When I think of the word innovation, the first thing that comes to my mind is “new and never seen before”. However, in education I believe it means something a bit different. Innovation in education means teachers and students take risks and try something NEW for them.
Pixabay
Education should be leading innovation. Often times, I feel I am one or fifty steps behind.
As I watched the first episode for IMMOOC, I was quite astonished to hear Jo Boaler, a college professor at Stanford, mention things like how atrocious homework is as well as other insights that I needed to be reminded of. The reason I was quite surprised is that college prep is the biggest reason for homework in high school. Students have to be able to self regulate as the old argument goes. I have never been a huge fan of homework, and this year I am giving almost none for my 7th & 8th graders. However, I have to admit that the time it is taking to complete units is a constant source of stress. I keep trying to remind myself that these students are probably getting plenty of homework elsewhere.
The only expectation is to read daily for homework.
Some of my favorite ideas from the S03E01 that really resonated with me:
Pixabay
- Give students good messages (growth mindset), room for growth (make mistakes Ts & Ss), and creative experiences.
- Place value on depth of thought.
- Engaging kids in different ways will help to create brain connections.
- Make mistakes and take risks in front of students. Show them how to NOT GIVE UP!
- As teachers, we can’t hold students back because we don’t know something.
That last one has been my mantra for the past 6 years. My students are often told, “I’ve never done this before and I don’t know how it will go.” I tell them they are my guinea pigs and we are gonna figure it out together. Sometimes it goes wonderfully and other times it a complete fail. They have always just went with it and embrace the challenges/obstacles. This is what innovation means to me in education.
I had at times compared my self to other gurus that I follow and adore. I look to them for inspiration.
Often times it is a result of my own insecurities as well as pressures of being an educator that I don’t innovate more.
Pixabay
Whenever I have attempted innovation in my classroom in drastic measures, such as Genius Hour (20% Time) or as I called it Valiant Ventures, I was told after only 2 years that I couldn’t do it anymore. There wasn’t any time for it. I provided examples of how I kept track of everything, tied it to standards, demonstrated all the reading and writing students were accomplishing, and showed the TED style talks that student produced in the end. Still a no go. I still haven’t gone back to trying to do it yet. And I had students create and make some AMAZING things. I also had students who “failed” miserably or struggled with the freedom to create or learn something new. But there was no time for curiosity, “failing”, or soaring with something you always wanted to try but never had the time. I still haven’t gotten over having my heart broken. Valiant Ventures was my “baby” and it was taken away. Now 3 years later, I am struggling to create the time needed for students to try it again. Even for a semester. My goal is to attempt it again next semester. I’m not sure if I can muster up the courage or honestly the time at this point. I have allowed this experience to keep me from trying new things at times . Yet, at other times this same situation caused me to throw caution to the wind.
Pixabay
Educators have to prepare kids for a future we can hardly imagine. That is why innovations is CRUCIAL to education.
Ms. Marcum's Mission 