Based on
our reading, it is evident that there are many different aspects associated
with the concept of innovation.
It was
interesting to discover the natural instinct that human beings have to be
innovative. Wagner (2012, p. 27) refers to Bonsen (no date) who claims that being
innovative is central to being human; indeed, this is closely connected to
Wagner’s (2012) claim that human beings are born with an innate desire to
explore, experiment and imagine new possibilities. As this desire to innovate
is inherent in human beings, we believe that teachers must harness this within
the classroom and build upon both their own as well as their students’ desires
to be creative and imagine new ideas. Indeed, Wagner (2012) suggests that
children are central to the processes involved in innovation and notes the
importance of teaching, mentoring and parenting our young people to become the innovators that our planet needs to
thrive in the 21st century.
We
believe that innovation begins with the children in our classes and so it
follows that play is an essential component of innovation, as play is recognised as the
principal activity of early childhood. Wagner (2012) highlights the importance
of play, claiming that through playful activities, children are able to learn.
The skills that children develop as they play, such as risk-taking,
communication skills, creativity and imagination contribute to innovative
thinking later on in life and the development of innovative processes. Play is
also a key element of both the Austrian and Northern Irish primary school
curricula and is recognised in both as a crucial part of children’s learning
that contributes to the development of the aforementioned skills.
The
importance of innovation is also highlighted by Design Thinking for Educators
(2012), a toolkit which notes that those who have responsibility for educating
children and young people are distinctly positioned to keep a pulse on students’
evolving needs and, therefore, uniquely qualified to understand and design for
the changing needs of schools in our society today. Design Thinking is an integral
element in education which can be used to approach any challenge in relation to
the curriculum, spaces, processes and tools and/or systems. It rests on the
fundamental belief that anyone can
create change; a point which is also made by Kelley and Kelley (2013) who claim
that we all have a creative potential within us that is simply waiting to be
tapped. They note that a belief in this creative capacity lies at the heart of
innovation and thus, it is essential that teachers believe in their own
individual abilities to create change in the world around them. Kelley and Kelley
(2013, p. 3) refer to Robinson (2006) who claims that creativity is as
important in education as Literacy and should be treated with the same status. As
previously alluded to, this again highlights the significance of both children and
teachers harnessing their creativity and using it to bring about positive
changes within the school environment. I look forward with anticipation to seeing how creativity is implemented within the Danish education system during my practice placement amongst both pupils and teachers as well as investigating the place that innovation and entrepreneurship education have within Danish classrooms.
Reference List
IDEO (2012) Design Thinking for Educators, available at http://designthinkingforeducators.com/ (accessed 18/02/16).
Kelley T. & D. Kelley (2013) Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All, Palo Alto, IDEO.
