PDF copy of Likhaan Newsletter is available to all interested individuals, groups or organizations; request for your pdf copy now by simply providing us your email address.

Likhaan offers free lecture-workshop

on “Creativity and Thinking”

The Likhaan Group offers free lecture-workshop entitled “Understanding the Nature of Creativity and the Structure of Thinking” or ‘Creativity and Thinking’ for short.

The lecture is given free, on a first come first served arrangement, to any school, college or university, business companies, civic/social clubs, religious organizations, professional associations, non-government organizations, and similar groups in Metro Manila and nearby cities and towns.

All requests for free lectures must be submitted by email to: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup@gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

The Likhaan Group needs you!

Join our team; help us set-up Likhaan organizational units such as The InventSchool, Likhaan Institute, and Social Inventions & Community Innovations, among others, in your country/locality or in your respective schools, colleges and universities, organizations or communities.

Join one of the most exciting events in the field of technological innovations and social inventions since the first school was invented in Sumer (an ancient country in western Asia in southern Mesopotamia in the present day Iraq) in 2500 B.C.

Are you interested in joining our team as volunteers? Contact us now!

Contact us via email: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com, likhaangroup@gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

Likhaan Newsletter No. 54 March 2009

Year 24 ▪ Number 54 eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, METRO-MANILA, PHILIPPINES March 2009

The InventSchool™@ KorPhil offers free lecture on creativity and inventiveness for educators, teachers and students

The InventSchool™@ KorPhil is offering “free lecture-workshop” on creativity and inventiveness on Monday, May 11, 2009 at the Korea-Philippines Information Technology Training Center (KorPhil) located at 673 Quirino Hi-Way, Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU) Compound, Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City.

The half-day lecture-workshop (1:00-5:00 p.m.) is open to educators and school administrators, college and high school teachers, and selected college and senior high school students. The lecture is divided into two major topics: 1) understanding the nature of creativity and the structure of thinking, and 2) improving thinking abilities and developing creative thinking skills. The lecture will also feature a short discussion on promoting creativity and inventive activities in schools, colleges and universities.

The KorPhil IT Center is a premier ICT training center in the Asia-Pacific region, powered by state-of-the-art Korean technology, complemented by Filipino ingenuity. It was facilitated by a $4.3 million grant to the Republic of the Philippines from the Korean Government thru the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), respectively.

KorPhil is operated and managed by the Quezon City Government; it is the only local government facility for advanced ICT training that offers distance-training modules for other local governments and organizations in other parts of the country.

The InventSchool™, on the other hand, is an education and training center for creativity and inventiveness, and invention research & development hub of The Likhaan Group, Inc. Likhaan is an alliance of non-profit, development-oriented non-government organizations (NGO) and sectoral associations in the Philippines. It is dedicated to the promotion of activities that cultivate human creativity and improve social productivity for sustainable-equitable development and community transformation.

Registration is free but limited to 30 participants only on a first come, first serve basis. Participants may register through email at likhaangroup@yahoo.com, likhaangroup@gmail.com, likhaangroup@ likhaan.com, or via “snail” mail to KorPhil at the address cited above. Deadline for registration is on April 30, 2009.

JOIN THE

Summer Institute

ON EDUCATION FOR SCIENTIFIC-

TECHNOLOGICAL CREATIVITY

AND SOCIAL INVENTION

FOR TEACHERS & STUDENTS

May 23-24, 2009 Baguio City

Contact:

The InventSchool International, Inc.

Quezon City Academy Campus, 144 EDSA, QC

Telephone No. 437-2045

Call/Text Mobile phones: +0639272957076 or +0639184956535

The Likhaan Group, Inc., through The InventSchool™, invites educators, college & high school teachers, and selected college students to the Third Summer Institute on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity and Social Invention (SumIns) on May 23-24, 2009 in Baguio City.

The Summer Institute (SumIns) presents a detailed study of three major topics: Thinking, Creativity, and Creative Teaching for Teachers and Creative Learning for Students. The general intention of SumIns is to assist teachers-educators and students in becoming more aware of their own creativity and the creative process, in nurturing their individual/group creativeness, and in better understanding how they may help to nurture creativity in others.

The SumIns explains the uses of creativity by providing information on its nature; analysis of the qualities and characteristics of the creative personality; description of the operational mechanisms behind the creative process; and presentation of ideational tools and techniques for generating ideas and developing creative products and social innovations. It also spells out the purpose and usefulness of perceptive thinking and the deliberate method of creative thinking. It also illustrates the principles of creative teaching and the importance of educational innovations.

The major topics of the 3rd SumIns are as follows:

Opening Session: Promoting Inventiveness and Creative Learning through The InventSchool™

Topic 1: The Need for Creativity and Thinking Skills

Topic 2: The Nature of Thinking

Topic 3: Developing Perceptive Thinking Skills

Topic 4: The Nature of Human Creativity

Topic 5: Developing Creative Thinking Skills

Special Session: Definition of Technological or Technical Invention and Social Invention

Topic 6: Introduction to Creative Teaching [Learning] and Educational Innovations

Special Topic: The Teachers, Students and The Inventschoolä Program

Concluding Topic: Opening Doorways to Creative Teaching, Innovative Learning and Inventive Creativity

Closing Session: Summary & Feedback and Fellowship

[Please see Likhaan Newsletter No. 53, February 2009 for details of the course outline and sub-topics.]

WANTED VOLUNTEERS FOR …

The Creativity Network

and Likhaan Alliance Network

Individual membership to The Creativity Network (TCN), one of Likhaan’s organizing units, is now being accepted in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, as well as in Baguio City, Naga City, Legaspi City and other major cities in the Philippines. The Network consists of volunteer teachers, college students and young professionals interested in cultivating their creative abilities and thinking skills.

TLG provides creativity training to all members of The Creativity Network before they are assigned to their respective volunteer service of the Likhaan Volunteer Corps (LVC).

TCN members will get involve in The InventSchool program, the InventClubs, and inventive activities, social inventions and community innovations, geographic studies, information analysis, and creatological research. They will help organize, reactivate and strengthen the TLG working organizations such as:

1. InventClub™ Federation of the Philippines (ICF)

2. The InventSchool™ Faculty Organization (ISFO)

3. Informatics Federation of the Philippines (IFP)

4. GeographiClub Federation of the Philippines (GFP)

5. EkisticSociety of the Philippines (ESP)

Likhaan is also looking for volunteers for its branches and alliance network in five (5) regional clusters. These are the following:

1. Likhaan National Capital & Northern-Southern Tagalog Alliance (Metro-Manila, Northern-Southern Tagalog & nearby areas) – Quezon City

2. Likhaan North Luzon Alliance (Northern and Central Luzon) – Baguio City

3. Likhaan Bicol Alliance (Bicol Region) – Legazpi City

4. Likhaan Visayan Alliance (Visayan Region) – Cebu City

5. Likhaan Mindanao Alliance (Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago) – Davao City

Philippine Trade Fairs & Expositions

Philippine National Trade Fair

Local Flair, Global Appeal

A Tour of Filipino Creativity

12-15 March, SMX Convention Center

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Eco-Products International Fair 09

19-22 March, SMX Convention Center

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

DTI Exporters’ Expo

The Grandest Sale of top export products from the country’s top exporters

(Featuring popularly-priced quality items not available locally)

25-29 March, Philippine Trade & Training Center (PTTC)

Pasay City

Manila F.A.M.E. 2009

Asia’s Best Design Destination

15-18 April, SMX Convention Center

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

International Food Exhibition (IFEX) 2009

Celebrate the Flavors

15-17 May, SMX Convention Center

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

PDF copy of Likhaan Newsletter is available to all interested individuals, groups or organizations; request for your pdf copy now by simply providing us your email address.

Join or organize an INVENTCLUB

in your school, college or university

and we will help you develop

your members’ inventive ability.

For more information, email us: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup @gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

The Likhaan Group needs you!

Join our team; help us set-up Likhaan organizational units such as The InventSchool, Likhaan Institute, and Social Inventions & Community Innovations, among others, in your country/locality or in your respective schools, colleges and universities.

Join one of the most exciting events in the field of technological innovations and social inventions since the first school was invented in Sumer (an ancient country in western Asia in southern Mesopotamia in the present day Iraq) in 2500 B.C.

Are you interested in joining our team as volunteers? Contact us now!

Contact us via email: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com, likhaangroup@gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

Likhaan Newsletter No. 53 February 2009

Year 24 ▪ Number 53 eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, METRO-MANILA, PHILIPPINES February 2009

The InventSchool@KorPhil

Another InventSchool™ Training Center at KorPhil IT Center in Novaliches opens soon

Another InventSchool™ Training Center will soon open at Korea-Philippines Information Technology Center (KorPhil) in Novaliches, Quezon City. A memorandum of agreement between KorPhil and The InventSchool International, Inc. (TISI) is now being worked out for the operation of the training center. The training center will be known as The InventSchool@KorPhil.

In a recent meeting between KorPhil and TISI, it was agreed that the new training center will offer Scientific and Technological Creativity (SciTeC™), an education program of The InventSchool™, with special focus on information technology (IT). The SciTeC™ regular program consists of four (4) core courses. These are the following:

SciTec 1 (Basic) - Introduction to Creativity and Thinking (ICT), SciTec 2 (Primary) - Idea Generation and Creative Development (IGCD), SciTec 3 (Intermediate) - Creative Research and Invention Development (CRID) and SciTec 4 (Advanced) - Inventerprise Development & Venture Management (IDVM).

Two supplementary/complementary courses are attached to the core SciTeC™ program. These are: 1) Continuing SciTeC™, subject matters dealing with continuing developments in human creativity and thinking skills, and technological invention development; and 2) Special SciTeC™ courses deals with special topics relevant to scientific and technological creativity and industrial innovations.

The setting up of The InventSchool™ Training Centers in technological institutions and educational centers in Metro Manila and other major cities and municipalities of the Philippines is part of the extension program of The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI).

TISI is also establishing The InventSchool™ Learning Centers in schools, colleges and universities that are willing to offer the InventSchool™ training program. TISI trains the faculty members assigned by the school administration for the operation of the learning centers and the implementation of its training courses.

The InventSchool™ Training Center @ KorPhil is located inside the campus of Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU), Quirino Highway, Barangay San Bartolome in Novaliches.

[For more information on the setting up of InventSchool™ training/learning centers, contact The Likhaan Group, Inc. See Likhaan Newsletter No. 51, December 2008, for the complete list of InventSchool™ training courses. Contact us regarding the training/learning centers that currently offer said courses.]

Q&A:

The InventSchool™ Training & Learning Centers

Where and how can The InventSchool™ Training and Learning Centers be established?

The InventSchool™ Learning Center (TILC) is a local InventSchool™ set up in any school, college or university in the Philippines. It can be established by volunteer teachers and student assistants in any duly recognized school. The teachers shall arrange an agreement between The InventSchool™ International and the administration of their school. The agreement should cover the following: Regular conduct of The InventSchool™ training programs/courses, organization of InventClub™ and InventSchool™ Faculty Organization, free use of classrooms for creative education/courses and research laboratories, if any, for inventive research work by students and faculty members, and other support and assistance necessary for the successful implementation of the InventSchool™ and the promotion of inventive activities.

On the other hand, The InventSchool™ Training Center (TITC) is a local InventSchool™ set up in any technological institution, business organization, industrial firm, or private/government educational centers. The requirements for setting up the training center are similar to the establishment of learning centers.

How does The InventSchool™ Training and Learning Centers operate?

The InventSchool™ Training and Learning Centers operate like a quasi department or unit of a cooperating school, college or university, and technological institution, business/industrial companies and non-government organization. It offers regularly the course programs without academic credit. Successful students and faculty members, employees and other participants, receive certificate of attendance or completion for every course taken. Those who are able to complete the Basic, Primary, Intermediate and Advanced courses in the SciTeC™ Course Program shall be awarded a “Diploma in Scientific and Technological Creativity” or “Diploma in Inventerprise Development” by The InventSchool™ Philippines. While those who are able to complete the Basic, Primary, Intermediate and Advanced courses in the SinCom™ Course Program shall be awarded a “Diploma in Social Invention and Community Innovation” or “Diploma in Social Entrepreneurship and Community Development.”

Professors/instructors and officers/employees of the cooperating/sponsoring schools and business-industrial organizations are trained continuously by The InventSchool™ to handle InventSchool™ courses on a regular basis. Summer institutes for teachers and individuals involved in the InventSchool course programs are held every year at the national or regional centers. A roving team of lecturers-trainers handles the teacher/instructor training courses.

The InventSchool™ Training and Learning Centers normally operate with at least three (3) to five (5) trainers and two (2) student/employee assistants.

JOIN THE

Summer Institute

ON EDUCATION FOR SCIENTIFIC-

TECHNOLOGICAL CREATIVITY

AND SOCIAL INVENTION

FOR TEACHERS & STUDENTS

May 23-24, 2009, Baguio City

Contact: The InventSchool™

Quezon City Academy Campus, 144 EDSA, QC

Telephone No. 437-2045

Call/Text Mobile phones: +0639272957076 or +0639184956535

Summer Institute for Teachers and Students

Likhaan holds the Third Summer Institute

on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity and Social Invention

The Likhaan Group, Inc. through The InventSchool™ will be conducting the 3rd Summer Institute on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity and Social Invention (SumIns) on May 23-24 in Baguio City.

The Summer Institute presents a detailed study of three major topics: Thinking, Creativity, and Creative Teaching for Teachers and Creative Learning for Students. The general intention of SumIns is to assist teachers-educators and students in becoming more aware of their own creativity and the creative process, in nurturing their individual/group creativeness, and in better understanding how they may help to nurture creativity in others. The Institute explains the uses of creativity by providing information on its nature; analysis of the qualities and characteristics of the creative personality; description of the operational mechanisms behind the creative process; and presentation of ideational tools and techniques for generating ideas and developing creative products and social innovations. It also spells out the purpose and usefulness of perceptive thinking and the deliberate method of creative thinking. It also illustrates the principles of creative teaching and the importance of educational innovations.

The first SumIns was held in May 1989 at the Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila, while the second SumIns was conducted in May 2000 at the Quezon City Academy.

The course outline of the 3rd SumIns are as follows:

Opening Session: Promoting Inventiveness and Creative Learning Through The InventSchool™

0.1 The Need to Promote Inventiveness and Creative Learning

0.2 Introduction to The InventSchool™

Topic 1: The Need for Creativity and Thinking Skills

1.1 The Need for Teaching Creativity and Learning to Think

1.2 The Crucial Task of Training the Intelligently Proactive Mind

1.3 ‘Teachability’ of Creativity and ‘Learnability’ of Thinking

Topic 2: The Nature of Thinking

2.1 Concept of Thinking

2.2 Patterning System of the Human Mind

2.3 Thinking Behavior, Structures and Process

2.4 Styles, Types and Modes of Thinking

2.5 Elements of Thinking

2.6 Thinking and Creativity

Topic 3: Developing Perceptive Thinking Skills

3.1 Perception and Thinking – What is Perceptive Thinking?

3.2 Inadequacies in Perception and Errors in Thinking

3.3 Developing Skills in Perceptive Thinking

3.4 Perceptive Thinking Tools and Techniques

3.5 Formula for Improving Your Thinking Ability

Topic 4: The Nature of Human Creativity

4.1 Concepts of Creativity

4.2 Sources of Creativity

4.3 Principal Aspects of Human Creativity

4.4 Creativity and Intelligence

4.5 Psychological Structure of the Creative Behavior

Topic 5: Developing Creative Thinking Skills

5.1 What is Creative Thinking?

5.2 Barriers to Creative Thinking

5.3 Developing Creative Thinking

5.4 Stages of Creative Transformation

5.5 Developing Skills in Creative Thinking Using Ideation Tools and Techniques

Workshop: General Application of Perceptive and Creative Thinking Tools & Techniques

Special Session: Definition of Technological or Technical Invention and Social Invention

1) What is a Technical Invention or Technological Innovation?

2) What is a Social Invention?

Topic 6: Introduction to Creative Teaching [Learning] and Educational Innovations

6.1 Creativity and Teaching [Learning]

6.2 Introduction to the Principles of Creative Teaching [Learning]

6.3 The Importance of Educational Innovations

Focused Workshop: Application of Perceptive and Creative Thinking Tools & Techniques in Teaching-Learning and Educational Innovation

Special Topic: The Teachers, Students and The InventSchool™ Program

1) The InventSchool™ Program – The Teachers and the Students

2) Establishing and Operating the Local InventSchool™

3) The Local InventSchool™ Program of Activities

4) The InventSchool™ Program Implementation Scheme

Concluding Topic: Opening Doorways to Creative Teaching, Innovative Learning and Inventive Creativity

1) The InventSchool™ Opens Doorways to Creative Teaching, Innovative Learning and Inventive Activity

2) Setting Up the Local InventSchool™

Closing Session: Summary and Feedback

1) Summary of the Training Program

2) Feedback

The Summer Institute ends with a fellowship.

CREATIVITY JOURNAL No. 3 1st Quarter 2009

PDF copy of the Creativity Journal is available to all subscribers; request for your pdf copy now by simply providing us your email address.

The inventive mind is the heart of technical innovation, social invention and economic development!

Promote inventive activities in your school.

Teachers and students organize…

THE INVENTSCHOOL

Learning Center

in your own campus

… and we will help develop the inventive mind of students and teachers in your school by providing them scientific-technological and social creativity training programs.

The Likhaan Group needs you!

Join our team; help us set-up Likhaan organizational units such as The InventSchool,™ Likhaan Institute, and Social Inventions & Community Innovations, among others, in your country/locality or in your respective schools, colleges and universities.

Join one of the most exciting events in the field of technological innovations and social inventions since the first school was invented in Sumer (an ancient country in western Asia in southern Mesopotamia in the present day Iraq) in 2500 B.C.

Are you interested in joining our team? Contact us now!

email us: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup @gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile: +0639184956535.

CREATIVITY JOURNAL

Volume 2 ▪ Number 3 ▪ eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES 1st Quarter 2009

Creativity and Teaching

Creativity and Education

Parents, teachers, educators and students have started to question whether our kind of education is adequate for the global economy and the information age. The values of our educational system have been disputed. Our teaching methods have been attacked. Our belief in learning largely by memory has been gravely shaken. In fact, Harold F. Holding once said, “We produce critics rather than artists, or poets or inventors in the broad sense of those magnificent words.”

