Understanding Innovation

Submitted by VisMedNetAdmin on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 02:31
Understanding Innovation
Removing the myth behind the word. Creating space for new thinking for teachers and students.
Creativity cannot be taught but it can be fostered, encouraged or tapped.

The course is for teachers and trainers in high schools, VET and Higher Education who wish to be equipped to remove the awe from the words Innovation and Creativity. Some like to believe that creativity is something that you either have it or you don't. You are either born creative or not. This is not true.

There are tools and techniques to help jog the mind and help an individual understand how to push boundaries in thinking. Creativity and innovation can be seen around us in small things at home or in any environment if we watch closely and appreciate that whatever surprises us has behind it someone who thought creatively.

2019 Portugal 2018 - 2019 Malta
2019 Italy

This project is the result of experience of trainers that work with VisMedNet with years of experience in validation of innovation and creativity and in part the result of two projects that have pooled in the experience of many European partners.

VISConti project was an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Providers of Vocational Education and Training. The partnership was made up of 17 universities, schools, education authorities and other organisations from 9 countries under the leadership of the Norges Teknik-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet of Norway but has then gone further to become a larger community and its success is now ongoing in the new UPPScience project. Schools taking up this option join the network and open doors to new cooperation opportunities beyond this training.

Creative InternPrize was another Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Providers of Vocational Education and Training.The partners generated training materials on creative start-ups and content from that training on innovation and creativity is being used in this activity. The training activities help one energise the mind and remove the embarassment of sharing unorthodox ideas in a group. Training from Creative InternPrize will be high on soft skills and development of a new mind-set.
 

Are you aware that your school or organisation can receive financial support for training and mobility under the Erasmus+ programme ? A number schools and organisations have benefitted from funding and they have taken part in training with us in Barcelona, Valletta, Citta della Pieve and Rome. Our team offers support with the application process in order that your school may benefit from such funding bringing the most needed results for the organisation and its members of staff. For more information contact us at researchanddevelopment@vismednet.net

Preparation before the course

The participants will be invited to participate in an online forum of the VISConti network of partners in which they will become conversant with the philosophy of VISConti, its orientation towards the culture of creativity and innovation. They will also join the Creative InternPrize forum of partners so that they can also get the orientation towards bringing school and industry closer than ever that is the driving force behind that network.

The participants will also be invited to test some techniques in thinking creatively so that the course discipline will not be something totally new when they start the training.

Objectives of the course

The course will instil in the minds of the participants confidence in speaking about innovation and creativity in a new way. The tools and techniques used in the course will help them understand how to look at things from a new angle by breaking them down to pieces and understanding how the pieces come together, how to build ideas and understand change and what makes change happen.
 
By the end of the course the participants will be able to be creative and innovative themselves and to share this knowledge with their colleagues and students because most of the activities can be applied to any subject and can be adapted to and adopted into cross-disciplinary and cross-curricular activities, in the classroom or in the school. They will change the way they understand the words creativity and innovation because they will not be generic or abstract words any more but concrete steps towards understanding and bringing about change.

Methodology

The days of the course will provide a mix of didactic sessions and workshop format sessions. The methodology will be in key with the experimental approach of the content ie. it leaves ample time for discussion and input from the participants. The days will be divided into :
- a morning input session on a topic by one or more members of the experimentation team of VisMedNet,
- a discussion forum that will be chaired and animated by one of the trainers, and
- group work that will help further use of the tools, techniques and experimentation after the course.

Follow up to the course

The participants will carry out at least one small dissemination / sharing activity with their peers at school and share the results. The will also be encouraged to remain part of the VISConti and Creative InternPrize networks drawing their colleagues to be engaged as well.

Programme of Activities

Day 1
0900-1000 Introduction of the works and participants profiling
1000-1030 Presenting subject . Where we will be heading in the coming days
1100-1130 Participants portfolios and recent projects
1130-1230 Where is the innovation ? Is it created ? Is it there to be discovered ? From participants’ recent projects, bring out what was innovative in your projects put it to words. Find ways and means how to deliver it.
1400-1430 The Pros and Cons of Innovation.
1430-1600 The 9 points of successful innovation

Day 2
0900-1000 Innovative breakfast
1000-1030 Group work: Defining Innovation . Making it a personal cause.
1030-1230 Leading definitions in understanding innovation. Innovations vs Invention in . Technology vs Social and Economic
1400-1500 The innovation process
1500-1600 Workshop : Getting the process in real
1600-1730 Selling / Presenting a good idea

Day 3
0900-1100 Different types of innovation
1100-1230 Three gurus in Research Phase
1400-1700 10 points > meeting the end user

Day 4
0900-1000 Input on : Managing innovation
1000-1230 Presenting : STEEPV
1400-1500 Practical workshop > putting STEEPV in our work
1500-1600 Foresight in innovative ideas

Day 5
0900-1000 PESTEL > considering all factors
1000-1100 Information Technology,  Productivity, and Creativity. Contributing challenges or competitive collaborators ?
1100-1230 What kills Innovation ?
1400-1600 Summarising our journey.

Are you aware that your school or organisation can receive financial support for training and mobility under the Erasmus+ programme ? A number schools and organisations have benefitted from funding and they have taken part in training with us in Barcelona, Valletta, Citta della Pieve and Rome. Our team offers support with the application process in order that your school may benefit from such funding bringing the most needed results for the organisation and its members of staff. For more information contact us at researchanddevelopment@vismednet.net