Loved this quote on innovation included in the book. So many spectacular thoughts are shared in this book, and it really makes you think.  I have written this blog post to share some of the parts that stood out to me and reflect upon Part I of the Innovator’s Mindset.

A school can buy the latest technology and hire the most educated staff, but if the teaching and learning that takes place don’t change than what is the point? The stuff we buy becomes no better that a tchotchke or paperweight if the teachers are not providing students with experiences that are innovative.

Schools were nearly the only source of knowledge for a very long time. Information is now at the swipe of a finger. Students can access facts and information in seconds. Even more profound is that it isn’t even one source or means of information to which they have access. Articles, videos, pictures, and more can bring information to life right before their eyes. Why are so many still receiving an education that doesn’t acknowledge these truths? Why are so many students still learning the same way as the generation before the digital movement?

It has been said that our students now have the worst technology they will ever own. It is true!!! Education should be focusing on how to use information to think critically and creatively. Our students need to learn to decipher information for what is the truth and what is a fallacy. Students should be learning how to communicate their knowledge and collaborate with peers and leaders. They need to be learning how to connect information to other information and how it can change outcomes and solve problems.

George Couros challenges his readers to be innovative. “Change for the sake of change is never enough,” he states in the book.

He is right!  “Why” should be at the heart of all innovation?  When you can pinpoint the why, and it is centered on making education better for kids than you know you are on the right track.