Dr. Edward de Bono considered that in education, “Information is very valuable. Information is easy to teach. In fact our educational system is primarily concerned with developing information processing and analysis.” Sometimes we are able to achieve complete information, particularly in routine matters. This situation would require no thinking. Sooner or later, we shall hand over these routine matters to computers, Dr. Edward De Bono pointed out.

Definitely, if there is incomplete information we need thinking in order to make the best use of available information, De Bono emphasized. Today, information technologies are giving us more and more information. In this situation, De Bono continued, we need thinking skills so that we are not flooded by confusing or irrelevant information.

The present always moves toward the future—since we can never have complete information about tomorrow—intellective and creative thinking is required, in fact necessary. Therefore, it is crucial to train the human mind, particularly in creative thinking.

The Schools – Why Creativity has not been Encouraged?

Why creative thinking is neglected in our schools. We need creativity in order to break free from the temporary structures that have been set up by a particular sequence of experience, De Bono noted. He explained that perceptive teachers would see that the time sequence effect is the same as the patterning effect. It is the time sequence of experience that sets up the routine patterns of experience; we need to escape from these to put together new sequences.

De Bono explains this important matter in one of his books, he wrote: “Imagine a system that collects information over time. The information does not all arrive at once but in dribs and drabs. Suppose that at every moment the system tries to make the best use of the information available. Obviously this sort of system resembles individuals, institutions, corporations, cultures, and so on. Information is gathered over time and the system tries to make the best use of what has become available.”

We believe that creative thinking is a key part of thinking faculty, but this type of thinking has never been given serious attention in our schools. Creativeness and inventiveness are not encouraged in our educational system.

De Bono cited two reasons why we have neglected creative thinking. He said, “The first reason is that we have believed that nothing can be done about it.” We thought creative thinking is “a mystical gift that some people have and others do not have. There is nothing that can be done except to foster the creative gift in those who seem to have it.”

“The second reason why we have neglected creative thinking,” De Bono emphasized, is that “valuable creative idea must always be logical in hindsight (after someone has had the idea). If the new idea were not logical in hindsight we would never be able to regard it as valuable. So we are only able to recognize those creative ideas which are indeed logical in hindsight. The rest remain as crazy ideas. We may catch up with some of the crazy ideas later or they may remain crazy forever.”

Some groups believe that everyone is naturally creative but inhibited. The inhibition emanates from the need to provide only the ‘right’ answers at school or from the fear of making mistakes. Hence, the solution is simple: free and remove these inhibitions to release the natural human creativity inherent in every individual. Thus many creative tools and techniques are simply processes for freeing people from inhibitions.

Dr. de Bono contends that creativity is not natural to the brain. He said, “the purpose of the brain is to allow experience to organize itself as patterns—and then to use these existing patterns. So freeing people to be their natural selves will only make them slightly more creative (through being less inhibited).”

The case in point is that creativity is not a mystical gift. There are explicit tools and techniques that enhance and facilitate creative thinking. With these thinking tools, creativity can now be encouraged in our schools and thinking skills can be developed among students.

Incorporating Creativity into Existing Curricula

Harold F. Harding gave “three good reasons” why we need a more creative trend in education. “First, we are not now giving creativity the attention it deserves in our curricula—high school, college, or graduate and professional school. xxx Where it is now taught it is by accident and chance rather than by design and understanding.”

“A second reason… We are now faced as never before with a world of vastly more complex problems—and there are not nearly enough able, ready and willing solvers. xxx A third reason (is that) the main business of education, at least in the colleges and universities, is training the mind. xxx The main function of a university is to provide the atmosphere for scholars and students to work with ideas creatively together. I earnestly believe that creativity, originality, and inventiveness are the prime requisites for the crucial task of training the mind.” (Italics supplied)

Harnessing the creative mind. In incorporating creativity in the curricula, we should bear in mind that: “Without creativity we would not progress or develop better ideas. Without logical/critical thinking we would always be moving from one situation to another getting nowhere.” Combinatorial interactive creativity calls for the interaction of both critical/logical thinking and perceptive/creative thinking. Thus, incorporating creative thinking in our existing critical thinking-oriented curricula would make training the mind a full measure.

Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is our check on truth: Is this true? What is important is the level of claimed truth. This can range from a claimed absolute certainty to something that is only offered as a possibility. Over-claiming needs to be challenged.

The next role of critical thinking is to check on the logic that is being used. With logic, we seek to derive a further truth from truths which we already have.

We need to ask the important question: Does this follow? A much more significant question is: Must this follow?

With a logical argument it is claimed that the conclusion must follow from the preceding step. We need to look closely at this ‘must’. Very often it is claimed that something must follow because the thinker cannot imagine an alternative. If you can imagine an alternative, that destroys the ‘must’ aspect.

At the end, critical thinking may conclude: This is false. This is doubtful. At this point: we need a new idea, a new concept or an alternative which can only be provided by individual or group with creative thinking skills (De Bono).

Intelligence is a potential and for that potential to be fully used we need to develop thinking abilities. Without such skills the potential is under-used. — De Bono

Creative Thinking. With creative thinking we are not so much concerned with proving something as with moving forward with possibilities, De Bono said. “Once we have reached a new idea, we can set about proving its truth and value.”

Dr. de Bono explained: In logical thinking we seek to move step by logical step from where we are to a new position. In creative thinking we can make jumps ahead and when we have reached a new position we then set about checking the value of that position.

He continued that hypothesis, speculation and provocation are all ways of making that creative jump ahead. Sometimes we have to guess because we do not have enough information for action. In creative thinking we guess in order to have new ways of looking at information and in order to explore the possibility of new ideas.

De Bono further noted that “critical analysis of information is not sufficient to produce new ideas because the mind can see only what it is prepared to see—and that means the old ideas. We need to develop skill in speculation.”

Speculation may range from a very reasonable guess (what we seek in a hypothesis) to a mere possibility to a provocation which makes no claim to truth whatever. The purpose of a provocation is to get us to look at something in a new way – not by presenting the new way but by jerking us out of the old way (De Bono).

“A creative jump ahead can pull our thinking forward. We lead from in front. Without creative thinking we lead from behind and we have to strive to push forward, building on what we know,” De Bono pointed out.

The creative attitude involves a willingness to go forward and to explore possibilities. This is what is lacking in our school curricula. We only develop critiques among students. Of course, this is very important. But our students also need to be creative. This is a must if we want to be competitive in the currently enlarging global economy and expanding information superhighway. We must incorporate creativity in the existing curricula as well as in our teaching methods because developing the creative skills of our students is now an urgent task.

Guiding the Creative Development and Transformation of Students

Guiding the creative development and transformation of students involves helping them develop their thinking skills―that means monitoring their interest, understanding, practice, skill and use of thinking tools. De Bono said interest and understanding together provide the background. They also determine the attitude towards creative thinking. This attitude determines the amount of skill that will be developed and the useful application of this skill.

Guiding Principles. “In computers,” Dr. De Bono explained, “if you put good data you get good answers. If you put bad data you get bad answers (though you may not know this). It is the same with logic. Like the computer, logic is a servicing mechanism to service the data and perceptions we are using. We should therefore be quick to point out bad logic but slow to accept the conclusions of good logic—because the perceptions may be inadequate.”

Again, De Bono emphasized, “Most of the faults in thinking are faults of perception (limited view, etc.) and not faults of logic. Perception is the basis of wisdom. Logic is important in technical matters and especially in closed system like mathematics.”

De Bono observed, “Because perception is so very important a part of thinking it is surprising that we persist in believing that logic is the basis of thinking. This arises from our reactive thinking habits. You put material with ready-made perceptions and information in front of students and then ask them to react. Clearly logic is important since the perceptions are provided. In real life we have to form our own perceptions (insight, comprehension, alterna­tive ways of viewing the situation, etc.).”

“Skilled logic and poor perception can be dangerous,” De Bono pointed out. “In practice, logic and perception are closely intertwined.”

Introduction to Creative Teaching

Backdrop. Creative teaching is restrained by questions on whether creative thinking is teachable (can be taught) and creativity is learnable (can be actualized).

‘Teachability’ of creative thinking. People can be trained deliberately in creative thinking. Dr. Edward de Bono emphasize: Everybody can be taught creative thinking tools and techniques which they can use for purposeful activities such as generating ideas, planning, problem solving, decision making, developing alternative courses of action, seeking opportunities, exploring possibilities, and so forth.

“We can train in creative thinking just as we can train in mathematics, cooking, or playing tennis. It does not mean that everyone trained in creativity will become a genius. Everyone trained to play a good game of tennis does not become a Wimbledon champion,” Dr. Edward De Bono clarified. Nonetheless, De Bono noted that there is a huge amount of useful creativity to be done at all levels below the level of genius.

‘Learnability’ of creativity. Creativity can be learned. Experience in North America, Europe and Japan have shown us that people can develop their creativity in a deliberate manner through formal education or non-formal training and the encouragement of inventive activities in school campuses, and in the premises of business organizations and industrial companies as well as in the agricultural fields. This disagrees with two traditional principles of creativity, which De Bono describes as follows:

1) “That creativity is a natural talent that some people have and others do not have; that there is nothing you can do about creativity except to employ people who have this natural talent.”

2) “That creativity consists of being freed from fears and inhibitions and that once these are removed, it is enough to mess around and something useful will happen. To encourage this messing around, judgment must be suspended.”

Creativity training involves will, skill, and method. De Bono offered the following explanation on these matters:

Will – “There has to be a determined attempt to teach and learn certain techniques and procedures.”

Skill – “Just messing around and encouraging people to have ‘crazy’ ideas is not good enough. The effect of that is very temporary. Learning the formal techniques or anything that requires us to do things which go against our usual habits and even our natural tendencies seem awkward at first. Overcoming the natural inhibitions through ‘fun’ and ‘craziness’ is not the only approach or the most powerful one. Understanding the logic of creativity is more powerful, particularly with technical people.”

Method – “…formal programs for training in creative thinking which is specific and deliberate approach to serious creativity.”

Review of the Basic Principles of Creativity and Creative Thinking

Basic principles of creativity. The basic principles of creativity in relation to education and teaching are plain and easily understandable. Some of these are as follows:

1) All students (individuals) are born with inherent creativity (creative potential).

2) There is a relationship between creativity and intelligence. This relationship has a common denominator—the capacity to absorb, process and analyze information, and memorize, or retain and recall these data and information.

3) Creativity is a form of “giftedness” which is not measured by current intelligence tests.

4) Creativity is a process and a product developed by a person or group of persons under certain socio-economic conditions and environmental situation.

5) Creativity can be encouraged, stimulated, enhanced, reinforced and developed.

6) All subject matters and areas in the school curriculum may be used to develop creativity.

7) Creativity cannot be developed at one time or in one or a few lessons. Creative development has transformative stages.

More knowledge, more facts and more skills are required of each individual in order for him/her to be creative than ever before.

9) Theories of creativity, its development and transformation, lead us to believe that the subconscious plays a great role in creative performance.

10) Excessive conformity and rigidity are true enemies of creativity.

11) Students (individuals) go through various steps in the process of creation.

12) Students (individuals) who have lost much of their creativity may be helped to regain it by special methods of teaching.

Basic principles of creative thinking. De Bono put together some guiding principles for creative thinking. He explained that the principles arise directly from processes that have been covered in his many books and teaching experiences. So the principles become sort of crystallization of what has been learned. De Bono’s twelve principles of creative thinking are presented below:

1. Always be constructive. Many people have negative habits of thinking. They are quite critical. They need constructive and generative elements of thinking. Sometimes it is necessary to be critical. We need constructive thinking more than critical thinking.

2. Think slowly and try to make things as simple as possible. There is no great merit in thinking quickly. Sometimes thinking slowly has its own plus point. “Always try to make things simple.” Making things complicated has no merit but to impress others.

3. Detach your ego from your thinking and be able to stand back to look at your thinking. Ego involvement is the “biggest obstacle to skilled thinking”―”I must be right.” “My idea must be best.” “…you should be able to be objective about your thinking. That is the way to develop any skill.”

4. Effective thinking requires a sense of focus and purpose. “Without this sense of focus or purpose, thinking is just a matter of drifting along from moment to moment, from point to point.”

5. Be able to ‘switch gears’ in your thinking. “It is not enough just to be creative or critical. You need to know when and how to use the different types of thinking”―using logic and creativity, seeking information.

6. Spell out clear outcome of your thinking, explain just why you think it will work. Define clearly the outcome of your thinking, believe that your idea will work, and explain why you think the “outcome is going to work.”

7. Feelings and emotions are important parts of thinking but their place is after exploration and not before. Feelings and emotions “need to be used at the right place xxx “it is the role of feelings and emotions to make the final choice.” De bono emphasized, “If feelings are used at the beginning, perception is limited and choice of action may be inappropriate.”

8. Always try to look for alternatives, for new perceptions and for new ideas. Time and again find alternatives, look for other explanations, search for fresh interpretations and seek for more action possibilities.

9. Be able to move back and forth between broad-level thinking and detail-level thinking. Generate alternatives by thinking in terms of actual details and looking at the broad level. Move from one idea to another in order to link up ideas.

10. Logic is only as good as the perception and information on which it is based. This principle “deals with truth and logic.” Always distinguish between “may be” and “must be.” Examine the basis of its claim, or logic.

11. Differing views may all be soundly based on differing perceptions. “When there are opposing views we tend to feel that only one of these can be right. If you believe that you are right, you set out to show that differing views must be wrong. But differing views may be just as ‘right’. A differing view may be soundly and logically based on a perception that is different from yours.” This perception may be based on “different information, different experience, different values and a different way of looking at the world.” All these must be compared.

12. All actions have consequences and an impact on values, people and the world around. “Not all thinking results in action. xxx In general, thinking that results in an action plan, a problem solution, a design, a choice or a decision is going to be followed by action. That action has future consequences. That action has an impact on the world around.”

Introduction to the Principles of Creative Teaching

“The teaching of thinking is not the teaching of logic but the teaching of perception,” Dr. Edward de Bono pointed out. “Perception is the way we look at available knowledge and the way we direct attention over available knowledge. xxx We need thinking in order to make even better use of information that is also available to our competitors. xxx So (if) information is not enough. We do need thinking as well,” he further explained.

De Bono also noted, “All information is valuable. Every new bit of information is of increasing value because it adds to what we already know. So how do we get the courage to reduce the amount of time we spend on teaching information in order to find time to teach the thinking skills that are needed to make the best use of the information? A trade-off is clearly needed.”

Principles of creative teaching. There are many creative teaching principles which can be assembled on the basis of the discussions in previous topics. James A. Smith (1967), in his book, Setting the Conditions for Creative Teaching in the Elementary Education, offered some fundamental principles of creative teaching. The following principles are synthesized and/or adapted from said book:

1) In creative teaching, something new, different or unique are performed or produced.

2) In creative teaching, divergent thinking processes are stressed.

3) In creative teaching, motivational tensions are a prerequisite to the creative process. The process serves as a tension-relieving agent.

4) In creative teaching, open-ended situations are utilized.

5) In creative teaching, there comes a time when the teacher withdraws and students face the unknown themselves.

6) In creative teaching, the outcomes are unpredictable.

7) In creative teaching, conditions are set which make possible subconscious thinking.

In creative teaching, differences, uniqueness, individuality, originality are stressed and rewarded.

9) In creative teaching, the process is as important as the results/products.

10) In creative teaching, certain conditions must be set to permit creativity to appear.

11) In creative teaching, teaching is “success” rather than “failure” oriented.

12) In creative teaching, provision is made to learn knowledge and skills, but provision is also made to apply these in new problem-solving situations.

13) In creative teaching, self-initiated learning is encouraged.

14) In creative teaching, ideas and objects are manipulated and explored.

15) In creative teaching, skills of constructive criticism, self-criticism and evaluation skills are developed.

16) Creative teaching means that students are encouraged to generate and develop their own ideas.

17) Creative teaching employs democratic processes and participative procedures.

18) In creative teaching, methods are used which are unique to the development of creativity.

19) Creative teaching, gives the students self-confidence, a faith in himself and ultimate self-realization.

20) Creative teaching is not a supplement to teaching nor is it an adornment to practice. It is a method of teaching itself, a new approach, a new outlook on the purpose of education.

The above principles relate directly to creativity. Remember, however, that the school is a place for the development of the human mind in all its aspects—memory, thinking (all types), attitudes, mental skills, analysis, judgment, evaluation, perception, etc.

The Creative Teacher

Education and teaching. William Pearson Tolley (1977) explained that education is “the art of learning, growing, and becoming. xxx It is the art of becoming in emotional maturity, health, physical fitness, spiritual insight and faith, character and integrity, knowledge and wisdom. xxx Education is organized instruction, we defined it in terms of teachers, classes, and courses. xxx It is structured learning, and we work for certificates, credits, and degrees.” Continuing education, he continued, is “learning co-extensive with life.”

Teaching is the development and use of human mind. It is the cultivation of intellectual interests as they affect the nature and quality of human life. To live life to the full we must learn all we can as long as we can (Tolley, 1977). This principle should be molded into the minds of students.

The creative teachers. The creative teachers should—at all times—imprint in the minds of students that education is an opportunity for growth. Tolley emphasized that, “Learning is boundless opportunity limited only by the length of our life span and the development/cultivation of special aptitudes and powers (time and energy).”

Teachers should light the fires of intellectual curiosity and inquiry among the students. The fundamental role of teachers is to facilitate learning inside and outside the classroom. Hence, the teacher needs a TEACHING PLAN that is continually updated in order to enrich the students’ experience of learning.

The busiest and most productive teachers are relaxed and at ease, not at all tense, hurried, or driven. They are alert and attentive. They try to get to the heart of the subject matter. They are well organized. They plan their time, manage time—time does not manage them.

The creative teachers, like everyone else, have more time than they need. One problem relative to time is very obvious: Look at the hours we spend reading the daily newspaper (and worse, the least informative tabloids). We might also time the hours spent listening to radio or viewing the television. We shall have plenty of time to prepare for teaching preparation once we begin to use it more carefully.

