Centres of Innovation

Fast company has two articles on its website about fast cities. These lists, one of 15 up and coming U.S. cities that are centres of innovation, and one listing global cities (interestingly, two Canadian cities, Montreal and Vancouver are on this list) have brought a few questions to my mind.

1.) How are centres of innovation and excellence in education being supported? A few years ago, the Canadian government established the Network of Innovative Schools (which my school was fortunate to be a part of), a group of approximately 100 schools across the country that collaborated, talked regularly, met at an annual conference, and pushed the edges of education by leveraging the power and the potential of a network of like minded individuals. But as with many things governmental, priorities changed, the funding left, and the network died, leaving our schools twisting in the wind with no one connecting us. A prime opportunity of establishing a national network of innovation was lost. Are governments really concerned about innovation, change, and advancement at the K - 12 level? There has been much discussion of the need for research and innovation at the post - secondary level to keep national economies moving. Does not innovation need to be supported at the lower levels as well? After all, innovative post - secondary students come from innovative elementary, middle, and high schools.

2.) As educators, are there centres of innovation that we can point to, and learn from? Publicity for businesses that are innovative is constant and growing. Publicity and support for classrooms and schools that are innovative is spotty, regional, inconsistent, and often questioned. How do we publicize these places, support them in their work and their constant battle to grow and change?

3.) A question that is perennially at the forefront of school improvement is: does innovation scale? Can we look at one school or one classroom and take their methods to our own places and scale the innovation from a classroom to a school; or from one school to a district? I am a massive supporter of choice in classrooms and teachers needing the freedom to work in ways that are best with their kids, but how do we bring techniques, curricula, and methods between areas to maximize the benefit of these things for more students?

4.) How can we learn globally as educators who are of course tied to a geographic place (the neighbourhood school ) from others all around us? A school is like the ultimate branch outlet. McDonald's would dream of having as many outlets as there are schools across the continent (I wonder actually if there are more schools then fast - food outlets?). We have access to a potential massive global network of people involved in the same "business." How do we capitalize on the potential this brings?

Cities and urban areas like those listed in the Fast Company articles are learning of their power and potential to be engines of global success, advancement, and development. In Canada, urban governments are clamouring for more power in the face of increasing urbanization and the realization that the nation's economic power bases do not reside with the national government, but on their streets.

Is there a lesson for us?

Where do we need to concentrate on being engines of innovation? What is the level we need to work at? Innovation happens in the classroom. Is this the level we need to work at supporting? Schools can become incredible centres of power and change. Should schools or school districts be examined as models? Do schools and local governments need to work together to promote their places as centres of business potential and academic innovation?

At the national level, the Canadian government does almost nothing to support innovation in education and my provincial government (who is responsible for education) designs resources for schools to use, but does not monitor their use or support and promote centres that are using their tools in innovative ways. At bestin Canada, we have lab schools that are hooked to schools of education and are centres of new ideas, but their overall "effect" on education is regional at best.

We need to find ways to do better.....

Comments

[Dean Shareski]

I've been working hard to provide administrators and teachers with insights to new innovations and trends. This is somewhat of a "spray and pray" method. It's sort of the best I can hope for given limited time and resources.

What I'm discovering is that there are a number of teachers who want to dive into innovative ideas and explore in more depth the impact of these in the classroom. Teachers like yourself are not the norm. Most teachers have not been willing or able to innovate. I'm not blaming them, it's reality.

As our school division expands in January and we become a brand new division, I'm proposing that we set aside funds for teachers who want to forge ahead and try to create new, innovative learning environments. While government support would be helpful, I'm not going to count on it. I'll leave that lobbying for those who have more of a liaison with them.

I'm hoping to provide teachers with the time and resources to make innovations happen in their classroom. Asking teachers to do this on their own is unrealistic and at the same time, I'm not waiting around for the government.

[Graham Wegner]

Clarence, I tried to trackback to your post here without success and your blog won't allow me to leave html but I have posted a follow on from an Aussie perspective on some of the points you raise. You will have to cut'n'paste the old fashioned way to see my post. http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/11/18/centres-of-innovation-aussie-style/

[Graham Wegner]

Sorry, what an idiot I am - seems your blog is much more intelligent than me.