This week's assignment was to research, then define four well used words:
- Learning
- Teaching
- Creativity
- Innovation
Easy-peasy, right? Wrong!
When you start drilling down to how steeped in meaning these words are, it is very difficult to then narrow down the thoughts into a short explanation.
It is also interesting to me how much the lens through which you look matters. For example, learning can mean something very different in the animal kingdom, versus learning in humans. Or the fact that innovation in looks very different in engineering than it does in accounting. I also find it fascinating how liberally the idea sharing, or borrowing as some would call it, from one industry to another can inspire innovation and creative though.
It is also interesting to me how much the lens through which you look matters. For example, learning can mean something very different in the animal kingdom, versus learning in humans. Or the fact that innovation in looks very different in engineering than it does in accounting. I also find it fascinating how liberally the idea sharing, or borrowing as some would call it, from one industry to another can inspire innovation and creative though.
As usual, one question door leads to another and leaves me wondering.....
To what extent is creativity an essential skill in the modern world?
What historical benchmarks have their been in terms of the teaching innovation timeline?
What does history tell, or predict, for the future of innovation in teaching?
What does history tell, or predict, for the future of innovation in teaching?
Hi Tammy,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, great blog space. The formatting and visual representation are fantastic!
I too thought defining these terms would be a relatively easy task. However, when I started to write and discuss with peers, I found it a bit more difficult to grasp - especially the differences between creativity and innovation. Definitely some links there!
To respond to a few of your questions - I think creativity is an important skill to have in the modern world, but not a necessity for everyone. Many careers lack an opportunity to express a creative side these days. However, I believe that creativity leads to innovation, so without creativity we would have no where to go. As you say as well, it all depends on the lens you are looking through. I think many view creativity as strongly linked to the arts, but it can and should apply to a wide range of situations and contexts.
I think education systems as a whole CAN be innovators - they take something pre-existing and try to improve the current state. However, they can complicate this process very easily, which is not the point of innovation. Innovation is because their is a desire to make an improvement, make it simpler.
Cheers, Jared
Thanks for your comments, Jared.
ReplyDeleteTaking something pre-existing is so important because the educational system, at least is seems, is historically cemented in tradition. I don't think being too radical would ever really works so shaping the past into a preferred future is likely more realistic.
Hope the course is going well for you :)
Tammy