Reading habit. Most teachers depend on the ”latest” textbooks on the assumption that they carry the most recent knowledge on a particular subject. Many teachers go through teaching life with uncalled-for detailed examination of the most updated materials that is not related to the subject matters they teach. This is not necessarily bad, but the teacher should have at least the same interest in enriching their knowledge on the subject they teach.

It is recommended that the teacher should read 20 minutes or more from a carefully chosen book (preferably those directly or indirectly related to teaching concerns) before they open the newspaper in the morning. The same rule might be followed when we get home at night. This would help the teachers in updating their knowledge. Of course, the newspapers and magazines may contain the most recent information on the topic they are teaching.

By turning one book to another in the course of our daily life, we are able to savor old and new information. Some books we taste and put aside, others read quickly, still others we’ll read again and again. Keep one book in each logical location of your house. This allows us to take advantage of odd minutes to read. Gains in learning productivity are impressive when time formerly wasted in waiting for somebody also become reading time. Gains are also remarkable, particularly when we read three old books to one new each time (Tolley). Unquestionably, reading makes a teacher a well-informed person.

Innovative teachers. The creative teacher facilitates learning. A creative teacher is an innovative educator—he/she not only finds but also anticipates or creates a need and fills it. An innovative teacher welcomes change, not resists it; learns how to make change work, not against it; and develops a set of skills which enables to create opportunities.

The innovative teacher guides the development of creativity among students by using the following guideposts, compiled from several authors:

1) Recognize that non-conformity may be an asset. Reinforce creative endeavor by positive recognition.

2) Be aware of the student’s ability to suggest hypothesis, design experiments, collect data, make inference, generalize, and draw conclusion.

3) Provide opportunities for students to learn that there are several ways of looking at things or a problem, and possibly several methods of finding an answer to it.

4) For the student, who is outstanding in creative ability, attempt to provide activities with other talented students so they can have opportunity to interact and become acquainted.

5) Keep the curiosity of students alive. Encourage inquiry in students inside and outside the classroom. Emphasize high degree of independence and autonomy. Encourage both individual and team work.

6) All students do not have to perform the same activity. Give students choices. Students should be allowed to take their time on project work.

7) Give students as many opportunities as possible to participate and do experiments. Reinforce an attitude of perseverance and meeting adversity, if it comes, as a challenge.

Have students interested in science (all its branches, physical and social); relate their interest to younger students. Cultivate creative activity to stimulate science interest, and suggest ideas for creative work. Encourage students to participate in science and technology fairs and related activities.

9) Prepare a collection of discovery lessons, inquiring discussions, pictorial riddles, inquiring experiments, demonstration ideas for possible inventions (social and technical), and counter intuitive activities. Rely as much as possible on first-hand experience.

10) Stimulate the student’s imagination by asking what they think the city or town, car, bus, boat, house, settlements, business and industries, environment, society and culture, science and technology, etc. of tomorrow will look like and why.

11) Be creative yourself in the methods you use in teaching. Show examples of creative works to your students.

Characteristics of Creative Teaching Style. Considering the guideposts presented above, the main characteristics of creative teaching style are:

1) Not always lecture.

2) Choice of assignments; preferably interdisciplinary projects.

3) Relating real stories about real events, famous people.

4) Use of quotes in class.

5) Giving attention to students’ interests and choices.

6) Open-ended questions in class and on tests.

7) Ability to encourage questions from students and to explore their opinions.

Use of thinking games, creative competitions and skits.

9) Seminar-like discussions, debates and free interpretations of contents.

10) Experimenting with difficult and challenging content, i.e., animation in art.

11) Grading on ideas, on the process and on the proofs (i.e., math and science).

12) Allowing independent study.

13) No heavy emphasis on “busywork” or “mechanical perfection,” i.e., perfect handwriting, or 1” margins on papers.

14) Attending interesting conferences and workshops and sharing them with students. Better yet, “how about taking them along once in a while.”

15) Helping students to get ideas when none is flowing.

Attitudes. A teacher usually has some background attitudes towards his or her teaching work and style. Attitudes affect our whole approach to teaching; in turn, it affects our ability in improving the thinking skills of students. So, let us look at the attitudes of the good thinker as defined by Dr. De Bono:

▪ Awareness of the danger of being trapped by a fixed way of looking at things.

▪ Awareness of the need to look for different ways of doing things rather than being satisfied by the apparent best.

▪ Awareness of the danger of concept prisons.

▪ Awareness of the dangers of arrogance and righteousness about a particular idea.

▪ Awareness of the need to use ideas in a practical manner and yet realize the need to change them.

De Bono pointed out the four most harmful attitudes:

▪ Apathy (“We have managed all right without it so far.”)

▪ Intense enthusiasm (“This is great, this will solve all our problems.”)

▪ Know-all (“I have always thought like that anyway.”)

▪ Defensive resentment (“It’s a new fad that will pass.”)

The Creative Teachers

& The InventSchool ^™ Program

Many people believe that creativity is restrained or suppressed by logic. However, as pointed out in earlier articles, creative thinking without logical/critical thinking would always be moving from one direction to another getting nowhere. Creativity calls for the interaction of both critical/logical thinking and perceptive/creative thinking to make training the mind a full measure. Therefore, let us place logic (and perception) in its appropriate position and perspective.

Logic and Perception. The traditional emphasis in teaching thinking has always been on logic. Dr. Edward De Bono pointed out, “This is not surprising. Thinking in education is almost always reactive. How do you respond to what is placed before you? So the information is given. The pieces of the puzzle are given. You use logic to work out the answer.”

De Bono explained that “Critical thinking, argument and the adversarial system are largely (not entirely) based on logic. xxx Logic is the way scientists, or other people, have to present their ideas. Even if a scientific breakthrough came out through hunch or chance it must be presented as if it were the result of logic. Otherwise ideas cannot be accepted. xxx We need to see how conclusions have been reached, so we need to see the reasons or logic behind them. xxx For all these reasons we have come to put a lot of emphasis on logic. xxx Sometimes we need logic to take our perceptions further. Sometimes better perception reduces the need for logic.”

De Bono clarified further that “Perception is how we see the world around us. Logic is how we make the best use of those perceptions. xxx Most often the perceptions are converted into the form of language or symbols. We then use the rules of logic in language or mathematics to move forward to some conclusions. xxx Wisdom is directly based on perception. Wisdom is the ability to take in many things. Things that are now present and things that will happen in the future. Wisdom allows us to look at things in different ways.”

Creative teaching… the art of creative learning. Learning is active not passive—we can learn despite limited schooling. What is required is an active, probing, and searching mind. Education is solo flight. Learning is something we do for ourselves. In creative learning, we need to map out our knowledge hunting and information acquisition. The “pursuit of knowledge is one of continuous and vigorous challenge.” It takes “the same courage, same concentration and same all-out effort to make a successful response to their challenge.” (De Bono)

Creative teaching is a commitment—commitment does not take us far without sacrifice and self-denial. De Bono explained, “We must learn to say ‘no’ to ourselves as well as our fellows. xxx Do not yield to impulse and whim. Learning is not freedom to do as we please.” It demands commitment and self-control.

Excellence in creative teaching takes TIME! In the pursuit of creative education, we should remind ourselves from time to time to examine our goals and then move toward them. Remember, we learn to write by writing and we develop skills by practice.

Promotion of creativeness through inventive activities in school campuses. Many people are disputing the effectiveness of our educational system. Teaching methods and curricular contents are also being attacked. Moreover, business organizations and the civil society have started to question whether our kind of education adequately prepares students for the information age and the intensifying competition among nations in the rapidly enlarging global economy.

Several decades ago, Harold F. Holding warned that we are producing “critics rather than artists, or poets or inventors in the broad sense of those magnificent words.” A few years ago, Dr. Edward de Bono pointed out “our educational system is primarily concerned with developing information processing and analysis.” Today, these observations remain valid.

Well? It is very clear that our school system in the Philippines is not purposely promoting inventiveness and creative learning among students. Moreover, the teachers themselves have not been prepared to handle students with creative talent, develop creativeness among the youth, and promote inventive activities in the campus milieu. Harding, referring to creativity and creative thinking, explained: “Where it is now taught it is by accident and chance rather than by design and understanding.”

These are just a few reasons why we need to promote creativeness and imaginative learning, particularly in the school setting through the promotion of inventive activities in and out of the school campus. The purpose is to fully train the human mind! Harding emphasized that “creativity, originality, and inventiveness, are the prime requisites for the crucial task of training the mind” (italics supplied).

Ultimately, the promotion of creativeness and inventiveness in the school setting will make training the mind a full measure. This will also balance our existing rote learning, adversarial and critic-oriented curricula.

The InventSchool™ is convinced that creativity can be encouraged in our schools, and thinking skills can be developed among students and teachers. Necessarily, the overall state of education in the country should be improved in order to fully enhance creativeness and inventiveness among teachers and students.

Accordingly, The InventSchool™ is calling for the immediate resolution of the “real culprits” in the falling standard of Philippine education. The major problems and issues include a disturbing deterioration in language proficiency (in both English and Filipino), “a dearth of quality textbooks, a deep insularity in matters of research and research publication (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 Dec. 2001, section A, p.8).

Enhancing creative learning among students. When the Russian Sputnik was launched in late 1950’s, the Americans called for educational reform by injecting “creativity” and “thinking skills” in their curricula.

Creative techniques like brainstorming, morphological analysis and synectics, among many other thinking tools (all developed in late 1930s,1940s & 1950s) became popular, not only in education but more so in business.

Again in late 1980’s, “Time magazine ran a cover story that attributed inflation, low productivity and failing international markets to poor management techniques and university MBA programs. Business Week, Newsweek and Fortune magazines quickly joined the attack. All made reasonably uniform criticisms: MBAs specifically, and American business generally, had become too analytical, too dependent on numbers, too conservative, unconcerned with people, shortsighted, and as a whole shamefully uncreative.” (Quoted in Ray & Myers, 1989; underscoring supplied.)

These events are pointing to us that we should develop creative learning programs among students. Creativity is in everyone! Creative learning is directed towards building the capability of students, as well as teachers, to enhance their capacity to create or invent something new, novel and useful ideas (social inventions) and things (technical inventions). It means stimulating the students’ imaginative ability. As Albert Einstein pointed out, “imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Generally, the improvement of livability in urban and rural settlements, and the development of global competitiveness of Philippine business and economy are rooted in creative education.

The InventSchool^™

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

THE INVENTSCHOOL™ is dedicated to the development of human creativity and the promotion of inventive activities. It stimulates the creation of scientific/technological and social inventions, and improvement of social productivity. It promotes equitable community transformation and sustainable development.

In this light, its regular educational programs and training courses are divided into two major strands: 1) Technological Inventions, and 2) Social Inventions.

Regular Educational Programs

The TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (TID) offers three (3) course programs: 1. Scientific and Technological Creativity (SciTeC™); 2. Entrepreneurial Creativity and Venture Management (EnCVM); and 3. New Products and Innovation Management (NuPIM).

1. Scientific and Technological Creativity (SciTeC™) program introduces the principles, methods, tools and techniques of scientific and technological creativity, the promotion and development of inventions, the study of technological innovation process, and other related topics.

The SciTeC™ course program is divided into four (4) core courses: (1) Basic SciTeC, an introductory course on human creativity and thinking skills; (2) Primary SciTeC, a course on idea generation/development and creative analysis; (3) Intermediate SciTeC, deals with creative research and invention development; and (4) Advanced SciTeC, a course on invention enterprise (inventerprise) development and venture management.

Two supplementary/complementary courses are attached to the core SciTeC™ program. These are: (1) Continuing SciTeC, subject matters dealing with continuing developments in human creativity and thinking skills, and technological invention development; and (2) Special SciTeC courses deals with special topics relevant to scientific and technological creativity and industrial innovations.

2. Entrepreneurial Creativity and Venture Management (EnCVM) course is an in-depth application of Advanced SciTeC in invention-based enterprise development, business planning and management of new ventures, specifically new products and inventions.

3. New Products and Innovation Management (NuPIM) course is an intensive study of the generation, development, evaluation, promotion and management of new products and the innovation process within the enterprise or business organization.

The SciTeC™ courses are open to students, teachers, inventors and creative researchers; while EnCVM and NuPIM courses are offered to senior college students, teachers, inventors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, businesspersons, industrialists, R&D managers, product developers and designers, innovation groups, and other individuals interested in new products and innovations, and invention-based entrepreneurship (inventerprise).

The SOCIAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (SID) has three (3) course programs as follows: 1. Creativity in Social Inventions and Community Innovations (SinCom™); 2. Social Inventions Workshop (SIW); and 3. Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (SECM).

1. Creativity in Social Inventions and Community Innovations (SinComä) course explains the principles, methods, tools and techniques of social creativity, the promotion and development of social inventions within the social/community innovation process, and other related topics.

Like the SciTeC™ course program, SinCom™ is divided into four (4) core courses: (1) Basic SinCom, an introductory course on human creativity and thinking skills; (2) Primary SinCom, a course on idea generation/development and creative analysis; (3) Intermediate SinCom, deals with social innovation research and development; and (4) Advanced SinCom, a course on social entrepreneurship and community development/management.

The core courses of the SinCom program are complemented by two supplementary courses: (1) Continuing SinCom deals with continuing devel­opments in human creativity and thinking skills, and social invention development; and (2) Special SinCom courses tackle special topics relevant to social creativity and productivity, business or community innovations, and social entrepreneurship.

2. Social Inventions Workshop (SIW) deals with a general discussion on practical social problems in home lives, community neighborhood, schools or business organizations. The participants select one or two social problems to focus on, evaluate the problems, and come up with an action plan for tackling the chosen problems in an imaginative way, and then design and carry on specific short-term project.

3. Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (SECM) is an intensive study of creativity in social entrepreneurship in general, and illustrates the use of social creativity in development planning and management in community setting. The participants select one or two social enterprises or community problems to focus on, evaluate the problematic situation, and come up with an action plan for solving the problems in a creative way. Then, they design and carry on specific short-term social enterprise or community development project.

The SinCom™ courses are open to students, teachers, social innovators and community development workers; while SIW and SECM courses are offered to senior college students, teachers, social inventors or community innovators, social entrepreneurs, development workers, and other individuals interested in social entrepreneurship and community management.

The SciTeC™ Course Program

CORE COURSES:

SciTeC 1 (Basic Course) – Introduction to Creativity and Thinking

SciTeC 2 (Primary Course) – Idea Generation/Development & Creative Analysis

SciTeC 3 (Intermediate Course) – Creative Research & Invention Development

SciTeC 4 (Advanced Course) – Inventerprise Development and Venture Management

SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES:

SciTeC 5 (Continuing Courses) – Subject matters dealing with continuing developments in human creativity and thinking skills, and technological invention development.

SciTeC 6 (Special Courses) – Special topics relevant to scientific and technological creativity and industrial innovations.

The SinCom™ Course Program

CORE COURSES:

SinCom 1 (Basic Course) – Introduction to Creativity and Thinking

SinCom 2 (Primary Course) – Idea Generation/Development & Creative Analysis

SinCom 3 (Intermediate Course) – Social Innovation Research and Development

SinCom 4 (Advanced Course) – Social Entrepre­neurship & Community Development/Management

SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES:

SinCom 5 (Continuing Courses) – Subject matters dealing with continuing developments in human creativity and thinking skills, and social invention development.

SinCom 6 (Special Courses) – Special topics relevant to social creativity & productivity, business or community innovations, and social entrepreneurship.

N.B. It should be emphasized that the basic courses, SciTeC 1 and SinCom 1, are one and the same course. About 75% and 85% of the course content of the primary and intermediate courses, SciTeC 2 & 3 and SinCom 2 & 3, respectively, are also similar. They only differ in the course focus, SciTeC 2 & 3 deals with technological inventions or technical innovations, while SinCom 2 & 3 deals with social inventions and community innovations. SciTeC 4 and SinCom are relatively similar. However, the topical discussions and workshops are quite different. SciTeC 4 deals with “inventerprise” development, while SinCom 4 deals with community entrepreneurship and social development.

Lateral and Special Entry Courses

The SciTeC™ and SinCom™ course programs are the direct entry courses to The InventSchoolä. However, many expected participants would not enter the TISI Educational Programs directly for some unknown reasons; perhaps, “creativity” and “invention” are ill favored or unattractive to them. Thus, The InventSchool™ offers two sets of indirect entry courses: 1) Introductory Seminar-Workshops and Summer Institute, and 2) Teachers’ Forum and Seminar-Workshops. In addition, prospective participants may attend free orientation lectures and short seminars, or better yet participate in the Annual Institute, Workshop, Conference, Convention and Invention Exhibition presently held occasionally—sooner or later, will be held at regular intervals throughout the year.

The INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR-WORKSHOPS & SUMMER INSTITUTES (ISWSI) is the lateral entry courses to The InventSchool™ consisting of five (5) short-courses:

1. Technological Invention Seminar (TISem) defines what is a technological invention (others prefer to call it “technical innovation”). It presents the origin and conception of an invention, and the general process of invention development. It also defines the technical and legal requirements of an invention such as novelty and inventive step, and utility or ‘operativeness’ and industrial applicability.

2. Social Invention Seminar (SISem) explains the concept of social invention, defines its meaning, and cites examples of social inventions, e.g., new law, organization or procedure that changes the ways in which people relate to themselves or to each other, individually or collectively. It also describes the development process of social inventions.

3. Technological and Social Invention Seminar (TeSIS) brings together two seminars— TISem and SISem. It presents the concepts, defines the meanings, and explains the different aspects and interrelationships of technological invention and social invention.

4. Orientation Seminar-Workshop on Thinking, Creativity and Creative Teaching/ Learning (OSW) introduces the concepts and principles of human creativity in general, and the practice of creative thinking and analytical-critical thinking in particular. The Seminar-Workshop is an appreciation course to enable the participants to acquire a good understanding of thinking and creativity. It clarifies the purpose and usefulness of creativity. It provides deliberate method of generating creative ideas in a practical way. It explains by example the basic thinking tools and techniques. It also demonstrates the principles of creative teaching and the importance of innovation in education.

5. Summer Institute on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity and Social Invention (SumIns) is a more detailed presentation of OSW. The general intention of the Summer Institute is to assist teachers-educators and students in becoming more aware of their own creativity and the creative process, in nurturing their individual/group creativeness, and in better understanding how they may help to nurture creativity in others.

