What is innovation? Hint: It's not just for teachers!
A QUICK HISTORY OF INNOVATION
Innovation - It seems to be a trending word in education these days. People have been innovating since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness, so they were innovative with some leaves and covered themselves. Alexander Graham Bell was an innovator with his forward-thinking and thus the telephone was born. Apple continues to change and adjust its products faster than we can update them at times, so what does it mean?Innovation? The teacher in me wants to break it down for you, so bear with me.
Innovate means making changes in something that already exists, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. Look below at this diagram, it's pretty helpful in my opinion. Shout out to Google for the help!
So, we are innovators when we change or try a new idea to improve something that has already been done. "Innovation in its modern meaning is "a new idea, creative thoughts, new imaginations in form of device or method". Innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs."
INNOVATION in EDUCATION
Educators have always been innovative.
Imagine a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse with minimal supplies, students with ages ranging from 6 to 12 years old, students abilities ranging a span further than their ages, and being the ONLY adult in the room. Can you say innovative mindset! At the time working in small groups, center rotations, and scaffolded assignments were new ways of thinking. To teachers in the 21st century those are considered best practices, but at the time they were innovative. Looking towards this coming August, many teachers and school leaders are finding new ways to be innovative with our teaching, our parent communication, or ability to supply food to students in need, and even how to provide the internet for families that do not have reliable access. Innovative changes require thinking creativity, room for mistakes, and a willingness to try something new.
HOW TO START INNOVATIVE CHANGE IN YOUR CLASSROOM
1. Change your mindset.
Every day we have the ability to influence how our students feel about their learning. If we are able to change our mindset and be forward-thinking our students will see this and become forward thinkers as well. Students might see you collaborating with another teacher in the hall, although to you it's a quick conversation, they see you working and thinking. If we're thinking innovatively our students will see it. Be reflective and believe in yourself. It's hard to change lessons that we love, it's hard to embrace new curriculum, it's hard to change; but when we're reflective about why, we're able to move forward in an innovative way.
2. Make your classroom a place for innovation
Flexible seating, open seating, tables, groups, wobble stools, makerspace, bean bags, sit spots... the list can go on and on. What makes a classroom innovative is not your seating arrangement or your table toppers. It's the opportunity given to students to explore and fail and try again that make them innovative thinkers. Learning spaces should be fluid, students might need time to work with peers and collaborate, but they also need time to think alone and reflect.
3. Be problem finders and problem solvers.
Students often see the missing piece before the teacher because we already know what the answer is. When we find problems together we are able to innovate together. I challenge you to use problem finding as a strategy in your classroom. Problem finding might be easier for students because they have the imaginative thinking to see what might be missing or should be added. Adults tend to settle on "if it works, it works". Being problem finders and problem solvers promotes deep thinking and creative problem-solving. This ties in to changing your mindset and letting students see you as a problem finder and solver too.
Be a problem finder!
Best,
Mallory
0 comments