Readings

Week 2: Summary of readings

Design Activism- Tim Brown (2009) Chapters 1, 8 & 9

Brown argues that the greatest design thinkers respond to the challenges of culture change and to the challenge of applying their skills to problems. He cites examples of design thinkers working on practical solutions to problems who firstly gained an understanding of the specific problem by going to and talking to the people it effected. 

Indeed, I really agree that there is enormous potential for design thinkers working on solutions to problems under extreme constraints. I liked the example of the Aravind Eye Hospital set up by Dr G Venkataswamy which has served millions of people and operates at a 30% profit. However, for me it seems ironic that innovation which can lead to breakthrough solutions and enhanced employability does not have to take place in leading cities but can also be realised and implemented in the developing world. Venkatwamy believes that it is important to use design thinkers tools of empathy, experimentation and prototyping to reach McDonalds like efficiency in an organic, sustainable way.

However, Paul Polak founder of IDE argues that design thinking for the poor begins and ends with a focus of cost. Every detail must be designed to be no more expensive than necessary and no efficiency is too small not to seize. Polak argues that by keeping the cost down on crop irrigation materials which only last a season or two you can reinvest the additional profits to reach economic sustainability faster and with less risk and can lead to applications well beyond farming. I can see point as within the 21st century everything now is to do with money and when this book was written the world was in an economic crisis so this heightens the idea that design thinking does very much depend on money!

However I did wonder if this approach could be used in the more developed countries rather than solely developing countries. However, from reading on I found that Brown believes this kind of innovation has been applied before by the likes of Toyota and Nissan and therefore can be successful in developed countries as well!

An important argument highlighted from the Acumen Fund example highlights that no matter how compelling your idea is it is of little value if it cannot be sustained by its intended customers. Similarly, the key of every design thinker is to craft a brief with enough flexibility to release the imagination of the team while providing enough specificity to ground its idea in the lives of the intended beneficiaries. 

As a teacher I always have to remember that within schools it is important to develop an educational experience that doesn't remove children's natural inclination to experiment and create but rather encourages and amplifies it. Brown states that teachers can use the principles of design thinking to rethink the structure of education by encouraging user centered research, brainstorming, analogos observations and I hope that by realising this I can therefore implement and find creative ways to foster this within my classrooms!


Globalisation- Anthony Giddens (1999) Chapter 1

Before reading this I was unaware of what Globalisation was but I now realise that it is a term that isn't always clear, but it is the idea that we all live in one world. However, sceptics argue that the global economy is not much different than that what existed in previous years and economic trade is not worldwide but amongst regions. Radicals however argue that not only is globalisation very real but its consequences can be felt everywhere and that the global market has developed significantly and is indifferent to national borders. 

Giddens agrees with the radicals believing that the global market is much higher than it has been before and involves a much higher range of goods and services. With the global electronic economy money can be transferred from one side of the world to another easily.Ultimately I have come to realise that globalisation is political, cultural and technological as well as being economic, it is an amalgamation of all of these things combined and not just solely one thing! Indeed, it is a complex set of processes not a single one. However I do think that therefore this must mean that it can operate in a contradictory or oppositional fashion?

Giddens states that most people think of globalisation as simply pulling away power from local communities and nations in the global arena. However globalisation can also push downwards, creating new pressures for local autonomy. Giddens also states that Globalisation also squeezes sideways creating new economic and cultural ones within and across nations for example Silicon Valley in California. 

However many agree that many of the visual cultural expressions of globalisations are American and Coca Cola, McDonalds etc. and most of these are based in the US too. However, I believe that to say they are American is a sweeping generalising statement as there are many expressions of globisations such as Toyota and Ford which are not!

Ultimately, Giddens highlights that Globalisation is a complex issue but something that effects everyone in every part of the world and this is something which since reading this agree with very much!



Week 3 Summary of Readings

Creative Confidence- Kelly (2013) Introduction

There are a number of key points which I have picked up from Kelly's Reading.

