Innovation:
Original:
When I think of innovation, I think of trying new things. I think of applying ideas or
approaches from one area of study to another. For example, traditionally, when
think ingabout math, not everyone thinks of art, but you can use geometry to create
incredible art pieces. To me, this is innovation, taking math and making it art.
Revised:
Innovation is the practice of trying something new to develop a new approach. This
can be new to the field altogether or new to you. Innovation is about reflecting on
old practices and identifying where something is not working anymore and how
we can change it to suit the needs of the students in front of us.
Reflection:
As I have come to adapt and morph my definition of innovation, I had a moment of
what we can call clarity. Innovation in the classroom does not need to be at the
academic, pedagogy-changing level; it can be a personal experience of trying new
things that, at the end of the day, someone down the hall or across the country has been
doing for years. Innovation requires a lot of reflection and research into what has been
done, whether it worked, and what we can do to meet the needs that are being
neglected. To do this, we need to have documentation of historical education
practices as Theodore Christou mentions in his article Reflecting from the Margins
of Education Faculties “Educational history is … a broad testament to how much,
and how dramatically, practices and policies in pedagogy change.” (Christou, 51, 2010)
Creativity:
Original:
To me, creativity is using prior knowledge, often combining topics or ideas typically
assumed unrelated, to create or look at something differently. It is using what we
know and how we know how to use it, then shifting that idea and coming up with
something new. Creativity has no bounds, although it requires much trial and error.
Revised:
Creativity is risk-taking. It does not require a bias; in fact, it just needs a hunch or
an idea to see if you can make something. Creativity is freedom of expression.
It is freedom from binaries.
Reflection:
My definition of creativity has shifted to be a bit more open-ended. I think, really,
defining creativity is a little ironic. To be creative means to have no bounds,
and when we define something, it puts it in a box. A quote from Pavol Kral and
Katarina Janoskova’s “Creativity: A Prerequisite for Sustainable and Innovative
Education” that I feel helped to shape my perspective and backs up my point
of view, “In order to make new ideas and thoughts as original as possible,
it is necessary to get rid of the creativity barriers, a distorted view of creativity
and fear which is one of the greatest obstacles to creation.” (Kral and
Janoskova, 2020)
Teaching:
Original:
Teaching is a hard word for me to define, and that is part of the problem.
There are so many different definitions of teaching that rounding it into
one concrete definition is easier said than done. In a day, a teacher plays many
different roles for the students in their classroom. Teaching also goes beyond
the school in day-to-day interactions. So, for me, teaching means nurturing
and encouraging minds to find their passions through endless trial and error to be
lifelong learners, and this can happen or be done by just about anyone.
Revised:
A big part of my definition of teaching remains nurturing and encouraging minds
to find their passions through endless trial and error to be lifelong learners. It is
inclusive in its efforts of taking material and presenting it in a fun and engaging
way that inspires learners to seek more knowledge. Teaching is any instance
someone takes the time to share knowledge of any kind with another person.
Reflection:
Although my definition remains fairly similar, teaching is something that is
occurring everywhere all the time, and it is inspiring to see it in our day to
day lives. Adding something about teaching being inclusive is important to me.
As teachers, we need to make sure we are including everyone in our class
requires social justice to be emphasised by school leaders and teacher education
programs. As Jutras Newton argues in his paper, Leading for Equity,
Diversity, and Inclusion in Canadian Schools, “a foundation of self-awareness,
on-going reflection, and a disposition to listen and act, leaders can be equipped
to do social justice work” (Newton, 2021) making us all better teachers.
Teaching requires us to adapt to the changes around us to be part of the change.
Learning:
Original:
My definition of learning is the ability to have an open mind. When you are open-
minded, you can draw from your experiences in life and make new understandings.
Revised:
Learning is the ‘ah ha’ moment after endless attempts. It is experiencing new things,
and having an open mind and heart to all information that comes your way.
Reflection:
The evolution of my definition of learning, is really an example of learning itself.
When we learn we gather new information, come to new understandings. Which is
exactly what has happened over this course. I do still believe that in order to truly
learn, we need to be open minded to possibilities. When we do this, we can have new
experiences that lead to us learning new things. Being open minded pays such an
important role in being ready to learn. As mentioned in my previous post, a study
done by Hadi Al-Abrrow and associates, Effect of open-mindedness and humble behavior
on innovation: mediator role of learning, highlights the important nature of
being open minded and “the likelihood that individuals will accept new ideas, methods,
practices and new procedures.” Their findings supported this theory and “suggest that
OM [open-mindedness] and humble behaviour facilitate individual learning and enhance
innovation” (Al-Abrrow et al., 2021)
References
AL-Abrrow, Hadi & Sami, Akram & Abdullah, Hasan & Khaw, Kw & Alnoor,
Alhamzah & Rexhepi, Gadaf. (2021). Effect of open-mindedness and humble
behavior on innovation: mediator role of learning. International Journal of
Emerging Markets. ahead-of-print. 10.1108/IJOEM-08-2020-0888.
Christou, Theodore Michael. “Reflecting from the margins of education
faculties: Refiguring the humanist, and finding a space for story in history.”
Brock Education Journal, vol. 20, no. 1, 1 July 2010, pp. 49–63,
https://doi.org/10.26522/brocked.v20i1.145.
Newton, P., Jutras, M. (2022). Leading for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in
Canadian Schools. In: Peters, M.A., Heraud, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Educational
Innovation. Springer, Singapore.
https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_228-1
Kral, P., Janoskova, K. (2020). Creativity: A Prerequisite for Sustainable and
Innovative Education. In: Peters, M., Heraud, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of
Educational Innovation. Springer, Singapore.
https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_204-1
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