OAS Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Meeting Innovation in Education February 25 th, 2014 Senator the Honourable Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Trinidad and Tobago

Innovation in Education Encouraging Innovation in Education is fundamental to address growth and expansion challenges in the regional economy. Education is key to prosperity. The LAC region ranks poorly in quality and access to education

Graph illustrates the rankings of LAC countries in Quality of the Educational System according to data from the Global Competitiveness Report (WEF). Out of a total of 148 countries, the majority of LAC countries are ranked in the latter half in the Quality of the Educational System.

 Limited access to primary and secondary education  Limited access to post-secondary education  Gender disparities in education enrollment in some countries  Rising violence in schools region-wide  Challenges with uncertified teachers and lack of teacher training  Physical infrastructure challenges, low spending and technology deficits limit the impact on educational access Innovation in education REGIONAL CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION

Innovation in education  In general the current education system is debilitated by low accessibility and low levels of educational achievement although there are exceptions.  Radical change to our approach to education is required.  Part one - Focus on the development of a creative and innovative citizen  Part two - Focus on education reforms to foster critical thinking, an innovative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit

PART ONE. THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE CITIZEN  Goal: To achieve a Knowledge-Based Economy  The cultivation of creative and innovative people  Foster natural creativity and a mind-set to convert challenges to opportunities, problem identification and solution finding  Teaching flexibility, positivity and the power of perspective

 Developing Creativity at Home  Education starts in the home. Parents need to create a home environment that encourages individuality, creativity, idea development and problem solving. The skills and talents of children should be groomed at a young age and they should be taught how to view challenges as opportunities.  Developing Creativity at School  The structure of the current schooling system is geared towards standardized testing following a strict curriculum which does not lend to exploring the imagination and latent talents.  We must re-think the principles which govern the current education system. PART ONE. THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE CITIZEN

 Educate to Innovate  The education system needs to be more focused on developing attitudes that can lead to innovative ideas. The education system should ideally foster innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.  By honing students’ talents and channeling their creativity, entrepreneurial attitudes can be fostered. Entrepreneurship education should be integrated into all educational levels of curricula.  Students need to stop being job seekers but rather critical thinkers, business creators and innovators. PART ONE. THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE CITIZEN

 The Conditions for nurturing creativity  Self-confidence  Critical Thinking  Collaborative engagement  Multi-disciplinary and multi-talented work teams PART ONE. THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE CITIZEN

 Developing The conditions for nurturing creativity  The innovative citizen is a critical thinker, a problem solver and a life-long learner.  To foster the development of the innovative system we require transformations in education, with a specialized focus on activity-based learning, action solutions thinking, and stimulating the quest for knowledge and for answers. PART ONE. THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE CITIZEN

Part two Transformations in Education Nature of the Teaching Curriculum Nature of the Classroom Character of the Learning Experience

Part two Transformations in Education  Transformation of the Curriculum  Learning at the centre  Education for personal liberation and multiple perspectives  Data-driven teaching and assessment of reality  Openness to new learning and new learning experiences  Collaborative knowledge creation  Learning beyond conventional notions of time and space

 Transformation of the Nature of the Classroom  Using Technology as an enabler of education  Interactive and activity-based learning  From theory to practice VS from practice to theory  Student leaders  Teacher as mentor, mediator and coach  A classroom beyond walls  Multiple classrooms, same lessons, multiple perspectives Part two Transformations in Education

 Transformation of the Nature of the Classroom Activity-based learning  Innovative concept bringing real-world applicability to abstract learning concepts  Sparks greater inquiry into concepts and assists in the development of critical thinking.  A feature of the bottom-up approach to learning  The student experience at the centre of the learning process Part two Transformations in Education

 Character of the Learning Experience  The approach to learning should focus on bottom-up learning and peer- learning rather than the traditional top-down approach  Education, teaching and learning should focus on the development of critical thinking and problem solving  Changing role of the teacher as teaching becomes a dialogue. Part two Transformations in Education

 Character of the Learning Experience Improving Teacher Quality  Improve the recruitment and selection process of teachers  The teaching career should be made more attractive, teachers need to be regarded as professionals  Teacher training should be continuous and reflect changes in the educational environment e.g. technological advancements to improve learning. Teacher training programs need to be accredited.  More emphasis should be placed on rewarding effective teaching Part two Transformations in Education

 The Socratic Method  Challenges traditional approaches to teaching.  Develops critical thinking skills and fosters an intellectual approach to situations.  It is an open-ended dialogue in which the teacher essentially denies his or her own knowledge of a subject in order to lead the student to the correct idea or answer.  It requires the students to think through problems and arrive at solutions thereby developing critical thinking skills.  Socratic teaching focuses on personal development of the student’s beliefs, voice and opinions.  Creates more questions as well as some answers. Part two Transformations in Education

Conclusion  Cultivation of the innovative citizen starts in the home and in the school environment.  A transformation of the current system and a renewed focus on learning will benefit the region and improve the quality of education.  The Socratic Method of teaching will support the focus on learning and creativity as principal objectives, as well as focus on developing critical thinkers, problem solvers and life-long learners- ie. The Innovative Citizen