Science For Creative Innovation

From a fridge that does not run on electricity to computer software that can decode human emotions by listening to speech to antimicrobial coatings that prevents nosocomial infection to nanoparticles designed for drug delivery and space craft navigation systems. All of them were developed within the past year by school students around the world under the guidance, inspiration, and encouragement of their science teachers. Now, each of these amazing accomplishments has a great chance of being integrated into future technologies that will improve the quality of life as well as nation character building for many people around the world. In other words, science advancements may hopefully nurture any nation’s effort to improve its moral character.

In science especially, it is critical that students get the opportunity to engage in innovation and creativity. In its very nature, science is a discipline of questioning, experimenting, and thinking outside the box. Being able to engage in inquiry, innovation, and creativity within the science classroom in particular is important for the students both now and in the future. Students learn best by doing. So as they study a particular content objective, students will retain more if they have done something with it.

Developing and nurturing creativity and innovation is essential for students today. With the issues that will face them — climate change, overpopulation, shrinking natural resources, to name just a few — these skills will be critical as tomorrow’s leaders formulate solutions. Additionally, it seems as if technology advances and increases on a daily basis. Companies will need employees who can come up with new types of technology and new ways to use it. Those future skills will be built on what students do in the classroom today. While these ideas represent only a small sampling of the opportunities available, they provide a starting place to help the students experience the joys of creativity and innovation.

Adapted from ‘Fostering creativity and innovation in the science’ by Rebeccah Haines.