Snapshot of Part One

Quotes to Remember:
(Compiled at our first book discussion)

"Many of today's  students will likely enter careers not yet imagined and make use of technologies not yet invented".

"We consider the process of making as important as the perfect, finished product".

"The ways we design learning experiences must reflect the growing importance of innovation and creativity as professional skills".

"We don't hire people to bake brownies.  We bake brownies to hire people".

"Engaging students passions may be our best strategy for bringing innovation to school".

"Helping students learn from failure is a key strategy for innovation".

"When you're finished changing, you're finished!"  ~Ben Franklin

"The 1st step in teaching students to innovate is making sure that educators have opportunities to be innovative themselves".

"Innovation is the idea of taking something and making it even better.  It's about deepening and enriching!"

"Because innovation creates a new normal, it's often only in hindsight that we can see the wisdom of breakthrough ideas".

• Step outside their own perspective and see issues from multiple viewpoints...
• All or nothing... students need to experience failure
• Inviting community participation
• Innovation means good ideas
• Collaboration!
• Service learning
• "Breakthrough" project rubrics

My Strengths and Weaknesses as an Innovator

I believe I am an innovative educator. My passion of integrating technology into instruction has certainly helped in leading to new innovative ways of engaging my students. "Innovation on some level is evolution not revolution. It's the idea of taking something and making it better. It's about deepening and enriching." (Boss, p. 14). This meaning of innovation really resonates with me so much that it is a driving force in my work.

In reading over the section, Innovation Profile, I found many qualities I can relate to as well as some that I need to continue to develop. I believe I am action oriented. I enjoy trying out new tools and rarely like to teach the same thing the same way more than twice. I am a life long learner and am always looking to try something new. This attitude also makes me a risk taker. I know full well that sometimes a new approach/tool/idea may not always be successful. I like to think- what's the worst that can happen? I definitely plan things out as best as I can, but some outcomes you cannot always anticipate. When trying something new it is important to assess how things are going, reflect and regroup. The final quality of the Innovation Profile that I can relate to and view as a strength is helping good ideas grow. Collaboration through social media tools like Twitter connect educators easily more than ever before. By fostering a Professional Learning Network (PLN), collaborative learning opportunities unfold.

One area that I will continue to develop is overcoming obstacles. Bumps in the road are expected, not everything is smooth sailing all the time. Sustaining the momentum of an initiative, unit of study, or project can sometimes be challenging. I need to work on creative ways of overcoming obstacles to avoid conflict.

To define what learning to innovate means to me, I can relate to a passage on page 4.
"Any teacher who has succeeded with project-based learning knows that personal engagement is what keeps students motivated during challenging projects. If a learning experience also helps them discover their passion, it can last for a lifetime."

For the past two years, I have given the Art 8 students the opportunity to choose their own subject and medium for a final project. This year, Colin Fitzpatrick chose a project which also used his skills in Technology. It was great to watch him figure out how to paint, cut, and attach all the squares. It took him three times to figure out how to hang the piece on the wall. It was even better to see him get Student of the Year in Technology. He took great pride in his work and worked hard during study halls to complete it. He keeps coming in now to see if it has fallen down!

While this unit keeps me very busy, as the facilitator, with twenty different projects at a time, the students really enjoyed this project and are very pleased with the results.