Education and Innovation: Mutually Exclusive?

Colleagues and I have often ruminated on the slow pace of change in education, particularly around the use of educational technology and affectionately called it the "glove" in deference to a story in Switch about trying to find motivation for real change. The conversation hasn't been limited to technology, it's expanded to think about the world that we are sending our students off to and how well they are prepared to face those challenges.  We cite the experiences of the children in our lives and lament that change isn't happening fast enough.  We struggle to find ways to change mindset and become frustrated when it doesn't happen.

Which brings me to the WHY of the Innovator's Mindset MOOC (#IMMooc) and the WHY of this post....I'm participating in the course (catching up really) because the #glove still eludes me.  Everything I read and try to do is in pursuit of being able to change how we educate students, change our perceptions of what our students can do and empower teachers & administrators to accept and embrace change, not fight it.  Some days are hard....and some days are amazing.  And most days are spent trying to get clarity around the vision of what education could be so that we know what we are aiming for.

I've sat here trying to find the words...and sat and sat and sat.  Then a colleague shared this video with me and I don't need the exact words any more - I just need the vehicle to share the images and resource with others.  To put the questions out there.  Because the purpose of education is exactly that - to crowd source questions, share solutions, seek feedback and construct new meaning.  Whether we are talking within a traditional educational system (school) or among a group of like minded folks (community of practice) or when learning a trade or being part of a team.  Education is about making mistakes, making meaning and making something new. 

To do that takes innovation - not compliance.  And that innovation has to start with us - the teachers and leaders who work within the system but want something different.  Can see something different but have felt constrained by the "box" of the system. It starts with little tiny steps, like participating in this course.  And sharing what we try.  And getting feedback.  And taking risks.  And failing.

But it's so much better than doing nothing at all.  Because maybe it's not about finding the glove but about the journey along the way.