Creativity vs. Innovation: Part Deux

Here are a few more thoughts on creativity as compared to innovation. As we're discussing this in my creative teaching course we're coming to see some of the processes and structures that seem to produce both creativity and innovation. What is of interest to me is the tension this places on the educator.

On the one hand creativity and innovation are very powerful tools for the educator, and the Christian educator especially. The very same processes and structures associated with creative cognition seem to be developmentally activated during moral development. If I'm right, creative cognition inherently stimulates brain function likely to encourage moral growth.

On the other hand, creativity and innovation take time, a commodity in short supply for many educators. With all the things on the radar of an educator in ministry, how can one justify spending the time to find a creative or innovative way to teach a lesson? Especially when the lesson plan is already pretty good!

Further complicating the issue, the elements of creative cognition the prove most effective are often those that hinder efficiency. That means that building creative components to education may well mean taking even more time and seemingly accomplishing very little.

However, those same elements and processes often increase the learning of those participating in them.

I am convinced that the answer lies in the body language of the Church. That is, truly creative methodologies and innovative techniques might be best developed within teams and groups. Encouraging the efficient and the freewheeling to work together, enabling abstract and concrete minds to draw the best from each other is a great step toward finding a balance.

The good news for us is that Christian educators don't have to do it all ourselves. The bad news is that to incorporate more people into the process is often to lengthen the time even more!

If you have to have problems, though, isn't too many involved better than inefficient?