There is much talk of “innovation” in schools and education these days. (There’s much talk of innovation in just about every sector and industry.)
I wonder if we – those of us in schools – are really facilitating the experiences that student learners need to practice, to be and to become innovators.
Now, upon a great deal of my research and study about innovation, when I hear the word innovation, I think about the five traits and characteristics outlined in The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators.
And, I also think about homework. Yep, homework.
What if we simply assigned those five verbs as homework for our student learners?
- Observe
- Question
- Experiment
- Network
- Associate
What if the student learners came to school each day with stories and inquiries about how and what and whom they…
- Observed
- Questioned
- Experimented with
- Networked, and
- Associated?
What if these organizers were the strands by which learners weaved their archives and documentations via their eportfolios? What if more of the time in school ignited from the fuses and sparks generated by these verbs and developing habits of mind?
How might we facilitate the engagements, the curiosities, and the pursuits that compel learners to be and become innovators….by, well, practicing the five skills of innovation?
How might we homework our way to better learning and to enhanced schooling?
How might we educate for the innovation we expect and need in our world?
Could it be that simple?
#PuttingOurPracticeWhereOurPurposeIs
it's about learning 