The Summer Institute explains the uses of creativity by providing information on its nature; analysis of the qualities and characteristics of the creative personality; description of the operational mechanisms behind the creative process; and presentation of ideational tools and techniques for generating ideas and developing creative products and social innovations. It also spells out the purpose and usefulness of perceptive thinking and the deliberate method of creative thinking. It also illustrates the principles of creative teaching and the importance of educational innovations.

The TEACHERS’ FORUM AND SEMINAR-WORKSHOPS (TFSW) is the special entry courses to The InventSchool™ consisting of five (5) short-courses:

1. Teachers’ Forum on Creativity in Education (T-ForCE) presents the illuminating factors relating to the shifting patterns of education, creative teaching and instructional innovations, principles of creative education and innovative learning, and the different approaches for stimulating creativity and inventiveness among students.

2. Seminar on Shifting Patterns of Education (SPEd) surveys the key factors relating to the shifting patterns of education focus on the aims and methods of education, schematization of instruction, dominant educational systems around the world, and the organization of education and its institutions.

3. Creative Teaching and Instructional Innovations (CTII) explains the process of learning and thinking. It describes the curricular strategies that enhance the teaching and learning process, and the importance of instructional innovations. It demonstrates the principles of creativity, creative teaching and creative techniques in designing the course of study and educational materials, and developing teaching and instructional innovations.

4. Workshop on Creative Education and Innovative Learning (CEIL) takes a closer look at creative education, its principles, methods and approaches. It offers an intimate group encounter with the process of innovative learning and creative teaching. It provides various points of view on educational creativity and the school system in the country.

5. Stimulating Creativity and Inventiveness of Students (SCIS) demonstrates the different approaches for stimulating creativity and inventiveness among students. It also describes different inventive activities for promoting inventiveness among students.

The TFSW are offered to open doorways to creative teaching and educational innovations for all teachers and educators in all educational levels: elementary, high school, college and graduate school.

The ANNUAL INSTITUTE, WORKSHOP, CONFERENCE, CONVENTION AND INVENTION EXPOSITION (AIWCCIE) are the periodical programs of The InventSchool™. At present, these events are held occasionally, but later on will be conducted at regular intervals throughout the year.

1. Annual Conference on Technological & Social Inventions (AC-TSI) presents recent developments and emerging trends in the field of technological and social inventions in the country and around the globe.

2. Annual Workshop on Creativity in Science, Technology and Social Inventions (AW-CSTSI) provides a venue for intimate discussion and resolution of issues and problems relating to the development of creativity in science, technology and social inventions. The workshop in divided into three discussion groups: 1) Creativity in Science and Technological Inventions, 2) Creativity in Social Inventions, and 3) Workshop on Creatology: The Science of Creativity.

3. Annual Institute on Educational Programs for Scientific-Technological Creativity and Social Invention (AI-EP) discuss the various educational programs for the development of scientific-technological creativity among students and teachers. It also reflects on how to improve the different training courses for creativity and innovation.

4. The InventSchool™ Annual Convention & Invention Exposition (IS-ACIE) is the annual assembly of teachers and students involved in The InventSchool™ program featuring invention competition and exhibits. Other interested teachers/students may attend the convention and participate in invention exposition.

LECTURES. Aside from the lateral and special entry courses, The InventSchool™ also offers two-hour or three-hour lectures on creativity and invention. These lectures include the following:

1. Understanding the Nature of Creativity and the Structure of Thinking – a half-day free lecture with short, stimulating workshops designed for schools, colleges and universities, corporations and business organizations, non-government organizations, cooperatives and community associations, civic associations and religious organizations. It presents the basic elements of creativity and the structure of thinking process. It introduces perceptive thinking tools and creative thinking techniques and procedures.

2. Creative Problem-Solving and Decision-Making – a one-day lecture-workshop on the application of creativity in problem-solving and decision-making designed for groups, organizations or association. It deals with the five-step creative problem-solving process and a four-point decision-making procedure.

3. Organizational and Corporate Creativity – a one-day lecture-workshop on the application of creativity and creative thinking designed for corporations and business organizations. It describes the major elements of creativity and the components of the thinking process, and their application in corporate setting and organizational environment. It also introduces creativity in business management, creative problem-solving and decision-making procedures.

4. Creativity in Development Work – a one-day lecture-workshop on the application of creativity in development work in communities designed for non-government organizations, cooperatives and community associations. It deals with the nature of creativity and structure of thinking. It demonstrates perceptive thinking tools and creative thinking techniques and procedures. It describes the five-step creative problem-solving process and a four-point decision-making procedure as applied to development management work.

5. Creativity in Business and Industrial Innovation – a one-day lecture-workshop on creativity in business and the application of creativity in research and development work in industrial setting or business environment designed for small and medium enterprises. It describes the basic elements of creativity and the thinking process. It demonstrates perceptive thinking tools and creative thinking techniques and procedures as applied to business “inventrepreneurship” and the development of business/industrial innovations.

6. Creativity in Education and Teaching – a one-day lecture-workshop on creativity in education and innovations in teaching designed for educators/teachers. It deals with the nature of creativity and the structure of thinking process. It presents perceptive thinking tools and creative thinking techniques and procedures in education and teaching practices. It demonstrates the five-step creative problem-solving process and a four-point decision-making procedure as applied to educational management and the conduct of actual teaching and classroom work.

7. Creativity in Education and Learning – a half-day lecture-workshop on creativity in schoolwork and learning designed for high school and college students. It deals with creative tools and techniques in class study and enlightened learning. It describes the methods for acquiring new knowledge that contribute to useful, purposeful and continuing learning.

8. Continuing Self-Education for Life-Long Learning – a half-day lecture with stimulating workshop designed for everyone. This lecture-workshop offers an innovative approach to self-education towards a life-long learning experience. It looks at the challenge of acquiring new knowledge and recommends how to connect creative acts that will really contribute to useful/purposeful and continuing learning. Topics include: What is self-education for life-long learning; how to acquire relevant new knowledge by sieving the mess of information; tools and techniques for innovative self-education; and purposeful life-long learning for personal/professional development.

9. Preparing the Logical Framework (LogFrame) for programs and projects – a half-day lecture with practical workshop designed for everyone engaged in project development, implementation and management. The lecture-workshop offers basic procedures in formulating the rudimentary project concept, particularly the following: 1) Defining the goal which is the overall achievement or benefits expected from the project by its target groups or beneficiaries; 2) Determining the project purpose which is envisaged solution that describes the desired conditions at which the beneficiaries shall have utilized the services and facilities of the project; 3) Enumerating in adequate detail the results/outputs or the services that are provided by the project; and 4) Describing the activities/tasks to be carried out in order to produce the results/outputs.

PDF copy of Likhaan Newsletter is available to all interested individuals, groups or organizations; request for your pdf copy now by simply providing us your email address.

Join or organize an INVENTCLUB

in your school, college or university

and we will help you develop

your members’ creative skills

and inventive ability.

Contact us via email: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com, likhaangroup@gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

Likhaan Newsletter No. 52 January 2009

Year 24 ▪ Number 52 eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, METRO-MANILA, PHILIPPINES January 2009

The InventSchool™ Training Center at Amecos Innovations in Caloocan City opens February

The InventSchool™ Training Center at Amecos Innovations, Inc. in Caloocan City will open its training program in February 2009. The Amecos group of companies, headed by Dr. Antonio F. Mateo, is composed of A. Mateo Engineering (Consultancy) Services (AMECOS), Amecos (AII) and Inventions & Innovations Marketing Corporation (IIMC).

The training center will carry The InventSchool™ comprehensive education program, which consists of the following training courses.

Regular Educational Programs

1. Technological Inventions Division (TID) course program – Scientific and Technological Creativity (SciTeC™), Entrepreneurial Creativity and Venture Management (EnCVM) and New Products and Innovation Management (NuPIM).

SciTeC™ training program has four (4) core courses: SciTec 1 (Basic) - Introduction to Creativity and Thinking (ICT), SciTec 2 (Primary) - Idea Generation and Creative Development (IGCD), SciTec 3 (Intermediate) - Creative Research and Invention Development (CRID) and SciTec 4 (Advanced) - Inventerprise Development & Venture Management (IDVM). In addition, the core courses have eight (8) supplementary courses (Continuing SciTec™) and eight (8) complementary courses (Special SciTec™).

2. Social Inventions Division (SID) course program – Creativity in Social Invention and Community Innovation (SinCom™), Social Invention Workshops (SIW) and Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (SECM).

SinCom™ training program has four (4) core courses: SinCom 1 (Basic) - Introduction to Creativity and Thinking (ICT), SinCom 2 (Primary) - Idea Generation and Creative Development (IGCD), SinCom 3 (Intermediate) - Social Innovation Research and Development (SIRD) and SinCom 4 (Advanced) - Social Entrepreneurship & Community Development (SECD). Eight (8) supplementary courses (Continuing SinCom™) and eight (8) complementary courses (Special SinComä) support the SinCom™ core courses.

Lateral and Special Training Courses

1. Introductory Seminar-Workshops & Summer Institute [Lateral Entry Courses to The InventSchool™]

▪ TISem - Technological Invention Seminar

▪ SISem - Social Invention Seminar

▪ TeSIS - Technological & Social Invention Seminar

▪ OSW - Orientation Seminar-Workshop on Thinking, Creativity and Creative Teaching / Learning

▪ SumIns - Summer Institute on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity & Social Invention

2. Teachers’ Forum & Seminar-Workshops [Special Entry Courses to The InventSchool™]

▪ T-ForCE - Teachers’ Forum on Creativity in Education

▪ SPEd - Seminar on Shifting Patterns of Education

▪ CTII - Creative Teaching and Instructional Innovations

▪ CEIL - Workshop on Creative Education and Innovative Learning

▪ SCIS - Stimulating Creativity and Inventiveness of Students

Annual Programs

Aside from the regular, lateral and special training courses, The InventSchool™ International conducts several annual programs [Annual Institute, Workshop, Conference & Convention/Exposition]. These are:

▪ AC-TSI - Annual Conference on Technological & Social Inventions

▪ AW-CSTSI - Annual Workshop on Creativity in Science, Technology and Social Inventions

▪ AI-EP - Annual Institute on Educational Programs for Scientific-Technological Creativity & Social Invention

▪ IS-ACIE - The InventSchool™ Annual Convention & Invention Exposition

[See Likhaan Newsletter No. 51, December 2008, for the complete list of InventSchool™ training courses.]

The InventSchool™ Training Center at Amecos Innovations is located at #36 Alma Jose Street near corner Zabarte Road.

Likhaan Group organizes its National Council, governing body of all its member-organizations

The Likhaan Group, Inc. (TLG) organized recently its National Council, the governing body of all member-organizations of Likhaan. The Council is composed of presidents, chief executive and operating officers, directors and selected senior members of TLG organic institutes and affiliated organizations, and chairpersons of the Council’s working committees.

The members of the Likhaan National Council are Dr. Tomas C. Ongoco, president of Quezon City Academy, chairman; Rafael Nelson M. Aboganda, president of The Likhaan Group, Inc., vice chairman; Carlos A. Soriano, vice president of The Likhaan Group™; Jose R. Malbarosa, president/CEO of Global Protective Systems & publisher of CEO Magazine; Jaime Noble Maza, Jr., executive director of Korean-Philippines Information Technology Center, Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU); Rizal “Rey” C. Alejaga, vice president of The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI), specialist on memory skills, critical thinking, learning capability and cognitive development; Anthony R. Manas, executive director of The InventSchool™ International, professor, World Citi Colleges (WCC) & associate professor at ABE International College of Business and Economics; Rolando Q. Jimenez, community & cooperative development consultant; Enrique D. Lukban, local governance, management & marketing consultant; Simon R.Guillermo Jr., population & management consultant; Carlos S. Casas, inventor of Audio-Voca, a “live-sound” hi-fi & 3-D stereo audio system; Alfred-Jose Herbolario, Likhaan Baguio (Cordillera Region), professor of Cordillera University; Pablo M. Tejada, Legaspi (Bicol Region), professor of Bicol University; Ma.Theresa M. Maturan, Cebu (Central Visayas); Reverencio Orig, Davao (Central Mindanao); and Dr. Fernando Ubaldo Jr., biologist & naturopathy specialist.

Ex-officio Council members are Ernesto A. Forcadilla, Likhaan Canada/North America, chief executive for international operations of The Likhaan Group and The InventSchool™; and Rene Alegria Forcadilla, Likhaan Middle East, chief executive for Middle East operations of Likhaan and The InventSchool™, faculty member of Higher College of Technology (HTC), formerly Oman Technical Industrial College, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

The Council will provide overall coordination/management and policy integration; carry out operational streamlining, harmonization and synchronization of activities of TLG member organizations; oversee the operation of working directorate & central secretariat, general administration & finance, and fund generation. It will also support institutional planning and public affairs; development planning and research, policy research and strategic studies; information services, development communication and publications; international studies and understanding, special projects and development con­cerns; organization of creativity network and volunteer corps, formation of alliance network; and coordinate Likhaan affiliate and associate organizations.

Working committees. The TLG National Council will have an executive committee and seven (7) working committees as follows:

1. Academic Committee – review, evaluate and improve educational programs and training courses of The InventSchool™, The Likhaan Institute and other TLG organic institutes and affiliated organizations.

2. Research Committee – appraise, assess and upgrade educational research, social research, social inventions, invention development, creatological research, and scientific-technological R&D projects.

3. Development Committee – study, process and consolidate socio-economic development, community development and other related development projects.

4. Organization Development & Human Resource Committee – evaluate, process and unify membership education and institutional planning for TLG and its organic and affiliated organizations.

5. Finance Committee – enhance ways and means programs, support fund raising campaigns, and other fund generation projects.

6. Audit Committee – review and audit institutional funds, fund campaign operations, funded projects and endowment funds.

7. Alliance Network Committee – provide support to Likhaan branches and alliance network development, and organizational affiliates.

Profile of The Likhaan Group National Council Members

TOMAS C. ONGOCO, president of the Quezon City Academy, chairs the Likhaan National Council and The InventSchool™ board of directors. He is director of EarthSavers Movement; education director, DREAMS Academy; secretary-general, National Environmental Watchers Society (NEWS); consultant, Business Earth, Inc.; consultant, manuscript development division, Academe Publishing House; adviser, Association of Science Teachers and Educators of the Philippines (ASTEP); member, board of directors, Alberto-Enrico Education Center (AEEC); and editorial board member of Firefly Magazine. Recently, Professor Ongoco – scientist-artist-educator – was named one of the six recipients of the 2008 “Father Neri Satur Award” for environmental education. He was recognized for writing a book, “Ambon sa Tagtuyot” (Summer Drizzle), containing the popularization of scientific data through drama and poems, including the ills of smoking, and a unique “Balagtasan on Climate Change.” Ongoco also translated into Filipino former US Vice President Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” the Oscar-winning documentary on global warming. He gave it a Filipino title, “Isang Hindi Matanggap na Katotohanan.” He served as director of the Science Foundation of the Philippines of the National Science Development Board (now Department of Science and Technology). Some 20 years ago, he initiated the use of the word “garbology” to mean the study of garbage which is one of our major problems today.

RAFAEL NELSON M. ABOGANDA is current president of The Likhaan Group, Inc. and vice chair of the Likhaan National Council. He is an independent development management and environmental management consultant, and serves as editor-in-chief of CEO MAGAZINE. Jointly with several co-workers, he launched The InventSchool™ on 7 July 1973. He also initiated the organization of the InventClub™, an association of young inventors and inventive researchers in 1982. He played a key role in shaping creative education and training program in the Philippines as well as the promotion of inventive activities and local inventions in the 1970s and 1980s. Early in his career, he was involved in agricultural and rural development, building construction, shelter systems and tribal settlements design, and environmental management and public health & sanitation. At Likhaan, he manages development research, planning and management program with focal points on community innovations and sustainable development. He also directs social invention and community innovation projects for urban renewal and rural development. He maintains short-term training, development planning and environmental management consultancy assignments with local and foreign organizations. He was educated at the National University in Manila with BSc. in civil and sanitary (environmental) engineering and took up baccalaureate courses in architecture.

CARLOS A. SORIANO is presently vice president of The Likhaan Group and manages the Likhaan National Council working committees. He plays a large role in the day-to-day management and operations of Likhaan and its member-organizations. He is a development manager and community innovator. He served as development management officer at the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC). He managed community enterprise and rural development projects, promotion of local technology, and training programs at TLRC. At Inventech Management Corporation, he was involved in the promotion of local inventions and technology development planning. Previously, he served as educational technologist of the multi-media division, Philippine Human Resources Development Center (PHRDC). He was educated at the National University in Manila and University of the Philippines in Quezon City.

JOSE R. MALBAROSA is board member/treasurer of The Likhaan Group and chairs the Likhaan National Council executive committee. He is president and CEO of Global Protective Systems, Inc. since 1986. He represented the Firemaster Ltd. of London, England for fire suppression systems and the GEM SPRINKLER Company of USA. For 15 years, his company installed modern fire protection systems, sprinklers, fire alarm and smoke detection systems, FM 200 SYSTEMS, and related safety and security systems for buildings, manufacturing plants, and sensitive facilities. In 1996, he engaged in publishing business serving for two years as publisher of the first and only Bikol Daily News for the Bicol Region in Southern Luzon, Philippines. He later teamed up with industrial communicators and CEOs in Metro Manila to publish the CEO MAGAZINE for business, industry, chief executive officers, entrepreneurs, government leaders, the academe, and various professionals including media people. He was educated at National University and Adamson University both in Manila and completed management engineering. He underwent postgraduate studies in project management at the Ateneo de Manila University and attended management seminars in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong during the recent past.

JAIME NOBLE MAZA, JR. is board member/corporate secretary of The Likhaan Group and chairs the Likhaan Working Directorate. He is currently the executive director of the Korean-Philippines Information Technology Center located at the Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU) in Novaliches, Quezon City. Prior to this, he was executive director of SB NegoTech, the livelihood and trade training center of Quezon City government. He heads the WIA Batch ’65 Foundation that gives free kindergarten education in Mallig, Isabela province, Philippines. He was educated at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City completing BSc. in physics and studied electronics and communications engineering at University of the East in Manila.

