In many ways, our audacity to imagine
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En moitos aspectos a nosa audacia imaxinativa
02:33
helps push the boundaries of possibility.
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axuda a estender os límites da posibilidade.
02:36
For instance, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington,
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Por exemplo, o Museo do Vidro en Tacoma (Washington),
02:39
my home state -- yoohoo Washington!
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o meu estado natal. ¡Arriba Washington!
02:41
(Applause) --
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(Aplausos)
02:44
has a program called Kids Design Glass,
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ten un programa chamado "Os nenos deseñan vidro",
02:46
and kids draw their own ideas for glass art.
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onde os nenos debuxan as súas propias ideas en vidro.
02:48
Now, the resident artist said they got
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O artista encargado dixo que sacaron
02:50
some of their best ideas through the program
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algunhas das súas mellores ideas do programa
02:52
because kids don't think about the limitations
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porque os nenos non pensan nas limitacións
02:54
of how hard it can be to blow glass into certain shapes;
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do difícil que pode ser soprar o vidro en certas formas:
02:56
they just think of good ideas.
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só pensan en boas ideas.
02:58
Now, when you think of glass, you might
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Cando un pensa en vidro, pode pensar
03:00
think of colorful Chihuly designs
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en coloridos deseños de Chihuly
03:03
or maybe Italian vases,
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ou pode que en floreiros italianos,
03:05
but kids challenge glass artists to go beyond that
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pero os nenos desafían ós artistas do vidro para ir máis alá,
03:08
into the realm of broken-hearted snakes
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a un reino de serpes co corazón roto
03:10
and bacon boys, who you can see has meat vision.
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e nenos touciño, que como poden ver, teñen visión cárnica.
03:13
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
03:15
Now, our inherent wisdom
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A nosa sabedoría inherente
03:17
doesn't have to be insider's knowledge.
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non ten que ser coñecementos privilexiados.
03:20
Kids already do a lot of learning from adults,
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Os nenos xa aprenden moito dos adultos,
03:23
and we have a lot to share.
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e nós temos moito que partillar.
03:25
I think that adults should start learning from kids.
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Creo que os adultos deberían comezar a aprender dos nenos.
03:29
Now, I do most of my speaking in front of an education crowd,
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Eu dou os máis dos meus discursos fronte a un público do mundo da educación,
03:32
teachers and students, and I like this analogy:
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mestres e estudantes, e gústame esta analoxía:
03:34
It shouldn't just be a teacher at the head of the classroom
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Non debería ser só un mestre ó fronte da clase
03:36
telling students, "Do this, do that."
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dicindo ós estudantes "fai isto, fai aquilo".
03:38
The students should teach their teachers.
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Os estudantes deberían ensinar ós seus mestres.
03:41
Learning between grown ups and kids
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A aprendizaxe entre adultos e nenos
03:43
should be reciprocal.
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debería ser recíproca.
03:45
The reality, unfortunately, is a little different,
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A realidade, desafortunadamente, é un pouco diferente,
03:48
and it has a lot to do with trust, or a lack of it.
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e ten moito que ver coa confianza, ou a falta dela.
03:51
Now, if you don't trust someone, you place restrictions on them, right?
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Pero, se non confías en alguén, poslle restricións, ¿non si?
03:54
If I doubt my older sister's ability
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Se dubido da capacidade da miña irmá maior
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to pay back the 10 percent interest
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de devolverme o 10 por cento de interese
03:58
I established on her last loan,
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que establecín sobre o seu último préstamo,
04:00
I'm going to withhold her ability to get more money from me
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voulle negar a capacidade de obter de min máis cartos
04:03
until she pays it back. (Laughter)
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ata que mos devolva. (Risos)
04:05
True story, by the way.
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Historia real, por certo.
04:07
Now, adults seem to have
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Os adultos parecen ter
04:10
a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids
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unha actitude restritiva cara ós nenos,
04:13
from every "don't do that,
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dende o "non fagas iso",
04:15
don't do this" in the school handbook
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"non fagas isto" no libro da escola,
04:17
to restrictions on school Internet use.
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ata as restricións no uso de internet.
