Innovation In School

Effective innovations were rooted in whole-school understandings and beliefs.

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

What is an Innovative Culture?

An Innovative Culture is a nurturing environment.

All employees (learners and educators) are motivated to try new things.

In an innovative culture, innovators are encouraged and rewarded.

Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is the creation of the new or the re-arranging of the old in a new way.

Innovation is doing new things.

"we have not prepared ourselves for the rate of change or the consequences of change,"  "aren't looking at the reality of our current context but

instead are looking at education as they wish it was and as it used to be".

The thing that kills me about education is that it’s so touchy-feely. CCE say, ’Well, you know, test scores don’t take into account creativity and the love of

learning.’ Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don’t know how to read, I don’t care how

creative you are. You’re not doing your job.” …at least two types of innovation

• Entirely new ideas

• Re-working of an old idea or the transferring and embedding of existing ideas in to a new setting

the nature of innovation ….?

Incremental Innovation

•Minor modifications to existing product

•Swims with the tide

•Starts with the present and works forward

School improvement ?

Radical Innovation

•Significant breakthrough representing major shift in design

•Swims against the tide

•Starts with the future and works backwards

Transformation ?

From presentation by Valerie Hannon, Innovations Unit

The Nature of Innovation

Incremental Innovation

Radical Innovation

LEVEL of INNOVATION

Near to existing

practices

Far from existing

practices

David Hargreaves (2003)

Next Practice Innovation ModelSTIMULATING INCUBATING ACCELERATING

Analyse need

Scan the horizon

Seek innovators

Generate creative options

Support the leadership of change

Broker relationships and alliances

Create communities of practice

Utilise knowledge

management techniques

Synthesise evaluation &

research

Accelerate diffusion

with system agendas

Ideas for Next

Practice Field Trials

Models of Next

Practice in Action

System-level reflection & intervention

Local level action

System learning

Modified from Innovation Unit (UK)

Focus on:

Developing a learning orientation within teaching as a profession and across education systems;

Building teacher capacity to problem identify, problem solve, analyse and research from within the context of their classrooms;

Engaging teachers in school improvement through a focus on developing and innovating on good practice;

How can you use your expertise to contribute to the outcomes desired for students and the teaching profession?

Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and

apply it to what they feel is important. They must make what they learn a part of themselves.

Knowledge Creation and Innovation in

Classroom

Nobel laureate economist Friedrich Hayek argues that nearly every person has unique information that can be put to use only with his ‘active cooperation’

Convergence in Learning

Neuroscience

Information Technology

Assessment

Learners

Diagnosis, Response and “Treatment”