Innovation

Few buzzwords are as ubiquitous as “innovation”. In a world where almost everything can be accessed in a few keystrokes, creativity is at a premium and educators are challenged to help students become innovators, both for their studies as well as a workplace landscape that values innovation as one of the most highly demanded skills.

This week we explore some of the dimensions of innovation and the challenges of innovating in the real world, as well as contextualizing innovation in education.

The Elusive Art of Innovation – Old and New

One of the most desired traits in the workplace is the ability to innovate. Great innovators are hailed as modern day heroes. At an age and time in which we can all create and reach a global audience it is a skill that can help us thrive in the future.

But, what constitutes innovation? How can we learn to innovate? How can we become innovators? This week, we explore and learn from lessons of the past and the future.

Was the Renaissance actually more innovative than Silicon Valley?

Eric Weiner is an author who traveled the world looking for hotbeds of innovation. In the following article, he explains why he thinks that the Renaissance was actually more innovative than Silicon Valley. Please click on the image to read the article.

Bitcoin´s two mysteries

One successful innovations of our time is Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency and multibillion-dollar market that has become one of the hottest investment trends, indicating how business transactions may be carried out in the future.

And, yet, despite it being so present in today’s culture, Bitcoin remains a mystery to most people. If we asked most adults and young people to explain what Bitcoin is and how it works, it is very likely that many of them will only have a vague idea of what it is and how to operate in this important market.

The other mystery is related to its creator, a person (or several persons) known as Satoshi Nakamoto, who has the major holding of Bitcoins in the world and who disappeared mysteriously from the online and physical world several years ago. One of the richest persons and most notable innovators in the world is of unknown identity.

The following video briefly tells the story of Bitcoin and its unknown founder.

Both the Renaissance as well as the Bitcoin piece present us with paradoxes about innovation. What is truly innovative? Can something that doesn’t exist physically be one of the greatest innovations of all time? What is the DNA of successful innovation? Please discuss in the forum below.

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