Sarah’s Blog is about …

I must share this … at the 21^st Century Learning Conference I attended yesterday, I found myself with half an hour to spare at the beginning of the day before other delegates began to arrive. After registering, I wondered back downstairs and came across an interactive science exhibition, which instantly caught my eye. I’m not much of a scientist and so, although pitched at probably the 8 – 13 year olds, began to look around and engage with the exhibits … move a few mathematical shapes around as per the instructions. To my surprise, I became engaged to such an extent, that I failed to see a member of staff approach me with a concerned look upon her face. It appeared that the doors were officially not open for another 10 minutes, (I was let in early because of the conference two floors up) so please could I stop learning (I don’t think she realized that this was the outcome of her polite statement regarding the time).

Somewhat speechless at this conundrum of time guarded learning and the upstairs downstairs variations in approach to innovation and creativity, I decided to venture out of the ‘not open door’ and see what lay in the bit of world I would be free to learn in. Instantly across the square, my eyes fell upon this:

Rhino Horn Dung Beetle?

Intrigued from a distance I headed closer and my inquiring mind first moved to the fact it might be a bronze, which I love. It could be a bronze of a beetle, but not any old beetle, as I got closer, I felt it could be a Rhino Horn Dung Beetle. I searched around the block upon which it was mounted for some clue, perhaps a plaque either holding the identity of the artist, the title of the piece or confirmation that it is a Rhino Horn Dung Beetle. Alas! Only a small sign, which you will see on the bottom left of the picture above, reading ‘Please do not touch”. No learning here then … and certainly no interaction. However, as a good teacher, I always try to end on a positive and constructive note and I found the moment arrived later that same evening in the most unlikely of places.

On my way home, 6 hours and 2 trains via the cross country rail network, I presented my ticket to the inspector on the last part of my journey. He duly took it, punched it and returned it to me. I looked at it for a moment, but didn’t understand. On his way back down the train I held it up to him, pointing at where the hole should have been,

“Excuse me, can I ask you about this? Do you get to choose what kind of stamp you use? Normally it’s a misc. shape or a printed nonsense but this is really great.”

He looked at me a bit hesitantly and then smiled, saying in a rather quite and perhaps slightly shy way,

“No, we can use what we want. I always try to do something a bit more interesting. It’s coming up to Christmas soon and I thought of a Christmas Tree or Father Christmas perhaps. At the end of October, for Halloween, I had a witch on a broomstick.”

Train Ticket

Tags:   Creativity · InnovationNo Comments