It is clear that our future requires and will continue to require much innovative thinking by citizens at every level. Businesses, social services, volunteer organisations, governments and groups formed to address particular issues face challenges that are becoming ever more complex as the global social, economic, political and technological landscape continues to be shaped by exponential change.

So what role does this require for schools and in particular, the educators whose work each day contributes in some way to preparing children and young people for life now and in the future? Which basic skills that we currently teach and test will continue to provide a basis for successful participation in and contribution to our society in the future by young people (and which probably won’t)? Which skills and fluencies really need to be added to the list?

I would argue that if innovation is a fundamental need for our future, then our individual and collective capacity for innovative thinking must now be considered a basic skill. Young people who go through our entire education system without being regularly challenged to think creatively and innovatively will find it difficult to switch on rich streams of this kind of thought once they have graduated into the workforce of the future. This puts them at considerable risk.

So what do we need to actually be fostering in our schools and classrooms in the name of innovative thinking? Three prominent advocates for innovative thinking as a basic skill are Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen and Clayton Christensen. They have formulated a model for innovative thinking that is built on three crucial foundations: having the courage to innovate, developing behavioural skills that support innovative thinking and developing the cognitive skills to synthesise novel ideas.

Having the courage to innovate involves challenging the status quo (in particular, by asking questions like, why? why not? what if?) and being prepared to take risks. This requires a significant focus on the value of failure as a strategy in the steps towards success.

The behavioural skills that underpin innovative thinking are questioning, observing/taking notice, collaborating/networking and experimenting/making. These enable associational thinking – the analysis, evaluation and synthesis that help people link ideas that on the surface, may have no clear relationship at all.

Strategies that to help foster the innovative thinking power of children and young people could include:

To encourage associational thinking

• Play games like, ‘What’s the Connection?’ In groups of three, two people think of a random word. The third person must try to create a logical connection between the two words, but try to be creative in doing so.
• The game TriBond works in a similar way by giving three word clues and asking participants to find what they have in common. Check out TriBond.com for more ideas.

 

To grow questioning skills

• As a closing activity at the end of a session or at the end of a day, gather learners in a circle and ask, ‘What questions did you ask today?’ and ‘What questions didn’t you have time to ask today?’ (Watch the short video, ‘What is that?’ to see the power of questions between two people).
• Give learners answers and ask them to develop interesting (open and closed) questions that would lead to particular answers.

 

Building the skills of observation

• Show video clips and ask a series of questions afterwards that require learners to be very observing during viewing.
• Read, ‘How to be an Explorer of the World’ (by Keri Smith) – it is a really good guide for adults and young people who are interested in becoming better observers of the world.
• Use field trips as an opportunity for learners to develop observation skills utilising their senses. Have them ‘switch off ‘ particular senses from time to time so that others can be used more deeply.

 

Promoting collaboration and networking

• Have learners work in small teams to solve problems – a daily challenge can be fun. Explain that problems are best solved when a variety of people look at them from multiple perspective.
• Invite members of the community (including the business and wider community) with particular expertise to come in and work with learners who are involved in designing or planning innovations that are related to the person’s area of expertise. This could also be done virtually.

 

To foster associational thinking

• Encourage learners to use basic construction materials (cardboard, boxes, playdough etc) to make things they have seen or imagined
• Promote tinkering – put old artifacts in the learning space for learners to take apart (and maybe even re-assemble). Talk with learners about what they have done and what they have found out.
• Have a ‘Genius Hour’ each week or a regular ‘Innovation Time’, where learners can pursue ideas they are passionate about and collaborate with people of their choice.

 

Giving children and young people time to practice their skills as innovators is similar to providing opportunities to master the skills of literacy, numeracy and scientific thinking or to improve physical skills. The Australian Curriculum is full of possibilities to make our classrooms and schools places for questioning, deep thinking, collaboration and using technology to enhance and extend the learning experience.

Why not get a staff or inter-school group together to generate more ideas around how the model for innovative thinking might be embedded into everyday learning?