04:20
As history points out, regimes become oppressive
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Como amosa a historia, os réximes vólvense opresivos
04:23
when they're fearful about keeping control.
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cando se obsesionan con manter o control.
04:25
And although adults may not be quite at the level
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E, aínda que os adultos non chegan ao nivel
04:27
of totalitarian regimes,
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dos réximes totalitarios,
04:29
kids have no, or very little say in making the rules,
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os nenos teñen pouca ou ningunha voz na creación das regras,
04:32
when really the attitude should be reciprocal,
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cando a actitude debería ser recíproca,
04:34
meaning that the adult population should learn
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é dicir, a poboación adulta debería aprender
04:36
and take into account the wishes
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a ter en conta os desexos
04:38
of the younger population.
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da poboación máis nova.
04:40
Now, what's even worse than restriction
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Pero o que é aínda peor que a restrición
04:42
is that adults often underestimate kids abilities.
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é que os adultos a miúdo subestiman a capacidade dos nenos.
04:45
We love challenges, but when expectations are low,
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Encántannos os desafíos, pero cando as expectativas son baixas,
04:48
trust me, we will sink to them.
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afundimos con elas, crédeme.
04:51
My own parents had anything but low expectations
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Os meus propios pais tiñan de todo menos baixas expectativas
04:54
for me and my sister.
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para a miña irmá e máis eu.
04:56
Okay, so they didn't tell us to become doctors
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Vale, non nos dicían que fósemos médicos
04:59
or lawyers or anything like that,
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ou avogados ou algo así,
05:01
but my dad did read to us
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pero o meu pai líanos
05:03
about Aristotle
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sobor Aristóteles
05:05
and pioneer germ fighters
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e os pioneiros que loitaban contra os xermes
05:07
when lots of other kids were hearing
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cando moitos dos outros nenos escoitaban
05:09
"The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round."
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cancións infantís como "As rodas do autobús xiran e xiran".
05:11
Well, we heard that one too, but "Pioneer Germ Fighters" totally rules.
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Tamén escoitábamos esa, pero os pioneiros molaban moito.
05:14
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
05:16
I loved to write from the age of four,
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Gústame escribir desde que tiña catro anos
05:18
and when I was six
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e cando tiña seis anos
05:20
my mom bought me my own laptop equipped with Microsoft Word.
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a miña nai mercoume a miña propia computadora con con Microsoft Word.
05:23
Thank you Bill Gates and thank you Ma.
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Grazas Bill Gates e grazas mamá.
05:25
I wrote over 300 short stories
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Escribín máis de 300 historias curtas
05:27
on that little laptop,
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nesa computadora,
05:29
and I wanted to get published.
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e quería que mas publicaran.
05:32
Instead of just scoffing at this heresy
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No canto de mofarse da herexía
05:34
that a kid wanted to get published
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de que una nena quixera ser publicada
05:36
or saying wait until you're older,
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ou dicir que agardara ata que fose máis vella,
05:38
my parents were really supportive.
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os meus pais apoiáronme moito.
05:40
Many publishers were not quite so encouraging,
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Moitos editores non foron tan alentadores.
05:44
one large children's publisher ironically saying
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Ironicamente un dos editores de libros infantís máis importantes dixo
05:47
that they didn't work with children --
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que eles non traballaban con nenos...
05:49
children's publisher not working with children?
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¿Editores para nenos que non traballan con nenos?
05:52
I don't know, you're kind of alienating a large client there.
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Non sei, creo que estades alienando moita clientela.
05:55
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
05:57
Now, one publisher, Action Publishing,
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Porén, un editor, Action Publishing,
06:00
was willing to take that leap and trust me
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estaba disposto a dar ese paso, confiar en min
06:03
and to listen to what I had to say.
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e escoitar o que tiña que dicir.
06:05
They published my first book, "Flying Fingers," -- you see it here --
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Publicaron o meu primeiro libro, "Flying Fingers", podedes velo aquí,
06:08
and from there on, it's gone to speaking at hundreds of schools,
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e desde entón fun falar a centos de escolas,
06:12
keynoting to thousands of educators
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dei congresos a centos de educadores
06:14
and finally, today, speaking to you.
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e finalmente estouvos a falar a vós hoxe.
