Imaginative Education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver

The 7th International Conference on Imagination and Education was my second and at least as inspiring as the last summer’s! The keynote speaker Dr. Eleonor Dunckworth suggested in her plenary session that one should go where one can be found, and that is exactly what I did: I went to Vancouver “to be found” by those who share my interests in imaginative education, and see arts and imagination as sources of creativity and invention. And I found many kindred souls who share a vision that it is possible to “build a better world by thinking of the possible, not just the actual” – as the conference title suggested. (Read more about the conference)

I met Dr. Kieran Egan (se the photo below), the man with great ideas and the driving force behind the IERG and the conference on imagination and education. I appreciate that he chose to come to my presentation also this year. I also appreciate that people spoke to me after my presentation –This is how I met Kerrie Bellisario from Lesley University in New York who spoke about arts-integration as “universal design for learning” for students of all ages, and arts, creativity and imagination as important part of “21 century skills”.

I met, and became a friend with, Liudmila Gusteva from Magnitogorsk State University situated on the river Ural, exactly at the border between Europe and Asia. She presented Leonid Zankov’s educational system directly related to his teacher’s (Vygotsky’s) work, and especially to “the zone of proximal development”. She invited me to the conference at her university in November this year (with submission September 10th ).

I met Marni Binder and Sally Kotsopoulos form the School of Early Childhood Education in Toronto, who share my interests in visual arts and teaching student how to foster children’s imagination, creativity and play. Fortunately, these two wonderful lades are also coming to the EECERA conference in France this August, where I hope to meet them again!

I met Prof. Gradir Cadral form Criciuma in Brazil who told us about the interesting concept of the Museum of Childhood – a museum without walls, where visiting children are involved in re-interpretation, “museumization” and creation of the exhibition objects.

And I met Heidi Davis form Indiana University who spoke warmly about sculpture as “playground for the imagination”, and Milena Droumeva from Simon Fraser University (SFU) who took us to a “sound walk” in the streets of avncouver, and many other most imaginative and inspiring people!

During the closing session, Mark Fettes form SFU expressed his hopes that imagination will be given a larger importance in upbringing and education around the world. He said: “imagination is re-emerging on the educational scene as a significant concept”. But his words also reminded us that “the lack of theoretical and philosophical coherence undermines its (imagination’s) impact in the field (education)” and in a way invited us to continue with research that can show why and how imagination is essential for learning and development.