Innovative methods can dramatically enhance the lives whether they work in the fields of medicine, law, business, education or science. Indeed, as I progress along this course I have became aware of some of these areas like business such as the IDEO shopping cart challenge or education and the I CAN movement by Kiran Bir Sethi which the Design for change was then made for and the Lego re-imagine learning challenge!

Creativity comes into play wherever you have the opportunity to generate new ideas, solutions, or approaches. Creativity manifests itself as innovation and is the single most important leadership competency for enterprises facing the complexity of global commerce today. However I do think that many years ago this was not the case and creativity is now becoming a much more desirable quality especially amongst employers.

Creativity within schools is as important within education as literacy and we should treat it as the same status. Teachers should encourage creativity within their classrooms and not suppress it. However this is easier said than done in some education systems and I believe for my own education system in Northern Ireland encouraging creativity in the classroom and not surpressing will be more challenging as we have a system more focused on the product rather than the process and grades and right answers more than creativity. Creativity is seen as a lesser value than academic ability within children. However as a teacher this is something I am aware of and hope to change within my classroom as I learn about innovation and creativity and the importance of it.

Many people feel that they are not creative but if try they will surprise themselves with the realisation that they are a lot more creative than they first thought. We are all creative we just need the opportunity to unlock our creative potential and gain creative confidence. Creative confidence is the ability to come up with new ideas and the courage to try them out. Indeed, when I started this process myself I was in the frame of mind but as I stepped out and actually tried I realised that I am and can be creative! Ultimately, whatever your profession when you approach it with creativity you'll come up with new and better solutions and more successes.

Kelly also argues that creative confidence can inspire whatever you  already do because you gain a new tool to enhance your problem- solving practices without having to abandon any of your existing techniques. Indeed, as a teacher I believe that encouraging creativity in schools can foster a range of positive skills and competencies as indicated by Kelly.


Week 4: Summary of Readings

Wagner (2012) Creating Innovators. Introdution and chapters 1 & 2

Wagner believes that viable economy is one which create jobs without polluting the planet. I agree with this point however I do believe this may be easier said than done although it is not unattainable aspiration. Wagner believes this can be put into action by basing the economy upon innovation. This is all about creating a bridge from the problem to the solution, emphasis the need for creativity in this process as problem solving without a creative element is not truly innovation. However I believe we must develop the capacities of young people to be creative and entrepreneurial if this is to be possible. If this does happen major innovation can take place and can compete against formally dominant innovative technologies, for example the Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad!

Furthermore, Wagner identifies 7 survival skills he feels all students consequently need for their future careers. These include critical thinking and problem solving, entrepreneurship and curiosity. Indeed, I agree with him here as our society is evolving we need embed and teach students the skills they will need to become successful and are necessary within our ever changing society. However one point I do note is that Wagner does not include key qualities that are essential for design thinkers like perseverance and empathy and I think these are just as important as the others he did mention. 

However, Wagner also questions of these innovation skills can be learned. However many assume that people are born creative but I believe as a teacher myself that given the right environment and opportunities these skills can be unblocked in anyone. This can also be applied to me as a student during this innovation course as I certainly believe that I am learning and developing innovation skills as I go through this process!

 Hal Gregerson talks about loss of creative capacity in a study he did with children who were 4 years old who he found to be constantly asking questions and then again with the same children when they were 6 years old who seem to have lost this desire to ask to questions because they are taught that there is only going to be one right answer and by the time they reach their adult years they have had their curiosity drummed out of them. Indeed, Wagner refers to Sternberg who believes that "creativity is a habit, the problem is that schools sometimes treat it as a bad habit...like any habit creativity can either be encouraged or discouraged." I agree with this quote completely as from my own personal observation in schools I can see how a negative comment or attitude of a teacher towards a child's creative work can discourage them from wanting to try and produce creative pieces and likewise a positive comment and attitude towards their creative work will encourage and inspire them to continue and do more.

Research by Wagner found that children who are the most innovative are the ones whose parents carefully monitor their screen time however he also discovered that this millennial generation of the digital age also have an extraordinary latent talent for and interest in innovation and entrepreneurship than any other generation in history. Personally, having a younger brother I can see that when he is on the internet unlike in school he will act on his curiosity by researching and be able to teach themselves how to do certain things like blog, upload photos, make YouTube videos etc.

