My thoughts: The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros

Amazon product description: 

Kids walk into schools full of wonder and questions. How you, as an educator, respond to students’ natural curiosity can help further their own exploration and shape the way they learn today and in the future.

The traditional system of education requires students to hold their questions and compliantly stick to the scheduled curriculum. But our job as educators is to provide new and better opportunities for our students. It’s time to recognize that compliance doesn’t foster innovation, encourage critical thinking, or inspire creativity—and those are the skills our students need to succeed.

In THE INNOVATOR'S MINDSET, George Couros encourages teachers and administrators to empower their learners to wonder, to explore—and to become forward-thinking leaders. 

If we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. In other words, innovation begins with you. Ultimately, innovation is not about a skill set but about mindset.

THE INNOVATOR'S MINDSET is for you if: 
•You are a superintendent, district administrator, or principal who wants to empower your staff to create a culture of innovation.
•You are a school leader—at any level—and want help students and educators become their personal best.
•You are a teacher who wants to create relevant learning experiences and help students develop the skills they need to be successful.

THE INNOVATOR'S MINDSET includes practical suggestions for unleashing your students’ and teachers’ talent. You’ll also read encouraging accounts of leaders and learners who are innovating “inside the box.” 

You'll be inspired to:
•Connect with other innovative educators
•Support teachers and leaders as learners 
•Tap into the strengths of your learning community
•Create ongoing opportunities for innovation
•Seek more effective methods for measuring progress 
•And, most importantly, embrace change and use it to do something amazing

My thoughts: 

I was excited when I found a class that was a book discussion about this book!  I was fortunate enough to have attended a presentation by George Couros and was able to meet him and purchase his book.  I liked the idea of reading it with a group of other educators.  

I found the book to be inspirational and encouraging.  I love teaching and was thrilled to find a book that carried such a great message.  I believe that innovation is essential to the success of the learners in our world and I believe that it must start with those who educate them.

In this book, the author has offered practical strategies to motivate educators and create within those educators an innovative mindset.  The book is an easy read, the pages seem to blend together as his refreshing, compelling ideas open your eyes and makes you want to get on board and be innovative.  

I truly feel that if all educators had the innovator's mindset, our students would thrive in, enjoy, participate and value the education system they spend so many years involved in.

Innovator's Mindset by George Couros (Part 4: Task)

Unleashing Talent	Driving Question(s)?	Your Answers
Strengths – Based Leadership	Do I know and build upon the strengths of those I serve?	I do take the time to learn and build upon the strengths of the learners in my room.
Powerful Learning First, Technology Second	Are we embracing new (and better) learning, and making decisions based on supporting these new realities?	I feel that I could improve on embracing new and better learning.  I try to embrace new learning ideas, but find myself falling back on tried and true methods. I have taken two classes this year on ways to bring new technologies into the classroom, but I have implemented only a couple of the ideas in my class and I don’t use them to their full potential. So, realistically, I must also improve on making decisions to support these new realities.
Less Is More	What are the few purposeful areas that we are focused on? How might we align our resources to support ongoing learning and development in these areas?	I am planning to focus of two technologies for the upcoming school year – Seesaw and Twitter. I am currently working on utilizing a digital portfolio program.  I use it now, but would like to take the time to learn more and begin using more of its options for next year. I am on Twitter, but I am a Twitter browser and not a Tweeter.
Embracing an Open Culture	How do we share openly and regularly to further our own learning and development?	This is an area that I feel I am on track. I take continuing education classes often (on my own and with other teachers) and attempt to implement the things I learn in my classroom.  I am always eager to hear ideas from others.  I collaborate with the other grade level teacher in my building to develop our weekly lesson plans. I meet with the teachers in my building weekly and belong to several groups that generate ideas.
Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences for Educators	Do our professional learning opportunities mirror the learning we want to create for our students?	I believe that some of the seminars I have attended do attempt to mirror the learning we want to create.  There is a lot of role play interaction where we are hoping to gain insight on how we can best serve the students.  The presenters at most of the staff development events I have attended recently seem to make an effort to limit the amount of lecture and impress the importance of keeping the learners engaged.  I feel that many of the learning opportunities I have had were working on making connections and relating to real world experiences. I have seen a change over the years in professional learning environments to reflect the desire to mirror what we want to create.

Innovator's Mindset by George Couros (Part 3 Task)

Task: Compare Dr. Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR model (http://bit.do/SAMRtl) with Bernajean Porter’s idea of moving from literate, to adaptive, to transformative (157).


The SAMR model utilizes a very clever pool analogy that captures your attention because the the simple graphics and colors.  If you go to the link (above) the information is given in text boxes that pop up when you hover over the main idea spots.  There are these extra information spots for each area of the pool, the diving board, support person, and there are also additional spots along the edges of the pool where you are able to access other resources.  There is a blog spot, a spot for feedback, a spot on the line linked to a video, and two spots that link to the creator of the model.  There is also a link in the bottom, right corner to the program used, Thinglink.

The SAMR image/resource is different in almost every way from Porter's idea listed on page 157 of George Couros' book.  It is interactive, visually stimulating, connected to various other resources, and easy for the average person to connect with.  The graphic simplifies the idea into small, but powerful pieces and then offers ideas on how to support the learner and the teacher as well as offering opportunities for the ability to achieve exponential growth.

If we stick with the "Pool analogy" and Porter's idea, the class featuring 50 tools is the kiddy pool or the shallow end (Literate).  By limiting the options, you move into deeper water (Adaptive). By providing time for exploration and collaboration you have been allowed in the deep end (Transformative).

Porter's idea is presented in print with no graphics and at first I thought that it was limited by the lack of visual aid, but then realized that the lack was in the extras.  The extras that are missing from Porter's idea completely and shown in the SAMR model are: the supports (the person standing by the pool with floatation devices), content and pedagogy (the diving board), and most important, the rope (the line that divides the pool).

These "extras" are the difference between stagnating or capping off learning and the ability to reach for unimagined possibilities.  It is the extra pieces of the SAMR model that are the key to unlimited potential.

The Innovator's Mindset - Part One by George Couros

The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros

(Part One)

My Thoughts:  From the first part of the book, I have learned that there is more to being innovative and having an innovator’s mindset than just wanting to change.  The desire and inspiration to facilitate change must be coupled with the characteristics of the innovator’s mindset.  I see that these characteristics are crucial, and that we all may struggle with one or more of them.  This is where desire will come to play.  With the desire to be a leader and an innovator, a person can work to be empathetic, a problem finder/solver, a risk taker, networked, observant, a creator, resilient and reflective. 

I learned that the old adage of “try, try again” isn’t always the right approach and that “work smarter” is a reality.  I believe that everyone has the ability to want to be a lifelong learner, given the right circumstances and that the innovator’s mindset is a key to providing students that opportunity.

So far the book is both inspirational and useful.  The mantra of an innovative educator at the end of part one is fantastic.  I found myself re-reading the mantra and thinking, “This is it! Truly, what could education become, how bright could our children shine if educators embraced this mindset.”

After reading the first part of the book, I feel motivated to get out there and start.  I realize, as the author says, that you don’t have to change everything and I am excited to look at my class and find at least one way in which I can begin.