Be Inventive!

The other day an article in our local newspaper, entitled “3 THINGS you should do today”, caught my eye. Number 2 was “Be inventive”. On May 22^nd, 1906, the Wright brother’s US patent was issued for their invention, the “Flying Machine”.

Reading the article made me think about how the brothers had to dream of flying, imagine what it would take to soar above the ground, and experiment with many different ideas to make it happen…The brothers’  invention of the flying machine is a perfect example of human creativity and the design process necessary to not only imagine but actually succeed in inventing something new.

Bela Banathy (1991), an educator, systems design scientist, and author, writes that we create the future by the process of designing what we can envision…This is a skill each of us are called upon to use everyday in our families, our work—as artists as well as other occupations, and the communities where we live. Our survival and quality of life is hinged upon our ability as individuals, and collectively as a society, to use our imaginations. Imagination leads to new, novel ideas and inventions that meet the challenges we and our children will face in the coming years.

Technology is one field where change is happening rapidly. The world has had to realize the changes this industry brings and envision ways its benefits can be used for the good, negating any negative effects.  Living @ a research university with its questioning environment inspires me to think of the possibilities–considering new answers to complex problems.  Whether it be…                                                                               at home…                                                                                                                                                                           in the studio…                                                                                                                                                                           or in our communities…

                                             Are you ready to fly?

…(2011, May 22). 3 THINGS you should do today. NRV CURRENT, THE ROANOKE TIMES, p. 3.

Banathy, B. H. (1991). Systems Design of Education: A Journey to Create the Future. New Jersey: Education Technology Publications.

Image Citation–By John T. Daniels [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Related articles

• Photos of Wright Brothers Memorial , National Park Service.
• Wright Brothers Memorial/History & Culture, National Park Service.
• 3rd Grade Inventors Solve Problems Creatively (teachingmahollitz.wordpress.com)