ERNESTO A. FORCADILLA, presently based in Toronto, Canada, is handling the international operations of The Likhaan Group and The InventSchool™. He led the formation of the Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc., which took over the operation of The InventSchool™ in 1981. He is an outstanding painter-sculptor. He designs corporate logo, brochures, annual reports and magazine/periodical layouts. He currently produces “Corporate Wall Clock” for Canada’s largest corporation using customized digital imaging. He invented award winning “educational toys” to develop intelligent creativity of children. He is currently the principal coordinator, editor/designer and team leader/webmaster of The InventSchool™ Website. He was educated at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City where he completed a bachelor of fine arts degree.

RENE ALEGRIA FORCADILLA, presently based in the Sultanate of Oman, Middle East, is co-founder of the Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. and lecturer of The InventSchool™. Since 1985, he is a member of the teaching staff of the Higher College of Technology (HTC), formerly Oman Technical Industrial College, in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. He is the inventor of the “Electric Utility Meter Reading System (EUMERS)” and currently working on “Smart Switch,” a wireless technology. He served as research associate and program officer at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the training center for senior executive officers of the Philippine government. He finished BSc. in electrical engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and received a Diploma in electronics technology at the Philippine College of Arts and Trades (PCAT) now Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), all in Manila.

RIZAL “REY” C. ALEJAGA, a specialist in memory skills, critical thinking, learning capability and cognitive development, is vice president of The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI) and member of the Likhaan National Council. He is currently a lecturer on creativity, critical thinking, managerial leadership and memory development. He completed BSc. in chemical engineering at Adamson University (AdU). He studied methods and techniques of memory enhancement in Malaysia and India. He is actively promoting the development of memory and critical thinking skills.

ROLANDO Q. JIMENEZ, is one of the original member of Likhaan since mid-1970s. He is a consultant on cooperatives development and management, entrepreneurship, management and administrative system, housing and human settlement, research and development studies. He was vice president of Acemont Infrastructure Developers, Inc. and a board director-secretary of the Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. Since 1971, he has conducted various training programs on entrepreneurship, enterprise development, cooperative management consulting, cooperative organization, strategic planning, business planning and development, project planning and analysis, policy formulation, budget preparation and group dynamics. He served in assignments of major responsibility in different parts of the country in the following areas of management, research and development: Market survey of vegetable seeds in the Cordilleras, project evaluation of development program in Ilocos Norte, feasibility study of gasifiers in Metro Manila, integrated social forestry for the Natural Resources Management Center, management and organization studies of government offices, integrated cooperative systems study in Palawan, integrated rural development in Mindoro provinces, agricultural credit and rural capital formation, barefoot doctors in Mindanao (Region XII), cooperative entrepreneurship in Davao, Laguna, Misamis Oriental, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Quezon, Zamboanga, Iligan, Leyte and Benguet. Jimenez served as management training specialist of the Cooperative Entrepreneurship for Rural Development (CERD) Project, a development program of the International Labour Organization (ILO) from 1991 to 1993. He was assistant vice president of BLISS Development Corporation from 1986 to 1990. He also served as director of the accounts management department of the Shelter Development Group, Ministry of Human Settlements. He finished Bachelor in Liberal Arts (A.B.) at San Carlos Major Seminary, Makati and Master in Business Adminstration (MBA), both at Letran College, Manila. He also attended a diploma course in Project Management for Rural and Small Industries Development New Delhi, India

ENRIQUE D. LUKBAN is a director of Management & Governance Institute (MAGI) of Likhaan. He is an independent consultant on development finance and administration, project development and management, enterprise development, social marketing and local government. He held various positions in government agencies, non-government organizations (NGO), and private corporations such as Development Heuristic Management and Communications Consultants Inc., Asia-West Marketing Communications Inc., Development Academy of the Philippines and the J. Walter Thompson Corporation. He served as management and administrative advisor for the Southern Mindanao Agricultural Programme (SMAP), a project of the Department of Agriculture assisted by the European Economics Commission (EEC). He was also a Philippine representative of Arcotrass Gmbh, a German Consultancy Firm. Lukban also served as special assistant to the Undersecretary for Special Concerns of the Department of Agriculture where he was assigned to oversee the operations of the foreign assisted projects. He worked at Louie Berger International as the operations management specialist for the agriculture component of the Rainfed Resources Development Project (RRDP), a government project funded by the United States Assistance for International Development (USAID). At the same time, he was a senior partner at the MOG and Associates, a private corporation specializing in political research, analysis and planning. He was educated at the University of the Philippines where he completed his Bachelor of Arts major in Economics; he also took up courses in M.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration, as well as statistical technique in marketing research. He received his diploma in Industrial Management and Consultancy in Delft, The Netherlands, and Project Management for Rural and Small Industries Development in New Delhi, India.

SIMON R. GUILLERMO, JR. is a consultant on development economics and management, housing and urban development, demography, and business administration. He served as direc­tor for planning, research and monitoring of the Shelter Development Group and as department manager for regional operations of Bliss Development Corporation, both in the Ministry of Human Settlements. He has been involved in human settlements development planning, housing and population studies, community development and social research. He served as consulting analyst in the reorganization of the government shelter agencies at the Presidential Commission on Government  Reorganization. Guillermo managed training programs and community development projects at the Development Academy of the Philippines. His special interests include management development and re­search, integrated area development, ethnicity and cultural communities, and environmental management. In early years, he headed the Special Projects Department of the Presiden­tial Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency (PAHRA), where he also served as economist and demographer. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Economics at St. Louis University, Baguio City, and Master of Arts (Demography) at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. He also finished training courses in population and housing statistics and housing cooperatives.

ANTHONY R. MANAS is member of the board of directors of Likhaan and serves as executive director of The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI). He is currently a professor at the World Citi Colleges (WCC) and served as associate professor at ABE International College of Business and Economics. He has been involved in a broad range of activities including being former vice president of the Center for Assistance on Community Mortgage Program, Inc. and project manager of CISP-Land Development Corporation and the Center for Housing and Human Ecology Development Foundation, Inc. He also worked as analyst (socio-environmental division, corporate planning group) and community relations officer (social engineering department) both at the National Power Corporation (NPC). His areas of specialization include working with modeling and simulation techniques in participatory decision-making analysis and processes, micro-finance, and business planning using quantitative modeling and evaluation techniques. He graduated from National College on Business and Arts (NCBA) in Quezon City with a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). He completed AB in political science at Far Eastern University in Manila and enterprise development course at University of the Philippines, Institute for Small Scale Industries, (UP-ISSI). He also took up graduate studies in public administration (MPA) at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City.

TIMELINE OF THE INVENTSCHOOL™ INTERNATIONAL:

Part 2 – 1988-2008

Founded: 7 July 1973 ▪ Quezon City, Metro-Manila ▪ SEC Reg. No. 155808, Issued: 29 September 1988

Below is the continuation of the chronological look at The InventSchool’s growth over the past 35 years.

The Middle Years

As The InventSchool™ developed, it embarked on upgrading and standardization of course programs, conducting summer institutes and expanded its training programs to include social inventions and other related seminars. Here are the highlights of our middle years:

1988 – September 21, The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI) was repositioned as a corporate institution of Likhaan and registered with SEC, Reg. No. 155808 issued on September 29. Started the improved SciTeC™ Course Program―basic and primary courses.

1989 – February 20, during the celebration of the 3rd Festival of Filipino Inventions at the Ninoy Aquino Nature’s Park in Quezon City, a “Conference of The InventClub™ Federation on Young Inventors and The InventSchool™ Program” was held with Mr. Farag Mousa, head of WIPO’s Section for Relations with International Organizations & Promotion of Innovation in Developing Countries, as special guest speaker. The conference was attended by students and faculty representatives from Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) InventClubs™, the only active clubs at that time. May 11-13, conducted the “1st Summer Institute on Scientific & Technological Creativity” at MIT, Manila.

1990 – The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI) and Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. (LIFI) continued conducting SciTeC™ course program―basic and primary courses―at irregular intervals. The IDEA FACTORY for Social Inventions was set-up by LIFI and the Social Inventions & Community Innovations, Inc. (SICI).

1991 – LIFI-InventSchool™ continued developing Intermediate SciTeC™ course design and training materials.

1992 – LIFI-InventSchool™ continued updating the Intermediate SciTeC™ course materials. Soon after, the intermediate course was divided into two: Intermediate and Advanced courses. Started developing Advanced SciTeC™ course design and training materials.

1993 – August, “1st Orientation Seminar Workshop on Thinking, Creativity and Creative Teaching for Teachers & Educators” at Lourdes School of Quezon City. Continued holding SciTeC™ courses―basic and primary―for students on limited scale at MIT and PUP. In spite of lack of funds, the InventClub™ at MIT and PUP, coordinated by Atty. Mario Pantoja and Dr. Pedro Yunzal, respectively, organized annual school-based invention contests until 1996.

1994 – Continued preparation of Continuing/Specialized SciTeC™ course designs and training materials. August 19, LIFI-InventSchool™—with the recommendation of then Budget Secretary Salvador M. Enriquez, Jr.—sought financial support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and endorsement from the Department of Education, Culture & Sports (DECS) for the organization of InventClubs™ and the preparation of training manuals for the SciTeC™ courses (basic, primary, intermediate and advanced) and its testing in five regional centers. In a meeting with DECS Secretary Ricardo Gloria, he told LIFI-SICI officers to proceed to DOST for assistance. DOST Secretary William Padolina endorse the Likhaan-InventSchool™ proposal to the Technology Application & Promotion Institute (TAPI). LIFI-InventSchool™ officials explained The InventSchool™ and InventClub™ program to Dr. Maripaz Perez, director of TAPI, in a meeting in September. However, Director Perez, in her letter of October 7, informed Likhaan that the project is not in line with their program. She noted that the proposal has “close resemblance… to the science club, science fairs and summer camp programs of the Science Education Institute (SEI).” Forthwith, the TAPI Director endorsed the proposal to SEI for appropriate action. In spite of continuous follow-up, DOST and all its agencies disregarded the InventSchool™ program.

1995 – August, the Institute for Social Invention (ISI) in London, UK cited The InventSchool™ in its publication, Best Ideas - A Compendium of Social Innovations and the ‘Global Ideas Bank’ on the Internet. By late 1995, after several follow-ups on The InventSchool™ project proposal, DOST, TAPI and SEI have not provided any assistance to the training program of The InventSchool™ and the organization of InventClubs™. LIFI-SICI considered the proposal has been rejected. Updated the regular SciTeC™ courses.

1996 – Preparation of SciTeC™ course program manuals and initial course outline for social inventions. Continued literature research and educational studies on creativity and invention, and updated the training materials on creativity, technological innovations and social inventions. Started writing the trainers’ guidebook and students’ workbook for SciTeC™ courses.

1997 – Continued preparation of SciTeC™ course program training manuals and teachers’ guide. July, The InventSchool™ developed a new educational program parallel to SciTeC™ courses called the “Creativity in Social Inventions and Community Innovations Course” or the SinCom™ Course Program. Accordingly, the educational program of TISI was reorganized into two (2) major course programs: 1) Technological Inventions Division (TID) and 2) Social Inventions Division (SID). Developed two SinCom™ training courses adopting SciTeC™ 1 and SciTeC™ 2. and started preparation of other SinCom™ course designs and training materials.

1998 – Continued literature research, educational studies and preparation of SciTeC™ and SinCom™ course programs, training materials and teaching guides. Developed two additional SinCom™ training courses adapting SciTeC™ 3 and SciTeC™ 4.

1999 – Started upgrading and standardization of SciTeC™ and SinCom™ course programs instructional materials, training manuals and teaching guides. Continuing and special courses added.

The Recent Years

In year 2000, as The InventSchool™ started to mature, it embarked on upgrading and standardization of all course programs, conducting summer institutes and expanded its training programs to include social inventions and other related seminars. Here are the highlights of our recent years:

2000 – May 17-19, conducted the “2nd Summer Institute on Scientific & Technological Creativity” at Quezon City Academy (QCA), Quezon City. July, introduced Creativity in Business Entrepreneurship to MBA students in the Graduate School of De La Salle University at Greenhills, San Juan City. Developed additional SciTeC™ and SinCom™ continuing and special courses.

2001 – November 28-29, “2nd Orientation Seminar Workshop on Thinking, Creativity and Creative Teaching for Teachers & Educators” at Quezon City Academy, Quezon City. Completed The InventSchool™ comprehensive regular educational program with set of courses, program of studies, curricular content (outline), and learning set-up.

2002 – April, developed course design on “Stimulating Creativity and Inventiveness of Students” and worked on course materials for SinCom™ (social inventions) courses with the support of LIFI. New training courses added to the comprehensive educational program; content outline drawn up.

2003 – Developed lateral training courses and content outline under the comprehensive educational program, curricular structure and course outline.

2004 – Started reactivating the Local InventSchool™ at MapuaTech (MIT) in Manila. Formulated special training courses under the comprehensive educational program, curricular structure and course outline.

2005 – Developed annual institute, conference and workshops under the comprehensive educational program. Core structure and program plans formulated.

2006 – June, course manual on “Creative Problem-Solving and Decision-Making (CPSDM)” revised. In association with LIFI, prepared teaching guide to “Operational Mechanism of Creativity and Thinking (OMCaT),” a specialized 16-week course for college students.

2007 – Continuing preparation, updating and improvement of SciTeC™ and SinCom™ training materials and other educational programs and training courses.

The InventSchoolä Today

Year 2008, The InventSchool™ started to review and evaluate its training programs and reactivate its learning centers in different schools, colleges and universities in Metro Manila.

2008 – First quarter of the year: Review and evaluation of available The InventSchool™plans/programs and updating of institutional development plans for incorporation in the new TLG Strategic Development Plan (SDP). April, Likhaan redefine its restarting points for organizational reactivation. The first organization proposed to be fully reactivated is The InventSchool™ International, Inc. (TISI) which was also the first organization of The Likhaan Group of organizations (TLG) established by Imbensyon Pilipino on July 7, 1973. July-December, Likhaan and The InventSchool™ celebrate 35th anniversary with free lectures on creativity and thinking, and other programs/activities. °

NEWSROUNDUP

Three top Filipino inventors call on PGMA in Malacañang

Early this month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received in Malacañang three top Filipino inventors who brought prestige, honor and glory to the country by winning top honors in the recent inventor’s competitions held here and abroad.

Inventors Rolando Dela Cruz, Antonio Mateo and Aquilino Tubigan called on the President at Malacañang Palace’s Music Room to explain to the Chief Executive their individual inventions.

Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro, who joined the President during the inventors’ call, said they are well-known for their contributions in medicine, construction and telecommunications.

The award-winning inventors explained their inventions to President Arroyo.

Multi-awarded Filipino inventor Rolando dela Cruz received the World Intellectual Property Office gold medal for his invention “DeBCC,” a cream developed from cashew nut extracts mixed with other common Philippine herbs, that treats basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer generally caused by frequent exposure to sunlight.

Basal cell carcinoma usually affects the face, ears, scalp, neck, shoulders, and back.

The prestigious award was given at the closing ceremonies of the National Inventors Week, an annual activity of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) that gives support to Filipino inventors by bringing together in one venue their inventions/innovations for the public to appreciate and investors’ possible commercialization.

Dr. Antonio Mateo, a certified engineer, educator and inventor, won the 2008 Gold Merit Award by the Invention and New Product Exposition (INPEX) for his “Improved Flaring Tools for Flexible Piping System.”

His improved flaring tools have provided water distributing companies a surefire way to improve the delivery of water to customers and prevent water system leakages.

Aside from this invention, Mateo is also recognized for inventing the “Super Wheelchair” which doubles as bed and bathroom and is designed to provide mobility and a cleaning facility for bedridden people. “It’s a convertible wheelchair with a cushioned toilet bowl as chair. It is also equipped with a shower which can be connected to a faucet; a seatbelt, and a mini-table which doubles as a head rest,” Mateo explained.

Aquilino Tubigan was given the 2008 Jury Awards, also by INPEX, for his “I-Charj Coin Operated Cell Phone Charger” which provides “dying” cell phone batteries a nifty gadget that charges a mobile phone’s battery for a fee.

By inserting a P5 coin into the “I-Charj’s” coin-slot, the customer can charge his or her cell phone battery for 10 minutes. The machine can charge the battery of all cell phone models.

Alabastro said that the President expressed amazement at the innovativeness and timeliness of the trio’s inventions.

She added that the President instructed her and the DoST to take notice of the plight of all Filipino inventors and support them 100 percent of the way.

“She (President Arroyo) committed that she will, by instructing us (DoST), to attend to the needs of the inventors and whatever additional support she can provide, she will see what she can do to augment this support through her social fund,” Alabastro said. [Source: Gov.ph/news]

Who Developed Patis?

Contrary to popular belief, there was no fish sauce or Patis yet during the Spanish occupation. Patis began to become a part of most Filipinos’ diet only after the Japanese occupation. Here is an account of how an enterprising lady discovered the fermentation of Patis. Immediately after the war, the family of Ruperta David or Aling Tentay started a dried fish business. One day, Aling Tentay stored in jars some salted fish that turned into fragments even before they dried. While in jars, the fish fragments turned into a liquid substance that tasted like our Patis today. Thus the beginning of the thriving Patis business of Aling Tentay, which was officially registered in 1949 and is known today as Tentay Food and Sauces Inc. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Likhaan offers free lecture-workshop on “Creativity and Thinking”

The Likhaan Group is offering free lecture-workshop entitled “Understanding the Nature of Creativity and the Structure of Thinking” or ‘Creativity and Thinking’ for short.

The lecture is given free, on a first come first served arrangement, to any school, college or university, business companies, civic/social clubs, religious organizations, professional associations, non-government organizations, and similar groups in Metro Manila and nearby cities and towns.

All requests for free lectures must be submitted by email to: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup@gmail.com or call/text Mobile phone#09272957076 or #09184956535.

PDF copies of Likhaan Newsletter is available to all subscribers; request for your pdf copies now by providing us your email address.

Your creative mind is the heart and spirit of your life!

Build it, and you build the workings of your future.

Let it stagnate and you live in the past.

Cultivate your creative mind. Develop it. It will enrich you and bring you a life that thrives on reality, understanding and success.

