To be entrepreurial or not to be entrepreneurial?

I seem to continue to have issues with this unit.  My understanding of this unit was that it was about being entrepreneurial, in other words creative and innovative, within teaching but was not about teaching enterprise.   Obviously, there are links between the two. ‘Both entrepreneurship and learning are behavioural and social processes, so they are not just about ‘knowing’ but also acting, and are not simply individual, but constantly involve interaction with other people as an inescapable part of the learning process’ (Rae, 2008: 40-41).  I have enjoyed listening to the guest speakers but the emphasis from all of them has been, in my opinion, is a traditional view of enterprise as a business activity.  I am struggling to sit and listen because I think the information I am getting doesn’t really help me with knowing what to put into my pitch and then my assignment.

I can see the appeal of Enterprise Projects and Enterprise activities.  Television programmes like Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice have brought a heightened awareness to lots of people about what it means to be ‘entrepreneurial’.  They therefore provide a helpful starting point for students as ‘successful participants go through a process of auditioning, presenting and pitching, honing their skills through criticism and turning themselves into a brand...These programmes are all about self-improvement and risk-taking in a creative and entrepreneurial economy’ (DCMS, 2006 :23).  As educators we also recognise the value of the transferable skills students can develop, such as teamwork, problem solving, initiative, creativity, independence and resilience.  However, it’s just not what the pitch or the assignment is about.

References

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2006) Nurturing Creativity in Young People, London: DCMS.

Rae, D. (2008) Entrepreneurship: from opportunity to action, 2^nd edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.