By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Brains are the hot commodity of the knowledge economy and, if West Michigan is to be a serious competitor in the 21st century, employers and employees alike must be innovative thinkers. Experts believe that all humans can think innovatively. But some people must be taught how.
With that in mind, WIRED West Michigan provided some $800,000 in seed funding to the Grand Rapids Community College to establish an Innovation Curriculum that teaches the skills for creative thinking to employers, employees, students, teachers, and others who want to learn them.
The vision is that those individuals will apply the new skills to secure jobs and play in an information-based economy.
"For years there's been the belief that the left side of our brain is responsible for analytical thought and the right side is the artistic side," says Liz McCormick, leader of the Innovation Curriculum and director of continuing education at GRCC. "But the Innovation Curriculum is talking about whole brain learning."
Animated games, stories, and videos are some of the methods the curriculum uses to stimulate both sides of the brain and reconnect adults with innovative thinking.
The project is in the testing phase for the curriculum's first three prototypes: Synthesis, Iteration, and Self Reflection.
GRCC needs adult volunteers to test the prototypes and give feedback on their effectiveness for teaching innovative thinking.
"We want to make sure we're designing a product that's going to be effective," McCormick says. "We envision the product as customized training for industries, and as a curriculum available to faculty to use independently or embed in other curriculum, such as science or entrepreneurship."
The test sessions are limited to 15 and 20 people per session and take about two hours. Anyone interested should contact Liz McCormick at [email protected].
Source: Liz McCormick, Grand Rapids Community College
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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