The Imagination in Education

Book excerpt: This collection of essays from scholars in eleven countries, centres upon the theory and practice of the use of imagination in education. By bringing together studies covering a wide range of subject matter we trust that the reader will have the opportunity to appreciate both the diversity within the field and the significance of the topics discussed. We hope too that readers will find connections to their own areas of study. The 13 essays present distinct yet converging points of view, whether it be a discussion of the imagination as a virtue, the use of imagination as a means to improve aboriginal education in Northern Canada, or the description of a museum in Brazil in which the imagination of the child is central to the project. Separately, each of the papers identifies and explores a distinct aspect of Imaginative Education; together, they begin to define the breadth and richness of the field. These essays have been selected from papers presented over a period of several years to research symposiums in imagination and education held every summer in Vancouver, Canada under the auspices of the Imaginative Education Research Group in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University.