What is Innovation?

 A lot of people are talking about innovation and what it means in education. Simply having students use a computer is not innovative. I summed up my thoughts on innovation with two pictures and a short video clip. How do you define innovation?

This is a revised version of my orignal video posted earlier this week. Comments welcome as always.


Traditional Learning Model





Innovative Teaching and Learning


9 comments:

April Niemela said...

i enjoyed this! thank you for sharing. I hope you don't mind that i actually shared your video in my own blog.

Fran Lo said...

I enjoyed your video. Don't forget: Innovation also means doing something familiar in a new way. I personally loathe book reports, but have lots of ways for students to demonstrate their reading: example: tell me 3 gifts you would give to the main character and why. I love all the fun projects (claymation sounds like a blast), but I want to focus my limited time on what students learned, not teaching them a whole new skill...

Justin Tarte said...

Innovation for me is taking something and doing it / explaining it / demonstrating it / differently than before. Being innovative is not always better...however, the simple fact of doing something differently and perhaps better defines positive innovation in my eyes. Just my thoughts...great post as always!

Alex Shippee said...

Wonderful post. I was lucky to have some innovative teachers throughout my life, but nothing was as important as their enthusiasm for the material.

I've found this blog pretty helpful: http://claremunn.com/. The author talks about the importance of understanding your own background when you're trying to reach your audience.

Sheri Kuchek said...

I enjoyed the video. As much as the information conveyed, I was more impressed by the way it was conveyed. I'd like to learn how to make a video of that nature at some point! Interesting.
Sheri K.

David Simpson said...

I thoroughly enjoyed your video.

I support Fran and Justin above - Innovation is looking at a familiar situation in a different way and perhaps using a new approach.

Continually using the same muscle (the brain!) the same way does not improve performance. Challenging it in different ways at regular intervals delivers the greatest rewards.

Anonymous said...

Thank you this!

I am a student teacher in Vancouver B.C. and this is actually how we are being taught to teach now. I can't wait to continue to reform education this way.

You may want to check out this video as well, if you haven't already.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
or his voice is here..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=player_embedded


or This.. maybe skip the first 1min to get to his presentation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4gAkM72ah4&feature=pyv&ad=6519114391&kw=creativity%20speech

Anonymous said...

Thank you this!

I am a student teacher in Vancouver B.C. and this is actually how we are being taught to teach now. I can't wait to continue to reform education this way.

You may want to check out this video as well, if you haven't already.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
or his voice is here..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=player_embedded


or This.. maybe skip the first 1min to get to his presentation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4gAkM72ah4&feature=pyv&ad=6519114391&kw=creativity%20speech

Unknown said...

Great post! I love this subject!

I'm learning that Innovation and Invention are two words that are often used interchangeably, but their meaning is quite different. Inventions are things that are produced that are new to the world. Innovations refine what already exist. Invention creates the mousetrap. Innovation makes it more efficient, easier to use or more profitable to sell. Invention is the light bulb. Innovation is the light show. Invention is the “think”. Innovation is the “re-think”.

As a new teacher, I have been fortunate to be around some very gifted educators, many whom I would call innovative teachers. They have the natural ability to convey information in creative ways using fun and imaginative methods. They get their students to invest in their own learning. Often, they will bypass the worksheets for a more hands-on approach. These teachers realize that their role is not only to dispense knowledge, but also to solidify understanding. They thrive on seeing the “a-ha!” moments in student’s eyes and pay little attention to things like their own retirement eligibility date.

The age of Innovative Teachers is here and I’m so pleased to know that my own kid’s will be the beneficiaries of such a fantastic approach to education.