Join the teachers’ and students’…

CREATIVITY NETWORK

… and we will help develop your creative mind by providing you creativity training that will encourage you to learn to think creatively.

Start using creativity in your everyday life. Build your insight and intuition – common sense, sensitivity, and ‘luck.’ Start solving problems in an unfamiliar way. Look more closely at related and ‘unrelated’ things. Observe what leads to learning. Learn to perceive patterns. And improve your inventive thinking skills.

Joining the CREATIVITY NETWORK will get you involve in The InventSchool program, the InventClubs and inventive activities, social inventions, geographic studies, information analysis, and creatological research.

For more information, email us: likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup @gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Likhaan Newsletter No. 51 December 2008

Year 23 ▪ Number 51 eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, METRO-MANILA, PHILIPPINES December 2008

TLG opens membership to its Creativity Network to all interested individuals

Likhaan Board proposes the organization of its National Council and reactivation of its Operating Centers

The Board of Directors of Likhaan Group proposed the organization of a National Council that will take charge of the overall coordination/management and policy integration, operational streamlining, harmonization and synchronization of programs and projects, institutional planning and public affairs activities of all its member-organizations. It also opened membership to its Creativity Network to all interested individuals, including college students.

The Likhaan National Council will organize a national executive committee and the following working committees: academic committee, research committee, development committee, organization development & human resource committee, finance committee, audit committee, and alliance network committee.

The national executive committee will be composed of all presidents and chief executive officers or managing directors and selected senior members of TLG organic and affiliated organizations, and chairpersons of the National Council working committees.

The national council working committees will have at least three members per committee including the committee chair. The major functions of the working committees are as follows:

Academic committee – review, evaluate and improve educational programs and training courses of the Likhaan Institute, The InventSchool™ and TLG organic/affiliated organizations.

Research committee – review, evaluate and improve educational research, social research, social inventions, invention development, creatological research, and scientific-technological R&D projects.

Development committee – review, evaluate and improve socio-economic development, community development and other related development programs and projects.

Organization development & human resource committee – review, evaluate and improve membership education and institutional planning for TLG and its organic and affiliated organizations.

Finance committee – review, evaluate and improve ways and means, fund raising campaigns, and other fund generation projects.

Audit committee – auditing of institutional funds, fund campaign operations, funded project and endowment fund.

Alliance network committee – Likhaan branches and alliance network development, and organizational affiliates.

The TLG Board also proposed the systematic reactivation and strengthening of its four (4) operating centers: 1) Development Planning & Research Centre (DPRC), 2) Likhaan Resource Information Centre (LRIC), 3) Centre for International Studies & Understanding (CISU), particularly The European Centre (TEC) and The NordiCentre (TNC), and 4) Special Projects & Development Concerns (SPDC).

THE CREATIVITY NETWORK. The membership to Likhaan’s Creativity Network is now open to all individuals, including college students. The Creativity Network (TCN) is a loose organization of volunteers helping The Likhaan Group in the implementation of its programs, projects and activities. Its members are assisted in developing their creative abilities by providing them training that encourages them to learn to think creatively, build their insight and intuition, and improve their inventive thinking skills.

Interested individuals are requested to submit their brief biodata via postal mail or email to likhaangroup@likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup@gmail.com attention: The Creativity Network, or call/text Mobile numbers: +0639272957076 or +0639184956535.

TIMELINE OF THE INVENTSCHOOL™ INTERNATIONAL:

Part 1 – 1970-1987

Founded: 7 July 1973 ▪ Quezon City, Metro-Manila ▪ SEC Reg. No. 155808, Issued: 29 September 1988

Below is a chronological look at The InventSchool’s growth over the past 35 years.

Prelude to The InventSchool™

Before The InventSchool™ was established, there was a creativeness and inventiveness development program, which started “creative thinking” seminars for aspiring young inventors. The founders of The InventSchoolä thought that there should be a training program for identifying and developing new breed of Filipino inventors. Here’s how it all began:

1970 – May 11, the Philippine Inventors Commission (PIC) and Filipino Inventors Society (FIS) agreed to implement a creativity training program for inventors and young inventive talents, and organize “creative societies” (student inventors’ associations). June 24, PIC-FIS launched the creativeness and inventiveness development program to promote technological creativity among students, teachers and professionals.

1971 – May 2, the first seminar on “creative thinking” under the PIC creativeness program was held at St. Louis University in Baguio City participated by teachers attending the summer training in science teaching sponsored by the National Science Development Board (NSDB), now Department of Science & Technology (DOST).

1972 – Creativeness and inventiveness development program continued. First working paper on “creatology” entitled “Towards a Positive Understanding of Creativity—Creatology, The Science of Creativity” co-authored by Rafael Nelson M. Aboganda and Ricardo S. Cortez was published by the Publication Staff, Creativeness Development Division, Philippine Inventors Commission (PIC) on October 24. [“Creatology” was derived from Latin creat- the past participle stem of creare. “to bring forth, produce,” and Gr. creatus, “creative” + Latin logus, “study” and Gr. logos, “reason, study”.]

The Early Years

In the early years, The InventSchool™ upholds the idea that “creativity and inventiveness” can be developed through proper training and actual experience. Here are the highlights of our early years:

1973 – February, an “Institute for Creative Studies and Technological Innovations,” a proposed school for young inventors, was conceptualized. May, Imbensyon Pilipino (IP) was organized on 15 June. July 7, IP launched The InventSchool™ (Philippines) as its creativity training center. On August 5, 12, 19 & 26, first orientation seminar entitled “Creative Dynamics” was held in Quezon City.

1974 – “Special Report on Creatology” was submitted in January to Gen. Florencio Medina, then Secretary of Science & Technology per NSDB memorandum. [Gen. Medina was all praises about the report. He said, “This was the best thing that ever happened to PIC.”] Seminars on “creative thinking and problem-solving” under the PIC creativeness program were conducted in major cities in the Philippines. Creatology was introduced in the seminars utilizing fundamental observations from initial ‘creatological’ studies.

1975 – Imbensyon Pilipino was transformed into the Creativity Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (CRADFI) and carried out the seminars on creativity and invention development.

1976 – PIC and CRADFI, individually and/or jointly, conducted seminars on creativity, creative thinking and invention development.

1977 – PIC with CRADFI continued undertaking seminars on creativity and invention development. By mid-year, however, PIC concluded its creativity training program.

1978 – May, a new foundation named “Likhaan Institute for Technological Innovations” was proposed by staff-members of the Community Resource Management & Development Department (CRMDD) of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). June 28, Likhaan Institute was organized in a meeting held at the Philippine Columbian on Taft Ave., Manila. The organization was however renamed Technology for Human Development Foundation, Inc. (THDF). PIC and THDF jointly conducted a special creativity training course for the agricultural officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in Leyte Province. From then on THDF continued the creativity training activities.

1979 – January 16, THDF was incorporated at SEC with Reg. No. 83952. With some travel funds provided by PIC, Techud (new acronym of THDF) continued undertaking seminars on creativity and invention development, particularly for teachers and students of the University of the Philippines College Baguio in Baguio City and other schools in Benguet Province. October 3, Techud submitted to PIC a proposal to reactivate the creativeness and inventiveness project; unfortunately, no action was taken.

1980 – May, another letter-proposal on creativeness development was presented to PIC; again, no action was taken. October 3, Techud again proposed the revival of the creativeness and inventiveness program to PIC to be called “The InventSchoolä Program.” November 30, Likhaan Institute was organized as a training unit of Techud primarily to continue The InventSchool™. Research studies on Creatology as a new science of creativity set in motion.

1981 – January 6, Techud-Likhaan submitted an updated proposal to revive the creativeness program, which provided details about its operations and training courses. January 15, Techud-Likhaan and the Philippine Inventions Development Institute (PIDI), formerly PIC, agreed to revive the creativity training program. Subsequently, a memorandum of agreement between PIDI and Techud-Likhaan was signed on February 4, formally reviving the creativeness program based on The InventSchool™ Concept. March 16, a transitory advisory board of the Philippine InventSchool™ Program was constituted with representatives from PIDI, Techud-Likhaan, Filipino Inventors Society (FIS), Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), National Science Development Board (NSDB), and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). April 21-22, the new The InventSchool™ Concept and Program Framework was presented in a workshop sponsored by PIDI, during the celebration of 1981 Inventors’ Week at Philtrade Audio-Visual Hall. April 27-29, a trainer’s course for PIDI training staff was conducted by Likhaan at PIDI conference room in Bicutan, Taguig and the University of Life (UL) in Pasig. June to October, PIDI staff—as part of their training—prepared course designs and instructional materials under the direction and guidance of Likhaan. October 12, Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. (LIFI) was formally organized as a separate foundation and incorporated on October 18 at the SEC with Reg. No. 0101452. December 9-11, PIDI-Likhaan started the “Seminar-Workshop on Creativity & Invention Development (SWCID)” for students, and December 12-13, the SWCID for faculty members―both held at NSDB’s J. Faustino Garcia Hall, Taft Ave., Manila.

1982 – The SWCID training courses for faculty and students (renamed Technological Creativity & Invention Development, TCID for short) were conducted on January 8-10 for students and January 16-17 for faculty. Subsequently, from January 22 until February 20 seminar-workshops were continued in different schools in Metro-Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. During the February 1982 Inventors’ Week, the 1st National Conference on Technological Creativity & Invention Development featuring the 1st National Congress of InventClubs was held. February 25, the InventOrganization of the Philippines (IOP) was organized. TCID textbook prepared. December, PIDI Commissioner Fidelino Adriano visited the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva Switzerland and submitted a proposal prepared by LIFI for the full implementation of The InventSchool™ Program. WIPO suggested transforming The InventSchool™ into a regional training program “in substance and orientation” so that it can avail of financial assistance from the UN system. Thus, The Asia-Pacific InventSchool (TAPI) was conceived.

1983 – February 22, The Asia-Pacific InventSchool™ (TAPI) was launched through an audio-visual presentation during the celebration of the 17th National Inventors Week, dubbed as Philippine Inventions Expo ’83, held on February 20-26. The 2nd National Conference on Technological Creativity & Invention Development highlighted by the 2nd National Congress of IOP (InventClubs) was held on February 21-23. Likhaan Institute designed The InventSchool™ Training and Development Systems: Organizational structures, operational system, education and training systems for PIDI. The IDEA BANK for Technological Inventions was set-up by LIFI for The InventSchool™. August, at the instance of PIDI, the Philippine Invention Development Foundation, Inc. (PIDFI) was established and took over LIFI’s role in the InventSchool™. Likhaan concentrated on developing course manuals and training guides for the InventSchool™ as well as preparing for the upcoming implementation of TAPI, which was conceived as part of the international InventSchoolä system.

1984 – The 3rd National Conference on Technological Creativity & Invention Development was held on February 21-22, 1984 during the 18th Inventors’ Week. February 22, IOP was renamed InventClub™ Federation of the Philippines (ICF). TCID training courses continued to be conducted in different schools, colleges and universities throughout the country. Mid-1984, PIDI started offering basic and primary TCID courses to business and industry sector beginning initially with Budget/Finance Secretary Salvador M. Enriquez, Jr., Dr. Serafin D. Talisayon and R.N.M. Aboganda as principal lecturers. LIFI continued the preparation of training methodologies, techniques and learning strategies. Likhaan also started putting into concrete terms the establishment of The InventSchool™ International for developing countries. [Note: Techud was inactive from 1984-mid-1987. LIFI took over most of its activities.]

1985 – January, LIFI formulated the general institutional scheme of The InventSchool™ International. Meanwhile, PIDI published an InventSchool™ textbook on TCID combining basic and primary courses edited by Dr. Serafin D. Talisayon and Zinnia P. Teruel. Majority of the materials in the textbook came from LIFI written by R.N.M. Aboganda. The textbook was later used in the Regional Workshop on Invention Development and Innovation held on November 25 to December 6 in Manila under the sponsorship of PIDI-NSTA and PIDFI, with financial assistance from WIPO-UNDP.

1986 – Prepared lecture-workshop guide on TCID Intermediate course. August 18-20, the first and only TCID Intermediate course of The InventSchoolä was conducted at the training school of Telestar Industries in Davao City by R.N.M. Aboganda.

1987 – January 30, PIDI abolished. TCID training, however, continued up to middle of the year. Likhaan Institute took over The InventSchoolä during the second semester. ICF was divided into two associations, the InventClub™ Federation (ICF) composed of student InventClubs™, and the InventSchool™ Faculty Organization (ISFO) composed of faculty members involved in the TISI program, both maintain their original founding dates. Scientific & Technological Creativity (SciTeC)™ course replaced TCID training courses.

Training courses in The InventSchool™ comprehensive program

REGULAR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (TID) Course Program

Scientific and Technological Creativity (SciTeC™) Courses

CORE COURSES – Regular SciTec™ Courses

▪ SciTec 1 (Basic) - Introduction to Creativity and Thinking (ICT)

▪ SciTec 2 (Primary) - Idea Generation and Creative Development (IGCD)

▪ SciTec 3 (Intermediate) - Creative Research and Invention Development (CRID)

▪ SciTec 4 (Advanced) - Inventerprise Development & Venture Management (IDVM)

SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES

▪ SciTec 5 – Continuing SciTec™ Courses

SciTec 5.1 (Pro-TI) - Protecting the Technical Invention

SciTec 5.2 (CrDS) - Creative Design Science

SciTec 5.3 (CrE) - Creative Engineering

SciTec 5.4 (ErHE) - Ergonomics/Human Engineering

SciTec 5.5 (InProDes) - Industrial/Product Design

SciTec 5.6 (EMCr) - Entrepreneurial and Managerial Creativity

SciTec 5.7 (InDev) - Inventerprise Development

SciTec 5.8 (TIIP) - The Techno-Industrial Innovation Process

COMPLEMENTARY COURSES

▪ SciTec 6 – Special SciTec™ Courses

SciTec 6.1 (STCI) - Scientific & Technological Creativity for Inventors

SciTec 6.2 (TIH) - Technological Inventions in History

SciTec 6.3 (ILN) - Inventions and the Laws of Nature

SciTec 6.4 (CTI) - Competitive Technology Intelligence

SciTec 6.5 (CHB) - Creativity and the Human Brain

SciTec 6.6 (CMCT) - Creativity, Memory and Critical Thinking

SciTec 6.7 (S-TI) - Salunggalian (The study of conflicts and contradictions in science, technology and inventions)

SciTec 6.8 (Cr-TI) - Creatology: The New Science of Creativity (Technical Inventions)

SOCIAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (SID) Course Program

Creativity in Social Invention and Community Innovation (SinCom™) Courses

CORE COURSES – Regular SinCom™ Courses

▪ SinCom 1 (Basic) - Introduction to Creativity and Thinking (ICT)

▪ SinCom 2 (Primary) - Idea Generation and Creative Development (IGCD)

▪ SinCom 3 (Intermediate) - Social Innovation Research and Development (SIRD)

▪ SinCom 4 (Advanced) - Social Entrepreneurship & Community Development (SECD)

SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES

▪ SinCom 5 – Continuing SinCom™ Courses

SinCom 5.1 (Pro-SI) - Protecting the Social Invention

SinCom 5.2 (CRSE) - Community Research and Social Engineering

SinCom 5.3 (CSSD) - Creative Social Systems Design

SinCom 5.4 (CoDS) - Community Design Science

SinCom 5.5 (CCDP) - Creativity in Community Development Planning

SinCom 5.6 (EEMC) - Economic Enterprise and Managerial Creativity

SinCom 5.7 (SIP) - The Social Innovation Process

COMPLEMENTARY COURSES

▪ SinCom 6 – Special SinCom™ Courses

SinCom 6.1 (CTSP) - Creativity and Thinking Skills for Social Productivity

SinCom 6.2 (SIH) - Social Inventions in History

SinCom 6.3 (SDLN) - Social Development and the Laws of Nature

SinCom 6.4 (CBEI) - Competitive Business and Economic Intelligence

SinCom 6.5 (CHB) - Creativity and the Human Brain

SinCom 6.6 (CMCT) - Creativity, Memory and Critical Thinking

SinCom 6.7 (S-SI) - Salunggalian (The study of conflicts and contradictions in social science, social inventions, and society)

SinCom 6.8 (Cr-SI) - Creatology: The New Science of Creativity (Social Inventions)

INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & TRAINING COURSES

TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (TID) Course Program

▪ Entrepreneurial Creativity and Venture Management (EnCVM) Courses

a. EnCVM-1 (Basic) - Entrepreneurial Creativity & Venture Management (Basic)

b. EnCVM-2 (Advanced) - Entrepreneurial Creativity & Venture Management (Advanced)

▪ New Products and Innovation Management (NuPIM) Courses

a. NuPIM-1 (Basic) - New Products and Innovation Management (Basic)

b. NuPIM-2 (Advanced) - New Products and Innovation Management (Advanced)

SOCIAL INVENTIONS DIVISION (SID) Course Program

▪ Social Invention Workshops (SIW)

a. SIW-1 (Basic) - Social Invention Workshop (Basic)

b. SIW-2 (Advanced) - Social Invention Workshop (Advanced)

▪ Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (SECM) Courses

a. SECM-1 (Basic) - Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (Basic)

b. SECM-2 (Advanced) - Social Entrepreneurship and Community Management (Advanced)

LATERAL TRAINING COURSES

INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR-WORKSHOPS & SUMMER INSTITUTE [Lateral Entry Courses to The InventSchool™]

▪ TISem - Technological Invention Seminar

▪ SISem - Social Invention Seminar

▪ TeSIS - Technological & Social Invention Seminar

▪ OSW - Orientation Seminar-Workshop on Thinking, Creativity and Creative Teaching / Learning

▪ SumIns - Summer Institute on Education for Scientific-Technological Creativity & Social Invention

SPECIAL TRAINING COURSES

TEACHERS’ FORUM & SEMINAR-WORKSHOPS [Special Entry Courses to The InventSchool™]

▪ T-ForCE - Teachers’ Forum on Creativity in Education

▪ SPEd - Seminar on Shifting Patterns of Education

▪ CTII - Creative Teaching and Instructional Innovations

▪ CEIL - Workshop on Creative Education and Innovative Learning

▪ SCIS - Stimulating Creativity and Inventiveness of Students

ANNUAL PROGRAMS

ANNUAL INSTITUTE, WORKSHOP, CONFERENCE & CONVENTION/EXPOSITION [Annual programs of The InventSchool™]

▪ AC-TSI - Annual Conference on Technological & Social Inventions

▪ AW-CSTSI - Annual Workshop on Creativity in Science, Technology and Social Inventions

▪ AI-EP - Annual Institute on Educational Programs for Scientific-Technological Creativity & Social Invention

▪ IS-ACIE - The InventSchool™ Annual Convention & Invention Exposition

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NEWSROUNDUP

2008 Inventors Week Winners

The Awarding Ceremonies of the 2008 National Invention Contest (NIC) of the National Inventors’ Week (NIW) was successfully held last 21 November 2008 at the Philippine Trade Training Center. Out of the 97 finalists for the different categories, the following emerged as winners:

TUKLAS AWARD (Outstanding Invention)

First Prize

Patent No.: 1-2004-000328

Title: Anacardium occidentale Linn. (Cashew Nut Extract) and Gliciridia sepium (Kakauati) for the Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) or Skin Cancer

Inventor: Rolando C. dela Cruz, Lydia B. dela Cruz, Richard B. dela Cruz, Leonor B. dela Cruz, Rommel B. dela Cruz, Lorena B. dela Cruz, Lelalee B. dela Cruz, Second Prize,

Second Prize

Patent No.: 1-2005-000623

Title: Rapid Rice Beer (Beer from Rice Syrup)

Inventor: Dr. Virgilio L. Malang and Yasmin E. Espiritu

Third Prize

Patent No.: 1-2004-000300

Title: Multi-Purpose Handicapped Wheelchair

Inventor: Antonio F. Mateo

OUTSTANDING UTILITY MODEL

First Prize

Patent No.: 2-2006-000101

Title: Plastic and Metal Separator System for Biodegradable Waste

Maker: Dominador D. Rosales, Jr.