Annmarie Neal also believes that this generation are differently motivated, more flexible and tend to ask questions and using their connections in order to find the information. However as a teacher I recognise the challenge is that this generation wants to have meaning in their work and have an immediate impact. this generation needs our guidance mentoring and support but our schools, places of work and habits of parenting need to encourage this generation to become more innovative. Indeed some of the most innovative entrepreneurs like Gates or Jobbs do not thank their school education for unleashing their creativity and this is something which as a future educator myself I want to change!

I agree with Wanger when he states that many of the qualities needed for an innovator can be nurtured or learned, however this can be easier said than done. The Amabile diagram which argues that creativity (innovation) is the result of an interrelationship between expertise, creative thinking skills and motivation which can be both intrinsic or extrinsic. Wagner believes that "being innovative is central to being human, we're curious and playful animals until its pounded out of us"

I really liked the example Wagner used about Kirk as I found it very interesting, easy to understand and relatable to my own experiences. I can see how Kirk believes it was his teachers that had the real influences on his life as a young innovator. These teachers incorporated elements of competition and play in their approach to teaching and found that this made it a lot more motivational. He says, "empowerment means students can go out and apply what they've learned to the problems that they've never seen before with parts that they've never used before". Indeed I believe this gives a good insight into how much value hands-on projects where students have to solve real problems and learn to draw upon their academic knowledge from multiple disciplines to solve a problem.

Ultimately I agree with Wagner's conclusion where he assumes that the culture of a classroom - the values, beliefs and behaviours - is what surrounds the three requirements for innovation (expertise, creative thinking skills and motivation).


Week 5: Summary of Readings

Kelly and Kelly (2013) Chapter 2

Kelly and Kelly refer to Bandura who was able to cure people from snake phobia's through "guided mastery". This was a step by step process where he facilitated them to get over their phobias. However, overcoming their phobia had also altered their belief in what they could accomplish and many participants were now using their new found courage in other aspects of their lives which was transforming to them. This links to self- efficacy that when you have the belief in yourself you can undertake tougher challenges, persevere longer and are more resilient in the face of obstacles and failure. Indeed, I believe that  creative ability can be cured by guiding people through a series of small successes as I myself have experienced this. Small successes are intrinsically rewarding and help people go on to the next level. Therefore self- efficacy is closely related to what we think of as creative confidence.

Kelly and Kelly note is that if you want more success you have to be prepared to shrug off more failure. Fear of failure holds us back from learning all sorts of new skills from taking risks and from tackling new challenges. I believe this means that you have to overcome that fear and accept its part of the learning, remaining confident in the fact that you are moving forward despite the setbacks. I think that that though is easier said than done! It is switching your mind to not see failing as failure but as learning. However even if you overcome the initial fear of failure and gain creative confidence you need to continue stretching yourself, creative abilities will grow if you keep stretching them. 

Many of the leading companies in the world are now giving their entrepeneurs leeway to make mistakes as it is believed that you get better faster at coming up with new ideas if you have permission to fail sometimes. However, I do think that it is important that you learn from failure for it to be beneficial if you don't you're liable to repeat the same errors as before.

Kelly and Kelly also believe it is very important that within schools teachers encourage creative confidence and not reject it. As a teacher myself I can recognise from previous observations that a bad experience can have a last effect on a child's confidence in creativity. We should encourage pupils in class to not label themselves as "uncreative" as this is just a front put up for themselves as they fear failure and judgements on their work. Every child should see their potential to be creative and schools should promote and enhance this as much as possible. Likewise encouraging children to let go of comparison will also be very helpful towards their creative confidence as you won't be concerned with how your achievements measure up to others. However for children in the Northern Irish education system this can be difficult as there is a big focus on success and achievement and outcome above anything else and children and their work are constantly compared and told they must all reach a certain standard!

Ultimately, I agree with Kelly and Kelly that creativity depends on what you believe you can do with the talents and skills you already have and how you develop and build on those skills and talents. Teachers, parents and the environment play an important role of encouraging or surpressing creativity within a child.

