What Innovation Is and Isn’t:

From the very beginning of the book George does a fabulous job of capturing what I believe is happening in most schools today.  Schools  are dictated by test scores and have lost focus of develeping the individual child.  Does testing make the lives of our studens better?  When my third graders are 40 years old will anyone care how they performed on their 3rd grade standardized test?  No, but do I believe that these tests can negatively impact future performance…Absolutely!

I am fortunate to have 20 iPads in my classroom for my students to use.  Most teachers on my campus have at least 5-10 iPads in their classrooms.  We all have different ways of using them and I think that is okay.  Are we being innovative because we have the iPads?  No, having iPads doesn’t make us innovative.  It is how the iPads are being used that is innovative.  George defines innovation as “a way of thinking that creates something new and better.”  A lot of teachers are still doing things the “old way” or the way that they were taught when they were in school.  To continue to do things the way that they have been done in the past is a disservice to our students.

I was in my classroom yesterday (working on a Saturday) in order to clean up some of the clutter that has been building up.  I ended up tossing so many worksheets into the recycle bin.  I am one of 3 ELA teachers on my grade level and we all plan together.  So if one of my co-teacher makes worksheets, they make them for the entire grade level.  I believe that yes there is a time and a place for worksheets but I do not like for that to be the bulk of what my studens do in the classroom.  I try to take the content that they would get from the worksheet and turn it into something where they can create.  For example, this year when we were studying procedural text I decided to not have them write the steps for making one of their favorite recipes.  Instead, my students created their own video game and then wrote a “how to” manual for how to play.

After the manuals were published students then tried playing each others games using the manuals.  They were able to provide feedback as to how helpful the manual was and offer suggestions on how to change or improve the manual.  Did that make my lesson better?  Maybe not, but it definitely got my students engaged and they took ownership of their learning.  Just because the lesson worked in my classroom doesn’t mean it is “right” for everyone.  Lessons should be created with the “learner” in mind.  Far too oftenwe are thinking of test scores first and not our students.