Learn to share ideas

This image of a child shielding her work from prying eyes is one we, thankfully, do not now often see .

Such a child, relying on her own ideas, is inadvertently reducing her learning capabilities.

The arm, placed around exercise book or exam, was used in traditional schooling to protect others from seeing ones answers. Cheating was a big issue in such schools.

Mind you co-operative learning can create a similar situation if some students let others do the work for them. Hopefully most teachers are aware of this 'freeloading' and design projects with their students to avoid such poor learning.

Sharing ideas is vital in learning, enabling others to take advantage of ideas, as well as being able to gain insight from others. And sharing allows ideas to be examined, questioned and challenged.

Sharing is equally vital in the work situation where many of the tasks are arranged in projects requiring teamwork. People who are secretive with their ideas, trying to keep any credit for themselves, will find themselves left out of the learning opportunities provided by sharing.

The problem is with people and organisations that are not open to new ideas that they become stale by missing out on the innovative energy provided through people sharing ideas.

It is important to appreciate that the more ideas you give away will result in more ideas that will come back to you. As well you will always be working on the next idea in your head - an idea the germ of which you may have picked up from someone else. Anyway no idea belongs to one person - they are aways out there waiting to be picked up and shared and, if they they are worthwhile they act as if they have a mind of their own - and in the right conditions will spread creating an 'idea virus'.

Schools should be a environment dedicated to developing such co-operative minds; minds able to discover, grow and create new ideas.