We started the class with a quick task to see how innovative we could be with some random resources. Each group had two paper plates, some rubber bands, some dry spaghetti, string, masking tape and, most importantly, a marshmallow. Despite the attempts of some of my classmates, we were asked to refrain from eating the marshmallow as it was the main part of the task. The aim was to create a structure as high as possible, that would hold the marshmallow on top. After some brainstorming, my group decided to focus on the sturdiness of the structure and worry about the height afterwards. We worked well as a team, however, when the time was drawing to a close, we didn't have a very strong or high structure, so we failed the task. I enjoyed this task as an opening to the class as it got us to think on our feet and got our brains working.
The new project, like the last one, is one that we don't have much time to prepare. We will be completing an open lab, in which we have to share innovation with others. There are 6 different client groups that the class will be sharing with, which were chosen by interest. The 6 groups are; street -talking to people on the streets of Copenhagen, college - talking to students, school - talking to the pupils and teachers in a school, teacher - working with teachers at home or in Denmark, home - working with our home institution and the student teachers there, and Internet group - working with a group of people over the Internet. I chose to work in the home group, as I wanted to see how innovation could be brought into my university at home.
As a group, we began to look at how this could work. I was working with Goretti, Rachel and Emily, Nd we began to look at the two universities represented and how an innovation course/day would work in each of them. Would we be able to run a course? Would it simply just be an advert? Would we have the means to run a whole week of an intensive innovation course? After a lot of brainstorming we settled on a one day event which taught student teachers and lecturers what innovation was and how to be innovative. We decided to use the model of 'feel; imagine; do; share' that we used in our last project as the basis for our day, and to promote it in various ways throughout our home colleges. The aim would be to allow students a chance at the end of this one day taster to sign up for a longer course on how to teach innovation to children.
We had to take into consideration what could go wrong if we conducted a day like this at our home university. We looked at issues like money, time, space, lack of motivation in students, lack of materials, or unwillingness to sign up for the longer course. These will be things that would have to be looked at in greater detail if the course was to be pitched to the university. I think it could be so,etching that could be pitched, and I am looking forward to hear the feedback from the various lecturers and teachers.
During the open lab on the 7th of May we will create this programme, making any resources that would be needed for the course, and use feedback which we will collect from students and lecturers at our home colleges to show our class how innovation would be received at home. So far I am enjoying this project and think it is definitely something that could be brought to my home college, Stranmillis.
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