06:16
I appreciate your attention today,
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Agradezo a vosa atención
06:18
because to show that you truly care,
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porque para amosar que vos importa de verdade,
06:20
you listen.
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escoitades.
06:22
But there's a problem with this rosy picture
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Pero hai un problema coa optimista imaxe
06:25
of kids being so much better than adults.
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de que os nenos son moito mellores cós adultos.
06:28
Kids grow up and become adults just like you.
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Os nenos medran e convértense en adultos coma vós.
06:31
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
06:33
Or just like you? Really?
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¿Coma vós? ¿En serio?
06:35
The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adult,
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O obxectivo non é converter ós nenos no voso tipo de adulto,
06:38
but rather better adults than you have been,
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se non en mellores adultos do que fostes,
06:41
which may be a little challenging
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o que pode ser un gran desafío
06:43
considering your guys' credentials (Laughter).
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tendo en conta os vosos credenciais. (Risos)
06:45
But the way progress happens
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Pero o progreso sucede
06:47
is because new generations and new eras
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porque as novas xeracións e as novas eras
06:50
grow and develop and become better than the previous ones.
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crecen, desenvólvense e son mellores cás anteriores.
06:53
It's the reason we're not in the Dark Ages anymore.
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É a razón pola que xa non estamos na Idade Escura.
06:56
No matter your position or place in life,
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Sen importar a túa posición ou lugar na vida
06:59
it is imperative to create opportunities for children
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é imperativo crear oportunidades para os nenos
07:02
so that we can grow up to blow you away.
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para que poidan crecer e vos poidan liquidar.
07:05
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:08
Adults and fellow TEDsters,
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Adultos e achegados TEDeiros,
07:10
you need to listen and learn from kids
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precisades escoitar e aprender dos nenos
07:12
and trust us and expect more from us.
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confiar neles e agardar máis deles.
07:16
You must lend an ear today,
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Debedes prestarlles oídos hoxe
07:18
because we are the leaders of tomorrow,
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porque son os líderes do mañá,
07:20
which means we're going to be taking care of you
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o que significa que van coidar de vós
07:22
when you're old and senile. No, just kidding.
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cando sexades vellos e senís. Non, é broma:
07:25
No, really, we are going to be the next generation,
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En serio, imos ser a próxima xeración,
07:28
the ones who will bring this world forward.
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os que van sacar o mundo adiante.
07:31
And in case you don't think that this really has meaning for you,
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E en caso de que pensedes que isto non vos afecta,
07:34
remember that cloning is possible,
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lembrade que a clonación é posible,
07:36
and that involves going through childhood again,
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e que implica volver pasar pola infancia outra vez,
07:38
in which case you'll want to be heard
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e nese caso quereredes ser escoitados
07:40
just like my generation.
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igual cá miña xeración.
07:42
Now, the world needs opportunities
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O mundo precisa oportunidades
07:45
for new leaders and new ideas.
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para os novos líderes e novas ideas.
07:48
Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed.
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Os nenos precisan oportunidades de liderar e ter éxito.
07:51
Are you ready to make the match?
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¿Estades preparados para corresponderlles?
07:53
Because the world's problems
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Porque os problemas do mundo
07:55
shouldn't be the human family's heirloom.
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non deberían ser unha reliquia familiar dos humanos.
07:58
Thank you.
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Grazas.
08:00
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
08:03
Thank you. Thank you.
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Grazas. Grazas.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adora Svitak - Child prodigyA prolific short story writer and blogger since age seven, Adora Svitak (now 12) speaks around the United States to adults and children as an advocate for literacy.
Why you should listen
A voracious reader from age three, Adora Svitak's first serious foray into writing -- at age five -- was limited only by her handwriting and spelling. (Her astonishing verbal abilities already matched that of young adults over twice her age.) As her official bio says, her breakthrough would soon come "in the form of a used Dell laptop her mother bought her." At age seven, she typed out over 250,000 words -- poetry, short stories, observations about the world -- in a single year.
Svitak has since fashioned her beyond-her-years wordsmithing into an inspiring campaign for literacy -- speaking across the country to both adults and kids. She is author of Flying Fingers, a book on learning.
Adora Svitak | Speaker | TED.com