Wagner (2012) Creating Innovators, Chapter 5

Firstly Wagner draws attention to Olin School as an example of innovation in education and creating innovators. He believes that within this school the integration of different perspectives is essential for innovation. In schools learning how to collaborate is one of the educational outcomes that is most valued. In most schools the expectation that students will begin to specialise early in their academic career and interdisciplinary courses are the rare exception however in Olin School they aim to create problem first and foremost. Indeed I found this example very interesting as I myself am a teacher and have taught in many schools and therefore could see the benefits of this approach to students.

However Wagner also believes that the education sector tends to attracts people who are risk- averse and much training of students underscores the importance of a deliberate and cautious approach to one's work. I agree with this completely coming from an education system like Northern Ireland where this is very much the format, the challenge me as a teacher to establish educational settings which encourage the trial and error and intellectual risk- taking that are the hallmarks of innovators. I want to take the view from Olin School who see trial and error or failure as an integral part of problem solving.

In most educational settings learning is overwhelmingly passive which I have come to recognise since being a part of this erasmus experience and learning about different education systems such as Germany and Turkey and Lebanon. However in the example of Olin School the primary goal is not the acquisition of knowledge but to develop a set of skills or competencies such as problem solving. Knowledge is important but it is acquired on an as needed basis. Indeed research shows that students understand and retain much more of what they learn when they have studied and used the knowledge in an applied context. I can recognise that conventional academic classes (like Northern Ireland) rely on extrinsic incentives as motivators for learning such as getting a good grade but at Olin they understand that the desire to innovate is not primarily driven by extrinsic incentives which I think is a better motivator and format for children. Olin School is a prime example of how to create a postsecondary experience designed to develop the capabilities of innovators and entrepreneurs.

Media Lab by MIT is another example cited by Wagner as an example of innovation. In Media Lab a new class focused on inventing a better future through developing students who are able to develop creative applications of innovative digital technologies. Media Lab is organised round a series of research topics and students take up classes based on their interests. They have found hat the best way to think and act creativity is to work collaboratively. I think that through this it would therefore give students the freedom to push boundaries and use their creativity as well as encouragement of intellectual risk taking and trial and error compared to risk avoidance.

However I do feel that these examples highlighted by Wagner the fact that  there are some aspects of traditional academic culture that make innovation very difficult.

I really liked the example also of Stanford's d.School where the goal is to teach the skills of innovation while addressing some of the world's most challenging problems related to sustainability, education etc. As I had never heard of it before I found it very intriguing and inspiring and I think that it is great that pupils can learn and develop skills and the work they do will have a positive impact on people! Students work together to understand a problem and co-create possible solutions.



Week 6 Summary of Readings
Kelly and Kelly (2013) Chapter 4

Kelly and Kelly refer to Ankit and Akshay who believes that through this new way of thinking about creativity and design is freeing as there is no single 'right' solution and you can have many ideas. Indeed I agree with them as during the gift- giving experience acitivity we did in class I felt less pressure when I was told there was no perfect or right solution it was just what I thought! This new way of thinking encourages you to blend your own ideas with the diverse viewpoints of your team. However I do agree with kelly and kelly that empathy is an important of the process as it is important to talk to the potential customers to spark new ideas and explore new avenues of thought and make sure you are going along the right track!

Ankit and Akshay also believe it is important to start with a 'do something' attitude, minimize planning and maximize action, prototype quickly and cheaply and thrive in time constraints. I have come to realise through experiencing this process myself that innovation is all about quickly turning your ideas into action so don't get stuck in the planning phase.

I agree with the writer since watching the TED talk by Kiran Bir Sethi that a little creative confidence you can spark positive action in the world and with a more proactive mindset you will start to see more opportunities for action around you as I saw how the children were able to be proactive and help people creativity in their own communities! However I do believe that in order to reach a creative breakthrough you just need to start regardless of small failures that may occur as it is unlikely that your first try at anything will be a success. Indeed, the messiness of trial and error may be uncomfortable and this is something I often felt going through this process but I realised that this therefre allows most of us to learn at a faster rate and is needed for success and I defintely found that I myself worked quicker and faster when we had a deadline to work to.  Both Kelly and Kelly also believe that constraints spur creativity and incite action as long as you have the confidence to embrace them.