Second Prize

Patent No.: 2-2006-000485

Title: Modified Plastic Block From Polystyrene and Low Density Polystyrene (Styropor & Sando Bag Recycling)

Maker: Manuel M. Navarro, Nelson Develos, Elinor Bedia, Araceli Monsada, Perfecto Braganza, Jr., Ruben Loberiano, Redondo Magdaleno, Efren De Chavez

Third Prize

Patent No.: 2-2001-000460

Title: PovWonderful (Povidone-Iodine Effervescing Foaming Vaginal Insert)

Maker: Yasmin E. Espiritu

OUTSTANDING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

First Prize

ID Reg. No.:3-2006-000908

Title: A Gas Burner (Aluminum) - GS3

Designer: Meland G. Dilodilo

Second Prize

ID Reg. No.: 3-2007-000135

Title: WeldE-Zmask (Welding Mask with Offset Lenses and Breathing Port)

Designer: Dr. Virgilio L. Malang, Yasmin E. Espiritu

Third Prize

ID Reg. No.: 3-2007-000251

Title: Pinoy Tagay Mug (Three-handled communal drinking cup)

Designer: Dr. Virgilio L. Malang

Yasmin E. Espiritu

LIKHA AWARD (Outstanding Creative Research)

First Prize

Title: Method of Converting Landfilled Plastic Waste into Fuel (Gasoline, Diesel, Gas)

Researcher/s: Jayme M. Navarro

Second Prize

Title: Calamansi Dietary Fiber Powder

Researcher/s: Annabelle V. Briones, Wilhelmina O. Ambal, Bella R. Redublo, Cesar R. Cortez, Norvina S. Deocampo, Merle A. Villanueva

Third Prize

Title: Aerial Reconnaissance Drone

Researcher/s: Michael S. Poblete, Ivan de Vera, Charles S. Rico, Leonard Canoza

SIBOL AWARD (College Level)

First Prize

Title: The Potential of Potato Starch Extract as an Alternative Serum Separator Gel and its Effects in Glucose Testing

Researcher/s: Donna Dane G. Aldana

School: Saint Louis University

Second prize

Title: The Feasibility of Using Tapioca (Cassava) Starch in Making Bioplastic Packaging Material for Seedlings

Researcher/s: Hilda Albis, Germine Christa Amansec, Jennifer Amoyan, Anna Margarita Bascon, Crezyl Berbedel, Arsenio Boado Jr., Sydney James Bukas, Regie Lynne Camizola, Christine Joy Caranto, Angelyn Concepcion, John Paul dela Cruz

School: Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Third Prize

Title: In Vitro and In Vivo Biosorption of Heavy Metals Using Phytomass of Selected Brown Algal Species in Ilocos Norte

Researcher/s: Janill I. Magano

School: Mariano Marcos State University

SIBOL AWARD (High School Level)

First Prize

Title: Novelty Items (Leather Products) from the Skin of Abalistes stellaris and Pinjalo lewisi

Researcher/s: Mariecar L. Romero, Chen V. Ramos, Joemar G. Salmorin

School: Navotas National High School

Second prize

Title: Utilization of Chicken Feathers as Fiberglass Creation

Researcher/s: Jeffrey Celso Mari M. Rafael

School: The Quantum Academy, Inc.

Third Prize

Title: iText Mo Switch: Innovative Text Message Operated Switch

Researcher/s: Eddie Francis Cesar B. Plaza, Gilbert G. Ocampo

School: Philippine Science High School-Eastern Visayas

WIPO GOLD MEDAL / CERTIFICATE AWARDEE

TUKLAS AWARD (Outstanding Invention)

Patent No.: 1-2004-000328

Title: Anacardium occidentale Linn. (Cashew Nut Extract) and Gliciridia sepium (Kakauati) for the Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) or Skin Cancer

Inventor: Rolando C. dela Cruz, Lydia B. dela Cruz, Richard B. dela Cruz, Leonor B. dela Cruz, Rommel B. dela Cruz, Lorena B. dela Cruz, Lelalee B. dela Cruz

WIPO CERTIFICATES

SIBOL AWARD (College Level)

Title: The Potential of Potato Starch Extract as an Alternative Serum Separator Gel and its Effects in Glucose Testing

Researcher/s: Donna Dane G. Aldana

School: Saint Louis University

SIBOL AWARD (High School Level)

Title: Novelty Items (Leather Products) from the Skin of Abalistes stellaris and Pinjalo lewisi

Researcher/s: Mariecar L. Romero, Chen V. Ramos, Joemar G. Salmorin

School: Navotas National High School

[Source: TAPI Newsflash – www.tapi.dost.gov.ph]

CREATIVITY JOURNAL Number 2 Volume 1 – 4th Quarter 2008

PDF copies of the Creativity Journal are available via email subscription. Email us at likhaangroup @likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup @gmail.com

The Four Aspects of Human Creativity

INTRODUCTION

Creativity is a complicated and confusing subject matter. It ranges from devising a new toothbrush to the writing of the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven. Much of the difficulty arises directly from the words “creativity” and “creative.”

At the simplest level, according to several dictionaries, “creativity” means bringing into being something that was not there before. Creativity is the “ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things, especially in an artistic context.” At this point, we can begin to have artistic creativity because what the artist produces is new and has value.

There is a notion that the creative ideas and its application and/or output should not be “obvious” or “easy.” There has to be something unique or rare about it. Exceptional craftsmanship would fit here. However, in patent parlance, creative invention involves an inventive step, which means it must be new novel and useful or operative.

Nevertheless, if we introduce the concepts of “unexpectedness” and “change,” we begin to get a different view of creativity.

The word “creativity” now covers a wide range of different skills. Creative skills needed to change concepts and perceptions are one of them, Dr. Edward de Bono calls it a key element of “lateral thinking.”

We can look at creativity as a mystery. Brilliant new ideas are produced and we do not know how they came about. We can study and analyze the behavior of creative people, but this will not tell us very much, because often such people are themselves unaware of what triggered the brilliant idea. They are also unaware of the environment and conditions in which creation comes about.

Ironically, this way of looking at creativity – although presently inadequate – is generally used by psychologists, sociologist and anthropologists or the students of creativity. Thus, we will try to understand creativity in terms of its four (4) principal aspects: 1) creative person, 2) creative environment, 3) creative process and 4) creative product.

Each aspect should always be considered in its interrelation and interconnection with all the other aspects – a systems view, a holistic perspective!

The Four Aspects of Human Creativity

1. Creative Person: The Personality of the Creator

Many people think that creativity is a gift of genius given to a special few. Hence, the creative person is regarded as genius. Some people believe that exceptional intelligence acts as springboard to creativity or formal education is an absolute prerequisite to creativity.

All these are myths. We are all born creative. But, still the questions: Why is the creative person so different from other people? Is he really born different from others? Who, and what, is a creative person?

Answers to these questions have long been the subject of research by psychologists in order to define the creative personality. To the psychologists, the important question is not why do some people appear to be creative, but why is it that some people are able to use their creative ability than others. Perhaps the question we should answer is: What makes a person creative?

Whitfield provides an imaginary ‘tension field’ which viewed the components of creative personality as tensional vectors. This will give us an insight on what makes a creative person as described by some psychologists.

The personality detrimental to creativity, according to Whitefield, are: Intolerant of uncertainty, dependent, unimaginative, inhibited, non-challenging, conforming, poor finishing and passive.

On the other hand, characteristics conducive to creativity includes: Adequate IQ, perceptive, dedicated, forceful, confident, energetic, emotionally expressive, broad knowledge and interest, sensitive, open to new experience, flexible and intuitive.

Intellectual abilities: use of all senses, openness to new experience, imaginative, flexible, inner maturity and fluency.

Temperament/attitudes: tolerant of uncertainty, energetic, dedicated, self-confident, forceful, emotionally expressive, driven to complete task, non-conformity, challenging, independent, resourceful, skeptical, enthusiastic, high excitability, anxious.

De Bono emphasized, “Too much experience within a field may restrict creativity because you know so well how things should be done that you are unable to escape to come up with new ideas.”

2. Creative Environment: The Conditions in which Creation Comes About

The environment may inhibit or enhance human creativity. Perhaps, this is the most difficult aspect to take into account in the study of creativity. Some have been asking: Can we tell whether it is really the situation or environmental conditions that matters or the person involve in the creative act? To this may be added: What kinds of situation encourage what kinds of creativeness in what types of creative person?

One thing is sure, the internal condition is in the human being himself, his brain and how he makes use of it. Man is endowed with the characteristics to grow, develop and mature creatively. This is tempered by culture as well as the natural and physical setting. The creative person maximizes his human potentials so that he may be able to adapt to his environment.

The internal condition in the individual is the key to one’s creativity―“you are the only one who can do this for you and nobody else.” The attitude of the individual is the most significant element of the internal as well as the external environment. Also crucial in the development of one’s creativity is the personal support, encouragement and challenge from his immediate members of the family, friends and colleagues, as well as managers, supervisors and even subordinates.

The environment is full of creative products introduced at different times and places. It is argued that creative products are fully developed at times and places where there occur a coincidence of conditions and circumstances favorable to its discovery, development and application. Thereafter, the elements of the creative products are not lost again, but go on being used and eventually serve as the starting point for the development of more advanced creative products until such time and place that the products are superceded by a new and better product.

According to Whitefield, the totality of the individual’s creative and non-creative environment (as general forces or environmental pressures) are: 1) Aiding innovation - fair reward, opportunity for innovation, personal acceptance, encouragement from boss, intellectual stimulation from colleagues, controlled freedom, and access to relevant information; 2) Restraining innovation - detrimental effect on jobs, need for new skills, fear of failure, prejudice, threat to way of life, restriction of novelty, and lack of practical support.

3. Creative Process: The Process of Creating

The creative act proceeds through the interplay of mental functioning in the individual, his knowledge, skills and experiences in certain conditions, circumstances or environment. The creative process, therefore, is the emergence of creative ideas by way or means of the interaction between the unique qualities of the individual or groups of persons and the materials and circumstances attendant to the interaction and communication of ideas until a new idea or product is developed.

The question which has been bothering the researchers in their studies of the creative process is this: “Which is more important: The creative person who come up with the ideas or the environmental conditions which affect the person’s efficacy and effectiveness?” Both subject matters, the creative person and the creative conditions, were discussed earlier―and we can see that the question permit no answer as yet, both are regarded as equally important. The person and condition, the materials and skills are the interesting tools that keep the creative process on the go.

Carl Rogers defined the creative process as “the emergence in action of a novel relational product, growing out of the uniqueness of the individual on one hand, and the materials, events, people, or circumstances of his life on the other.”

It has to be pointed out that an accurate description of the creative process is still unknown.

The very nature of the creative process makes it indescribable. Nevertheless, from the results of researches in the creative phenomenon and the pronouncements of the creative persons and inventors themselves, the creative process has been fundamentally described.

The creative process passes through several stages. The periods of preparation, concentrated attention, withdrawal and incubation; a moment of insight; then the periods of verification, elaboration and evaluation; and finally, the period of realization or communication of the insight. These stages of the creative process, summarized by Graham Wallas in The Art of Thought, are as follows:

· Preparation – in which the person works intensely on a problem or opportunity.

· Incubation – in which the problem or opportunity is temporarily put aside and the person engages in other activities.

· Illumination – or “insight,” when the person suddenly sees how the problem can be solved or the opportunity can be taken advantage of.

· Verification – or “revision,” in which the person works out the details of his solution, takes a new look at it, and evaluate the results.

In general, the creative process enumerated above may be applied in the generation of new ideas and in the development of new products or social inventions like new ways of transmitting information and knowledge or in doing things.

Evolvement of new ideas

It is said that ideas emerge out of ‘nothing’ But it is also declared that nothing comes from ‘nothing.’ Thus, ideas must have emerged from something―from our intense creative thinking which must have been impelled by a felt difficulty or need. And much need or difficulty is felt by man, a social being, existing in a certain environment and cultural background.

Ideas evolve out of the consciousness of the person of his needs, problems and difficulties. Indeed, the person’s social existence determine his consciousness which in turn, propels his creative talents to come up with new ideas to fill a need, to solve a problem or to ease some difficulties.

Ideas appear sometimes spontaneously in the form of a “mere glimpse serving as a clue or like a germ to be developed…” (Brewster Ghiselin, 1952). .

4. Creative Product: The Product Created

When the creative process is completed, the result is a new product or new ways of doing things which could be a useful concrete idea, a stage or screen performance, a work of art, a musical composition, a scientific theory, a building, a machine or device, or—in general—a technical invention or social innovation.

All these are products of creativity. But what qualities make up a creative prod­uct? A product, to be regarded as creative, must have some “creative characteristics.” A creative product must be novel‚ or original. But mere novelty or originality are not enough, a creative product must also be useful. Still, novelty and usefulness are only the basic requirements, a third primary requirement is that the product must be elegant, aesthetically designed. A fourth criteria is that the product must introduce a change of transcending quality. The fifth requirement, not necessarily the least important, is that the creative product must be realized into a tangible thing or expression. This characteristic, for want of a better term, may be called “producibility.”

In short, a creative product must be:

· Novel or original

· Useful, adaptable, practical, func­tional, workable or operable

· Elegant or aesthetically designed

· Transcending qualities, long lasting or much better than existing ones

· “Producible,” manifested into tangible product or expression; realizable, serv­iceable or usable; and verifiable or may be proven in actual implementa­tion/execution

These qualities are however accomplished in varying degrees.

Creative Thinking Tools, Techniques & Methods and Their Subroutines

Compiled by LIKHAAN RESOURCE & INFORMATION CENTRE

The creative thinking (CT) tools listed below are categorized as individual and group techniques for application purposes. It should be noted however that the individual CT techniques are not necessarily limited to individual thinking applications, they can also be used in group thinking. Similarly, the group CT techniques are also applicable for individual thinking application. Hence, the categorization and some sub-classifications are undeniably arbitrary. In practice, however, the individual techniques are quite productive for personal thinking session, while those listed as group techniques are more productive if used in group think­ing sessions.

1. Techniques for Individual CT*

1.1 Restructuring Techniques — The situation, problem or task need an initial restructuring

1.1.1 Matrix Analysis

1.1.2 Morphological Analysis (Fritz Zwicky)

1.1.3 Idea Laboratory (Charles H. Clark, 1958)

1.1.4 Relevance Systems 1.1.5 Attribute Listing

1.1.6 Research Planning Diagrams

1.1.7 Mind-Mapping Technique

1.1.8 Force Field Analysis

1.2 Analytical Aids — The situation, problem or task need analytical approach

1.2.1 Weighting Systems

1.2.2 Checklist Methods: Osborn, E. De Bono, others

1.2.3 Decision Tree

1.2.4 Alternative Scenarios

1.2.5 Elimination Approach (Proctor & Gamble)

1.3 Redefinitional Procedures — The situation, problem or task need wider/larger viewpoints

1.3.1 Reframing Questions [cf. Checklist Methods]

1.3.2 Goal Focusing (Maxwell Waltz) [cf. Goal Orientation, AGO]

1.3.3 Goal Orientation

1.3.4 Successive Abstractions

1.3.5 Analogy and Metaphor Procedures

1.3.6 Wishful Thinking

1.3.7 Non-Logical Stimuli

1.3.8 Boundary Examination

1.3.9 Reversals

1.3.10 Wildest Idea

1.3.11 Use of the Ridiculous (Von Fange)

1.3.12 Modification Technique

1.3.13 “Fresh Eye” Approach

Common place object:

a. examination/concentration;

b. new/overlooked character; and

c. new uses/variety of uses.

1.3.14 Hotpoint Methods

a. Garbage Can Method (waste products)

b. Tear-Down Method

• Person A - Finds everything wrong

• Person B - Won’t agree, and must suggest another

c. And-Also Method

• One adds to suggestions of other persons

d. 17-Solution Methods

• Problem is sent to participants; at a meeting each participant must come with a list of 17 solutions.

1.3.15 Random Technique

1.3.16 Excursion Procedures (speculation and analogy)

1.3.17 Random Juxtaposition

1.4 Associational/Combinatorial Techniques — The situation, problem or task need a relational approach

4.1 Free association

1.4.1 Free association

1.4.2 Direct Association

1.4.3 Forced Relationships or Force Relating

a. Catalog technique

b. Listing technique

c. Focused object technique

1.4.4 Input-Output Technique (General Electric)

1.5 Procedural Techniques — The situation, problem or task need a particular way, simple order or series of steps which may be static or dynamic in character.

