Why is innovation in education so crucial today?

Before beginning to read anyone else's thought's on this question I begin to ponder:

I think of innovation as a key to paving future pathways, as beneficial change, as remodelling a system or process to keep up to date with technological advances and the changing world in which we live!

I have signed up to embark on a new journey of learning #IMMOOC Season 3, Episode 1 With @JoBoaler . She discusses maths innovation with Katie Martin and George Couros.

Although Jo Boaler's book is about maths it has feedback about general teaching traits rather than specifically maths. Conversations highlight that mistakes are good...we want students struggling and embracing mistakes so there can be brain growth.

Brain Science tells us about connectivity. Jo perceives that if we see anything in a multi-modal way then we are increasing connectivity. In maths for example we incorporate creativity , visual and numerical ways, not just one. However this basic trait could be essential to all learning areas.

Jo suggests some strategies to help teachers. She advocates letting go of myths:

• We are born or not born with a maths brain.
• To be good at maths you have to be fast- this is where time tests aren't always good. Being slower at maths isn't the problem.
• Maths is about numbers- maths is not just about numbers- this is another myth we need to crush.

We need to portray balance in messages we give our students. It is important that we share a combination of giving good messages, rather than saying we don't need to follow text books anymore or do things the way we did. The shift is about language and mindset. Changing someone's mindset can be challenging, however we have many reflections and evidence that proves valuing depths of thought allow students to evolve through this change.

Interesting Jo isn't a fan of homework , due to it being the biggest cause of inequity. She also views it as stressful and for what? Jo refers to Finland's high performance success in education and one of the big changes they made was getting rid of homework. I believe that students need a balanced lifestyle and if they work school hours in a day then this needs to be balanced with sport and other activities as well as relaxation and quality time with family. Jo also makes an interesting point about flipped learning and points out the obvious: that just because you say you are doing it doesn't mean you are doing it well. So if it were flipped learning that we were doing it would need to be done well and have a good purpose that was beneficial for learners rather than done so the teacher could say they had completed flipped learning.

We need autonomy in the classroom. Students need to feel free in their learning as do teachers. We want innovation, however we can't prescribe exactly how we innovate as this seems contradictory and controlled. Our challenge is to find ways to innovate that empower teachers and students.
In a way we are in a time of experiencing new learning ourselves, because we are changing the paradigm of what we are doing as teachers. Although we do have certain constraints we have to respect and work within. Using students own thinking and their own original minds should be our focus!

An interesting scenario for a teacher discussed in the session was where technology was used and didn't work...instead of the teacher giving up in front of students this could be taken as an opportunity to model to students a growth mindset. When we work collaboratively we can help each other with these and many other situations and encourage the students to do the same with their peers. We have all experienced making mistakes and there is great value for our students when we are brave enough and honest in making mistakes in front of students. The way we reflect on making mistakes provides students with a good healthy image of a learner. We can't hold anyone back from doing something because we can't do it.

The gains for innovation in education appear to go against the losses that people perceive. Our job is to encourage making mistakes: to celebrate risk taking. Having students know that they can learn is something they can take with them throughout their lives. It is our job to support students in this profound self belief, to prepare them the best we can to function in society and encourage them to  innovate beyond what we can do now!