In Kelly and Kelly's experience the best way to make progress is to build a prototype an early working model of your idea. This gives you something to show and talk about with other people. However prototypes don't have to be physical they can also be just an embodiment of your idea.

Similarly, the writer argues that when thinking of ideas and solutions do not dismiss the crazy ones as sometimes they can lead to valuable solutions because if you suppress those impractical ideas too early you may inadvertently stall out the process that lead to practical innovation. I think this is true as during the imagine phase my group came up with some crazy ideas but during the prototype phase we actually ended up using parts of these crazy ideas to make something good!

Ultimately I agree with kelly and kelly that whether your resources are abundant or scarce, embracing experimentation can help fuel innovation. With a belief in your creative capacity you can feel empowered to take action and become an agent for change in your environment, discovering innovation solutions to problems.


Week 6: Summary of Readings
Darso Chapter 1

The concept of innovation involves novelty that creates economic value. However I question this as innovation especially within education will not necessarily create something of economic value? However I do agree with the definition of  the concept of competency which is the ability to deal appropriately with situations as they arise under complex conditions and takes the form of knowledge (about innovation which must be developed through experience and practice), social awareness, judgement and decision making. Darso beleives that people must nurture and develop the innovation competency and organisations must develop leadership and environments that support people in this endeavour. This is true as I have become aware of many examples from previous readings such as d.school and Apple etc which do this.

Darsø believes innovation competency consists of two intertwined competencies, socio- innovative competency (which involves leadership, communication and facilitation)and intra- innovative competency (which involves an inner transformation and growth towards a more empathic, sensitive and conscious awareness of yourself and others). I would agree with this as during this process I have seen myself developed competencies in both separate areas!

The Diamond of Innovation model was developed by Darsø during a 3 year research project in a pharmaceutical company. He found that concepts, ignorance, knowledge and relations were equally important for successful innovation. They can be comprehended and analysed in 2 dynamics, a knowledge dynamic between knowledge and ignorance and a communication dynamic between relations and concepts. Both of these dynamics work simultaneously but the balance between between them can be skewed. I think that this is a good model as it highlights the complexity of the innovation process in the early stages and is very clear to understand.

I believe that one of the advantages of the diamond model is that it can be used as a process map for navigating through the innovation process and creates a shared language on innovation in organisations. Furthermore, Darso states that 4 leadership roles can be developed to make the model more applicable and useful in practice. The leadership roles taken by 4 participants perform the leadership needed for driving the innovation during meetings. These roles rotate among people so that new qualities can be added. In this way desired leadership is gradually developed around a learning process built on practical experience involving the development of socio- innovative competencies. Ultimately, I do think that the diamond model with leadership roles can be helpful for understanding the human and social aspects of the innovation process and thereby also the foundation of innovation competency.

Heron and Reason (2008) developed a framework that highlights this and extends the diamond model by Darsø. These include presentational knowing, prepositional knowing, practical knowing and experiential knowing. These concepts are highly relevant in the learning process during the early stages of innovation. In the first arena of experiential knowing a learning space can support developing innovation competency. In the second arena of presentation knowing aesthetic and artful approaches can be used to develop innovation competency. In the third arena of propositional knowing innovation models and theories can be applied as cognitive tools to think with. In the fourth arena of practical knowing the technologies that must be applied over and over are social.

Coming from an educational background I believe that a learning space can help the development of these competencies, this can be developed by allowing people to have numerous experiences together, expressing thoughts and ideas in new ways, drawing some explicit conclusions and practicing and trying things out of in practice. This is something which we as teachers need to create but find it hard to do so as it can be challenging as well. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) believe that socialisation is a big part of the learning environment as well as the concept of 'Ba' which is a shared space that serves as foundation of knowledge creation. However I believe that this too needs to be facilitated.