Innovation in business and education

Did you see the show on CNBC about the business of innovation in companies today? As an educator who was on the frontlines of preparing “tomorrow’s innovators,” I was intrigued. I learned many things about business operations and employee motivation but most of all I learned that businesses are innovating when schools are not!

Inside of the classroom, you know you should be preparing the children for what their lives are like today and what they will be like tomorrow. However, when faced with outdated text books, bureaucratic red tape to “teach to the test” and a lack of technological tools for promoting innovation, what should one do?

Wikipedia defines innovation this way: The term innovation may refer to both radical and incremental changes in thinking, in things, in processes or in services (Mckeown, 2008). Invention that gets out in to the world is innovation. In many fields, something new must be substantially different to be innovative, not an insignificant change, e.g., in the arts, economics, business and government policy. In economics, the change must increase value, customer value, or producer value. The goal of innovation is positive change, to make someone or something better. Innovation leading to increased productivity is the fundamental source of increasing wealth in an economy.

So… let’s look at this part. “In many fields, something new must be substantially different to be innovative, not an insignificant change, e.g., goverment policy.” Could someone please tell me what plans for educational innovation either of the presidential campaigns is offering? Is government policy going to change? Are we going to continue sinking billions of public dollars into an ancient public education system where the drop out rate is higher than the graduation rate in many states?

OH… and about early childhood education, the only Americans benefitting from those millions at present are the disadvantaged (and they should) but are we innovating the practices for which we offer that money? Be reminded of the other part of the definition: The goal of innovation is positive change, to make someone or something better. We have been funding early education for the disadvantaged since the 1960’s. How’s it working for us?

Teach a man to fish and he will fish for a lifetime… fish for him and he will always wait for more during his lifetime!

How would you innovate education? I know what I’m doing…