1.5.1 Itemization – a systematic attempt at dealing adequately but not exhaustively with one item at a time.

1.5.2 Fundamental Design Method (Edward Matchett, 1967)

a. Thinking with outline strategies

b. Thinking in parallel planes

c. Thinking from several viewpoints

d. Thinking with concepts

e. Thinking with basic elements

1.5.3 PackCorp Scientific Approach [PakSA] (J.W. Taylor) – Nine step process:

a. Pick a knowledge

b. Get knowledge

c. Organize knowledge

d. Refine knowledge

e. Digest knowledge

f. Produce ideas

g. Rework ideas

h. Put ideas to work

i. Repeat the process

1.5.4 Coca-Cola’s 4-Step Process

a. Opportunity search

b. Form evaluation

c. Concept expansion (generation of alternatives/brainstorming)

d. Concept development (Synectics is used)

1.5.5 Problem-Solving Approaches

a. Creative Problem Solving Process

1) Osborn’s simple CPS process:

• Factfinding

• Idea Finding

• Solution Finding

2) Sydney Parnes’ CPS process:

• Fact-Finding

• Problem-Finding

• Idea-Finding

• Solution-Finding

• Acceptance-Finding

b. Patterns of Solving Problems (Brilhart & Jochem)

• Ideas-Criteria

• Criteria-Ideas

• Problem-Solution

c. The IIISI Approach [pronounced “easy”] (R.N.M.Aboganda, 1972)

• Investigation

• Identification

• Ideation

• Selection

• Implementation

d. KT Approach (Kepner & Tregoe)

e. DO IT Approach (Robert Olson)

• Define the real problem: Mind Focus, Mind Grip, Mind Stretch

• Open yourself to many possible solutions: Mind Prompt, Mind Surprise, Mind Free, Mind Synthesize

• Identify and intensify the best solution: Mind Integrate, Mind Strengthen, Mind Energize

• Transform the solution into action: Persistence, Resistance from self/others, Modification, Optimum

1.5.6 Yoshiro NakaMats’ three-stage process and the three elements of creation

First Rule: You have to be calm

a. Three-stage creative process:

• The ‘static room’ is a place of peace and quite with only natural things. This is the room to free-associate.

• The ‘dynamic room’ is dark, with black-and-white-striped walls, leather furniture, and special audio and video equipment – music: start from jazz to easy listening (classi­cal music/symphony).

• Last stage – ‘swimming pool’ – “that’s when I come up with my best ideas” (using plexiglas writing pad to record these ideas).

b. Three elements of creation:

• Suji, the theory of knowledge.

• Pika, inspiration.

• Iki, practicality, feasibility, and marketability.

Edison claims that ideas are one (1) percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Now, NakaMat says, it’s one (1) percent perspiration and 99 percent “ikispiration.”

2. Techniques for Group CT

2.1 Brainstorming (Osborn, 1953)

2.1.1 Osborn’s method

2.1.2 Trigger session

2.1.3 Recorded round robin

2.1.4 Wildest ideas

2.1.5 Reverse brainstorming

2.1.6 Individual brainstorming*

2.2 Synectics (Gordon & Prince)

2.2.1 Active listing/constructive group behavior

2.2.2 Goal orientation

2.2.3 Itemization

2.2.4 Changed meeting roles

2.3 Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono)

2.3.1 Six Thinking Hats

2.3.2 The Creative Pause

2.3.3 Simple Focus

2.3.4 Creative Challenge

2.3.5 Search for Alternatives

2.3.6 The Concept Fan

2.3.7 Working at Concepts

2.3.8 Provocation and Movement (PO-Provocative Operation)

2.3.9 Arising Provocations

2.3.10 Escape Provocations

2.3.11 Stepping Stone Provocations: Reversal, Exaggeration, Distortion and Wishful Thinking

2.3.12 The Random Input

2.3.13 Movement (Active Mental Operation): Extract a principle, Focus on the difference, Moment to moment, Positive aspects, and Under What circumstances

2.3.14 The Stratal “Sensitizing” Technique (Strata or Layers)

2.3.15 The Filament Technique

NOTES: The individual CT techniques may also be used in group ideation; while group CT tools may also be applicable for individual ideation. These subroutine is rather unusual in practice. Lateral Thinking techniques are applicable for both individual and group thinking.

CREATOLOGY – The New Science of Creativity

Creatology is the scientific study of creativity and the creative phenomena developed in the Philippines by a creativity research group headed by Rafael Nelson M. Aboganda and Ricardo S. Cortez (deceased).

Creatology, in general, is the study and investigation of the total process of creativity, the environment and conditions under which this process occurs, the resulting “creative product” and the ways and means in which it may be facilitated and developed. It also examines the creative personality of the creator—inventor, innovator, scientist, technologist, entrepreneur, industrialist, writer, author, poet, artist, etc.

Origin and definition of term

Creatology is a hybrid of the Latin creatus (create) and the Greek logos/logus (science, study).

The study of creativity is traditionally within the province of the social sciences more particularly related to psychology and sociology. However, it also correlates its inferences, deductive or inductive, on the findings of other social, natural and physical sciences such as anthropology, biology, physiology, physics, mathematics, and historical researches in some instances.

Thus, the principal objective of creatology is to give a description of the creative performance of the creator and the resulting product, provide explanation of the processes, methods and techniques; factors, conditions and settings; and other elements attendant to the act of creation, initially in the Philippine setting.

Research methodology

The methodology of creatology has been primarily derived from the tools used in psychology and other related social sciences for the simple reason that the study of creativity in western sciences is traditionally under psychology. However, new methodologies are emerging in recent investigations. It has been observed that creatological studies should be an inter-disciplinary and intra-disciplinary investigation going beyond the psychological-sociological traditions in the advanced countries. It has also been theorized that creatology can evolve into a new branch of social science having its own research methods.

Nonetheless, the new methodology presently used in creatology has been named “salunggalian” approach [rooted from Filipino (Tagalog) words salungatan (contradiction) and tunggalian (conflict)] that deals with the investigation and interpretation of observed data in the creative phenomena under conditions of contradiction and conflict. The method is akin in process to Hegelian thought in which two apparently opposed ideas, the thesis and antithesis, become combined in a unified whole, the synthesis—better known as Hegelian dialectics. Another emerging method is the systems approach, a local adaptation from management science, cybernetics and psychology-sociology.

The salunggalian method was adopted and used in creatological studies due to observations in case studies undertaken among Filipino inventors. In the creative studies, there are observable tensions that exist between two conflicting or interacting forces, elements, or inventive ideas, between new inventions and old inventions, new products and old products, etc. Usually a creative synthesis resolves the contradiction and/or conflict or opposing issues.

Research activities and initial findings

Preliminary research activities on creatology commenced many years ago in early 1972. By mid-70’s more than 120 case studies of Filipino inventors were completed with particular focus on the process of invention development: from the conception of ideas to R&D and product development, market launching and commercialization, and product maturity. However, by the end of 1970s, creatological research has been intermittent due to lack of funds and support from other researchers on creativity as well as funding institutions.

Nevertheless, initial findings have been summarized, thus:

Observations, measurements and experimentations – Initial studies have been carried out by way of refractory or uncontrolled investigation. Preliminary observations and experimentations are leading towards a new concept of creativity, i.e. that “creativity and intelligence are a whole.” The initial data, however, is insufficient to point to the validity of this new interpretation. Even though many creativity researchers, both local and foreign, are pointing to this direction as early as 1960s and 1970s until late 1980s. New observations, however, have been brought up in 1990s and early years of this decade (2000s).

Classification and analysis – Due to insufficiency of data and methods of measurement, no classification and analysis have been made in detail, though preliminary classification has been done. Primarily, creatological studies have been classified into four major areas of investigation, initially patterned after the psychological studies as a starting point, this are: 1) the personality of the creator (creative person), 2) the conditions in which creation comes about (creative environment), 3) the process of creating (creative process), and 4) the product created (creative product).

Suppositions – From initial observations and data collected, some preliminary suppositions have been derived for the furtherance of research activities:

1. Creativity is not an individual totality but has natural (organic), societal, cultural, factorial, conditional and environmental unity working as a whole.

2. Creativity is a combinatorial act of the creativeness and intelligence of the individual.

Many books by many authors have presented studies and observations similar to these suppositions. Most of the studies were undertaken under the umbrella of psychology, sociology and anthropology. Creatology would like to look at the phenomenon in terms of “creativity” per se.

Significance of the current “creatological” studies – This study of creativity under “creatology” is expected to result in, among others, the following:

1. It will establish the formulation of a new scientific study of creativity that is not totally dependent on psychological-sociological studies but founded on all the disciplines of the social sciences, of which psychology is a branch, and correlated with other disciplines beyond social sciences and extending to related/co-related natural-physical sciences.

2. It will establish a new way or approach in understanding and appreciation of the arts, design, literature, architecture; the creation of technical inventions and social innovations; and others.

3. It may result in the development of a new science originated in the Philippines.

Note: Creatology was introduced by Rafael Nelson M. Aboganda and Ricardo S. Cortez in early 1972. Its first working paper was published by the Philippine Inventors Commission (PIC) in October 1972. Researches on creativity under this new science is currently undertaken by the Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. (LIFI), an institutional member of The Likhaan Group, Inc. [For more information, log on to www.likhaan.com or email to: likhaangroup@likhaan.com]

Macropolis, Micropolis and Microtun

New Approaches to Development Planning and Management

Backdrop. There are many approaches to development planning and management. In late 1970’s, the “wedge concept” was proposed by Dr. Carlos A. Fernandez and developed by several officers and staff of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). The wedge concept, which cut across Philippine agro-ecological zones, contends that development planning should take into consideration the interaction and interrelationship of the five agro-ecological resource zones: small islands, coastal, lowland, upland and highland areas.

In 1980, Likhaan conducted in-depth study of the “wedge concept” and introduced an “Agro-Industrial Rural Community Development Systems and Formations Using the Wedge Concept,” which was submitted as a working paper for the Mindoro Agro-Industrial Rural Community Development Project (MAIRCOD) of DAP. From this working paper, the development management systems (D·M·Sä) framework for development planning, social investigations and community research was developed.

However, it was noted that development planning are mostly undertaken by local governments and considers only their territorial jurisdictions neglecting the “wedge concept” as an overall framework. In fact, within the territorial areas of the cities, the wedge concept never come to mind among development planners and managers. Thus, in 1995, Likhaan proposed “micropolis” as a new concept for development planning and management that utilize the wedge concept and DMS as the overarching framework for planning and management.

Nonetheless, it was obvious at that time that Metro-Manila has been rapidly growing—enlarging—to the North and South direction. Its uncontrolled growth in the last 40 years has connected it to other neighboring urban centers in the north, east and south—Navotas-Malabon, Valenzuela (Polo), Meycauayan, San Jose del Monte, Marikina, Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, Pasig, Tagig, Pateros, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Bacoor, Imus, San Pedro, Santa Rosa, and Biñan. Sooner than we think, Metro Manila will reach as far as Malolos City, Calumpit and Baliwag in Bulacan; Rodriguez (Montalban), Cardona, Morong and Tanay in Rizal; Calamba City, and Los Banos in Laguna; Santo Tomas, Tanauan and Lipa City in Batangas; and Rosario, Tagaytay and Trece Martires in Cavite. This has a radius of 50-60 km, half of metropolitan Tokyo.

Considering this development, Likhaan proposed a new development planning concept and management tool: “macropolis” in 1996. Similarly, the “microtun” concept was also introduced as a planning concept and management tool for urbanizing municipalities and enlarging cities outside Metro-Manila, Metro-Cebu and Metro-Davao.

The whole macropolis-micropolis-microtun concept embraces the original “wedge concept” and “development management system (DMS),” which now provide a simple framework for understanding development planning, human settlement renewal, socio-economic development, fiscal administration, and environmental management by virtue of a whole set of practical theories, methodologies, systems, tools and techniques, and project implementation activities.

Presented below are the basic concept of “macropolis, “micropolis,” and “microtun”. [Initial discussions on “macropolis” was presented in the Creativity Journal (Volume 1, No. 1, 3^rd Quarter 2008). More details will be presented in succeeding issues of the CreativityJournal.]

Macropolis

“Macropolis” is a development planning area consisting of large cities or an urban area in which there are several cities whose suburbs meet or nearly meet. It is also a development management approach for socio-economic and physical/human settlement development in general, and community development in particular.

Macropolis, as a development management tool, is a human settlement strategy towards integrated development of vast urban areas—several large cities—taken from the perspective of national and regional development starting with existing core areas of each city. It seeks the organized redevelopment of cities or urban areas into integrated built-areas in its totality. Considerable attention is given to the major elements of human settlement, e.g. road networks, commercial/industrial centers, urban environment, population dynamics, etc. with special focus on the redevelopment of densely populated areas or slums/squatter colonies.

“Macropolis” literally means enlarge city from Gr. makros, long, enlarge + polis, city. Macropolis is a term coined in 1996 by Likhaan. Macropolis is the larger version of “micropolis” introduced earlier by RNM. Aboganda.

Macropolis is different from “megalopolis” (Gr. mega, great + polis, city) which is an area containing large cities or an area in which there are several large cities whose suburbs meet or nearly meet. Megalopolis is also called “megapolis,” an extremely large and populous city. Megalopolis is defined by J. Gottman (who introduced the term) as vast, continuously urban area, covering any number of cities. It is an urban area containing over 35 million people. Greater Tokyo Area in Japan, the largest city in the world, has a population of 39,188,400 (February 2008 est.) with an area of 16,410.57 km² and a density of 2,388 per km². It has a radius of around 100 km. across the main core of the city.

Micropolis

“Micropolis” is a development planning area consisting of a large barangay or cluster of three to seven small- and/or medium-sized barangays. It is a sub-unit of a “macropolis.” It is also a development management approach for socio-economic and physical/human settlement development in general, and community development in particular.

The barangay is the basic political unit in the Philippines. A barangay is a contiguous territory with a population of at least 2,000 except in highly urbanized cities where such territory can have a population of at least 5,000. Some barangays in Metro Manila have population of 40,000 to 50,000 or even more. In fact, Barangay 176 (Bagong Silang) in Caloocan City—the biggest barangay in the country—has a population of around one million people and has 250,000 voters living in only a few hectares.

Micropolis, as a development management tool, is a human settlement strategy towards integrated development of urban or urbanizing barangays (communities) starting with its dominant urban patterns. It seeks the organized redevelopment of cities-within-cities or the small urban areas like puroks (neighborhoods), barangays or cluster of barangays of the metropolis, small cities and municipal poblacion in the Philippines, with considerable attention given to densely populated areas or slums/squatter colonies.

Micropolis literally means small city from Gr. mikros, small + polis, city. “Micropolis” is a term coined in 1995 by RNM. Aboganda, current chairman/president of The Likhaan Group, Inc.

Microtun

“Microtun” is a development planning area consisting of a cluster of three to ten barangays or a municipality as a whole. It is a sub-unit of a “micropolis.” It is also a development management approach for socio-economic and physical/human settlement development in general, and community development in particular.

“Microtun” is a human settlement strategy towards the integrated development of urban and rural barangays (communities) or municipal communities starting with urban or urbanizing areas and the integration of its rural areas into a distinct development area. Similar to the etymology of micropolis and macropolis, “Microtun” was derived from Gr. mikros, small + tun, town. It seeks the systematized redevelopment of small towns-within-towns or minor cities.

The term “microtun” was introduced by Likhaan in 1996.

Likhaan offers free lecture-workshop

on “Creativity and Thinking”

The Likhaan Group offers free lecture-workshop entitled “Understanding the Nature of Creativity and the Structure of Thinking” or ‘Creativity and Thinking’ for short.

The lecture is given free, on a first come first served arrangement, to any school, college or university, business companies, civic/social clubs, religious organizations, professional associations, non-government organizations, and similar groups in Metro Manila and nearby cities and towns.

All requests for free lectures must be submitted by email to: likhaangroup @likhaan.com, likhaangroup@yahoo.com or likhaangroup @gmail.com or call/text Mobile: +0639272957076 or Mobile +0639184956535.

Likhaan Newsletter

Year 23 ▪ Number 50 eMail Edition

QUEZON CITY, METRO-MANILA, PHILIPPINES November 2008

TLG sets up invention enterprise unit

Mnemo Game is the first project of Likhaan Inventerprise

Likhaan Inventerprise, the invention enterprise development unit of The Likhaan Group, selected as its first project for production research and commercial development the “Mnemo Game,” an educational board game.

Likhaan also intends to fully develop the Mnemo learning game into digital, interactive Internet and Intranet game to be operated in Toronto, Canada under the management of the proposed Mnemo company headed by Ernesto A. Forcadilla and Renato A. Forcadilla, both founding directors of Likhaan Institute Foundation, Inc. (LIFI), a member-organization of Likhaan Group. The Mnemo company in Canada will be designed as a multi-media development organization. In the future, it will operate the Mnemo Learning Game and Digital Classroom in the Internet.

Likhaan will also develop and manage Mnemo Game Tournaments and the operations and franchising of the Mnemo Game Players Club. The real-world Mnemo educational tournaments (with corporate sponsors) will be held in municipalities and provinces up to the national level.

What is Mnemo Game?

Mnemo Game is a word game that is more exciting to play than any other board game of similar nature. Mnemo is both copyrighted and patented game, Philippine Patent No. UM-6398. Mnemo is a cross of the words mnemonics and the Latin nemo. The first is the art and science of memory-building which the learning game tries to foster. The second means “nobody”—as a personal identity game—Mnemo aims to develop its enthusiasts into well-rounded personalities in an exciting and interesting manner.

Although basically a word game, Mnemo Game is actually five games in one. It is, firstly, a word game to enrich one’s vocabulary. Secondly, a parlor game of social interaction which would delight friends and new acquaintances alike. Thirdly, a role-playing game of leadership and management. Fourthly, a game of acting to improve one’s communication skills. And fifthly, an “Intelligence-Cultural-Emotional-and-Creativity Quotient” game (ICECQ, pronounced iss-see-kyoo) to increase one’s knowledge, exercise the imagi­nation and develop one’s intuitive abilities.

Categories of Mnemo Game and players

The categories of Mnemo Game and its players are as follows:.

Categories of Mnemo Game and Players