Innovation and creativity are relevant to both academic courses and educational activities, however unlike general belief, it is not limited to the arts; the creative process allows the learning experiences to make a lot of sense.
Creativity according to the Oxford dictionary is the ability to use imagination to produce a novel idea or product that is useful to the society. It requires skills that involve a certain understanding of the context. Creativity is a way of playing with ideas and creating ways to improve it, it requires hard work and commitment. It enables students to put in their invention to create ideas, images, questions, solutions and evaluate their ideas with their peers’ own.
On the other hand, innovation can be defined as new ideas, new looks of things, new materials, new potentials, new products with values. It contains the product of creating something distinctly. Innovation involves continuity, commitment, persistence and diligence to make many new ideas to be followed through and developed. Innovation equals value creation. There is no innovation without creativity. Creativity is a thinking process while innovation is a doing process.
What does creativity contribute?
Creativity brings connection among peers and students, it opens the habits of reasoning. It challenges educators, youths, students and parents to think deeply to create new ideas and be innovative. Creativity further encourages questions, nurtures solution-driven educators and learners.
It gives voice and makes voices to be heard especially in resource limited communities for educators, youths, students and parents who seem to be less privileged. It motivates, activates, stimulates, supports and nurtures ideas and resilience. Creativity brings joy, laughter and unity among peers, it brings confidence and limits the way resource-limited students feel intimidated and inferior.
Creativity nurtures social skills through activities that involve various values and understanding the needs of others. Creativity gives room for educators and learners to imagine, experiment and learn how to cope with feelings be it emotionally or socially. Creativity boosts confidence in educators and learners when they are able to implement their ideas and create new innovations.
Ways to improve creative and innovative development in youths, educators, students and parents
- Maximize your leisure time by making time for coherent thinking
- Elevate your innovations by learning, re-learning and unlearning
- Build the ability to express yourself and your ideas
- Learn from others; be open to corrections, ask questions, seek solutions.
- Ensure to be a valuable team member, always be ready to help.
- Creativity promotes emotional, social, interpersonal, intellectual and physical skills among peers, youths and educators. It comes in easy when children are allowed to think and create ideas themselves, it is a major tool in their growth and happiness.
- Experimenting with new and different tools introduces youths, educators and learners to science and art.
- Counting pieces or materials usually boosts the children’s math basic.
- Educators and youths should embrace the works and activities of kids and their peers without condemnation.
- Displaying children’s artwork and inventions boosts their confidence and excitement.
- Giving children and learners control and independence they need to create and think
- Emphasizing on the processes of creativity and not just the end products make learners intrigued and curious to create new ideas of theirs.
In conclusion, research has shown the influence of multimedia art and science projects in developing many skills that are important for kids to thrive. As educators, youths and teachers, we should endeavor to introduce projects to kids and their peers both in classrooms and in their environment. Parents should also encourage creativity and innovations in all forms by supporting their ward’s discoveries and ideas; this action has a direct impact on the child’s emotional, social and psychological development, this in turn creates a change and social justice in the community.
By Olayemi Ojeokun
Recent Comments