How to escape education's death valley | Sir Ken Robinson

Important Vocabulary Words From The Video

fidget

When someone is fidgeting, they are constantly moving their hands or feet around. This can be a sign of anxiety or nervousness.

  • He was constantly fidgeting with his hands, which was very distracting.
  • She was constantly fidgeting with her hair, which was a sign that she was nervous.

To professionalize something is to make it into a profession. This usually means that the thing will have specific laws and rules that govern it, and it will be run by people who are trained in the profession.

  • The company is professionalizing the medical field, which is why they are requiring all doctors to have a degree.
  • The company is professionalizing the legal field, which is why they are requiring all lawyers to have a degree.
lifeblood

The lifeblood of a society or community is the blood that flows through it. It is the force that keeps it functioning, and it is essential for the survival of the group.

  • The lifeblood of the community is the shop owner.
  • The lifeblood of the society is the government.
obsess

To obsess is to think about something obsessively. You might obsess about your work, or you might obsess about your partner.

  • She obsesses over her work, and she's never done anything else in her life.
  • He obsesses over his weight, and he's never been able to stick to a diet.
bemused

Bemused means amused or surprised. When he was bemused, he was not happy with the situation.

  • She was bemused by the situation, and she didn't know what to do.
  • He was bemused by the way that the ball kept bouncing off the roof of the basket.
individualize

To individualize something is to make it unique, to make it different from the other things that are like it. When you individualize a product, you make it special because you are the only person who will have it.

  • The company is trying to individualize their products by creating different colors and styles.
  • He wants to individualize his education by choosing the classes that interest him the most.
devolve

Devolve is to go down in quality or to become worse. When something deteriorates, it becomes weaker and less healthy.

  • The disease has begun to devolve into a more serious form.
  • The government is devolving into a dictatorship.
headwind

When you have a headwind, you are facing a strong wind that is blowing in your direction. This can be a very difficult situation to deal with, because the wind is pushing you backwards.

  • The wind was so strong that the sailboat was easily pushed back by the headwind.
  • The headwind is causing a lot of problems for the athletes.
driest

The driest place is the place that has the least amount of moisture. The driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert, which is located in Chile.

  • The driest place in the United States is the Owens Valley, which is located in California.