BrendaDee's Daily Learning in 2011

Let's admit it....

Today's call to prepare students to be leaders, innovators and creators sounds a whole lot more stirring than our profession's ageless call to prepare them to read and write. But... embarking on this challenge is whole different thing. Once in practice, educators discover that preparing students to be design thinkers, tinkerers, creative problem solvers, leaders etc can be highly abstract and that many of today's teachers are uncomfortable with the pedagogical changes needed to shift from traditional teaching practices to the education reform required to "make schools places that cultivate creativity" (Florida, 2004). The Seven Deadly Sins That Choke Out Innovation exposes seven common institutional practices (as applicable to education as they are to business) that interfere with the creative process. As I read through these seven deadly practices (that are unfortunately alive and well in the schoolhouse), it occurred to me that the main reason that we fail to shed these practices is (mostly) because of fear since true creative endeavors takes courage (according to artist, Henri Matisse). Using this article as a jumping off point for the changes needed in school (in order to foster creative, innovative thought),  teachers, administrators, district leadership need to:

+ We need to get outside the school and district to see what others are doing in all areas of culture (not only education).  
+ My dad used to remind me that "Talk is cheap". It's a whole lot easier to talk about educational reform than start building it. It's time for us to begin doing many of the initiatives we've been talking about (constructivist practices, technology used as a mind tool, project-based learning, alternative assessment etc)  
+ The opposite of the previous point is also true--- don't try to nail down a project before there's been adequate exploration and preparation (ex: SMART Boards without proper teacher training--- practical skills AND pedagogical underpinnings). Don't under-estimate the importance of scanning the landscape, researching and training.
+ Fear prevents creativity. Don't be afraid to think alien, to go against the conventional grain. Don't assume that unconventional ways of doing things doesn't have merit. Look for answers in unconventional places.
+ Determine what you're prepared to be patient about and what you're not. This one resonated with me. Most schools have given teachers lots of time to get on board with integrating emerging technologies into teaching and learning. Many are still dragging their feet. Why is meaningful use of technology for learning now non-negotiable in our profession?
+ Diversity is the word! Interdisciplinary, diverse skill sets and perspectives need to be part of everything we do in our profession.
+ Thought leadership--- without it, we're sunk. Ryan Jacoby (IDEO designer) believes that since innovation is essentially a human endeavor, the leadership component overshadows the processes used. You can listen to Jacoby's recent NYU Poly lecture (below).

Also... be sure to check out Nancy Stuewe's blog posting Innovation, Creativity and the Traditional School