Curiosity
What is it?
Being curious involves observing things and noticing what is significant. You can ask questions to understand more deeply, and can filter a mass of information to find what’s relevant to an issue. You have the ability to recognise and describe a problem.
Reflection point
What are you curious about? Sometimes the smallest of things can spark your curiosity. Think of something that you don’t know the answer to but would like to know. For example: ‘Why is the sky blue?’ ‘Why is the unicorn Scotland’s national animal?’ ‘What is the measurement for the speed of a computer mouse?’ (The answer to the last one, by the way, is ‘Mickeys’!)
Write down your question and think about how you might find the answer.
Other curiosity meta skills
Observing behaviour or information and register it as significant
Ask questions to increase understanding
The ability to filter resources to information relevant to an issue
Being able to acknowledge and define a problem
Creativity
What is it?
Creativity means using your imagination to explore ideas, including imaginary ones, and come up with new solutions and responses beyond what you have been taught to do — sometimes by ‘tinkering’ or trial and error. You can turn information and thought into accessible words and images.
What does it look like?
Sometimes the hardest thing is to be faced with a blank sheet of paper, knowing that you have to create something ‘out of nothing’. Many people find it easier to be creative through problem-solving or working within certain boundaries.
The following video explores the power of creative constraints;
The power of creative constraints – Brandon Rodriguez (View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-power-of-creative-constraints-brandon-rodriguez Imagine you were asked to invent something new).
Reflection point
Inspiration is also a part of creativity. What inspires you? It might be a musician; a piece of artwork; a book or quote; maybe even people that you know. Put together an ‘inspiration board’ of things that you think are creative or make you feel creative (you can use a platform like Pinterest, a Word document or just a big piece of cardboard). Collect images of things that inspire you, and think about the different ways that people show their creativity.
Other creativity meta skills
Using your imagination to explore ideas that are not present or even real
The ability to explore, through tinkering and making, in order to arrive at new ideas and solutions
Visualising information into accessible images and expressions
Sense making
What is it?
Making sense of information involves recognising patterns in complex data or information, and analysing the information into its component parts. You can see the big picture, and are able to select and organise the information into a coherent form to make it easier to use. This means you are able to spot opportunities for innovation.
What does it look like?
In this example of innovation, Margaret Hamilton had to understand the big picture, recognise the opportunity that she had to be innovative and come up with a solution by synthesising knowledge and analysing a huge amount of data.
NASA’s first software engineer: Margaret Hamilton – Matt Porter & Margaret Hamilton
Learn how Margaret Hamilton and her team of engineers built the software for the Apollo 11 mission that landed mankind on the Moon.
Reflection point
What can you learn from the stories of people like Margaret Hamilton? Write down three learning points.
Other sense-making meta skills
Able to see the big picture and understand complex situations
Organising, filtering and understanding data
Evaluating information and breaking it down into component parts
The ability to identify areas of opportunity for innovation
Critical thinking
What is it?
Critical thinking is all about solving complex problems. This can involve breaking a problem down into smaller, more manageable parts to find a new way of tackling it. More generally, you can analyse and evaluate situations, ideas and information in a logical way. You can translate large amounts of data into abstract concepts, and deal with it rationally. You have the judgement to form an opinion after careful thought.
What does it look like?
Here are some tips about how to approach critical thinking:
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/5-tips-to-improve-your-critical-thinking-samantha-agoos
Reflection point
What aspects of critical thinking could help you most when you’re thinking through a problem?
Other reflection meta skills
The ability to identify, analyse and evaluate situations, ideas and information in order to formulate responses to problems
Breaking down a complex problem or system into smaller, more manageable parts
Being able to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts
Innovation reflection
Reflection Point
Think about a time when you have or should have shown any (or all) of the Innovation skills: Curiosity, Creativity, Sense making, Critical thinking. Using your reflective journal (written or recorded), record your thoughts about that event or situation.
