Innovation

Write a reflection on this quote: 'In a time when there is hunger for innovation everywhere, we think our primary responsibility is to help prepare a generation of students to rise with the challenges of our times' (d.school). How and why do you intend to create an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in your pupils? Or why not?

Today, much of the manual labor force is mostly found in the East. Many Danish firms create products that are sold worldwide. The competition is therefore fierce because of globalization and we have to find new ways to compete with prices, functionality and design. This takes innovative minds.

We have to be able to think “out of the box”. Dare to try to do things differently. Who would ever have thought that we would be a able to listen to hundreds of songs while taking a run. When the creator of Apple, Steve Jobs, invented the iPod it changed the way we bought and listened to music. It made it easier, less costly and we suddenly did not have to buy a whole album but could carefully select songs that we enjoyed the most and create playlists for different occasions. That surely is innovative!

From my own experience working with innovation I see that there are 3 main things teachers should remember when working with innovation in schools:

1. Students need to be open for all new ideas. We have to put our “yes hat” on and dare come up with any idea even thought it might seem crazy.

2. Teachers have to be able to create student groups. This means finding the right balance between students who can learn to work together in a good group environment giving each other space and listening to one another. Many minds are better at creating new ideas than one mind alone as students can elaborate on each others ideas.

3. Innovation takes time! You cannot rush this process. You have to take many important steps into consideration.

A good innovation process may look like this:

•    Having a goal – what do we want to produce?

•    What kinds of values lie behind our group e.g. we use organic materials, or all materials have to be made in Denmark, the ideas have to be based on human rights etc.

•    We need to free ourselves from how we usually do things or how we usually think when we start to create. If the class is very critical towards each other then they need to focus on stop being critical. This can be done in many ways. We can have all students write down what they usually do and then keep all these comments in a suitcase. We can also go to a lake and have each student throw a stone in to the lake while saying what they need to break free from.

•    We need to remember to take breaks so our mind can wonder about the product or idea. We also need to take breaks so we may create new energy for our selves and our group.

•    Brainstorming ideas – this is an open process where we have to dare come up with new ideas and help each other build upon these ideas.

•    Grouping ideas- the many ideas need to be sorted. They need to be put into certain categories so that we are able to get an overview of the ideas.

•    We need to validate these ideas. Two of the criteria could typically be cost/ benefit but many other criteria could also be of importance. We might want to consider first having one round of criteria and then another.

•    Now we need to start visualizing the product. This means drawing our idea or making a model of the product or writing the manual for your projects.

•    The last step is putting our product into production. This means considering who will make it, what will it cost, who shall we market this product towards etc.

Innovation is an exciting process! But remember to be open and have time to go in to depth with the innovation process. And remember to have fun:)!

In 2011 I took a course called Kunstgreb where I learned hot to use creative tools for innovation. 
Danish readers can go to my website regarding my work with innovation:
www.janepejtersen.dk

There are many wonderful pages on Design for Change. But I must admit that my favorite is Stories for change regarding inclusion. Having students work together and help one another other regardless of their background, in the case children with physical and mental disabilities, teaches students to practice openness, tolerance and empathy towards each other. These are very important skills to learn, as they teach students that no matter what we look like, where we come from or how we are different that it is possible to establish a positive learning and work environment.

Ashley primary school in the UK visits the Walton Leigh School. The students have gathered around a Holiday theme to make Christmas decorations together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i3eFPnwa6s&feature=player_embedded

The description of the video:

This is our fourth visit to our link school Walton Leigh School which is a co-educational secondary special school for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties aged between 11 and 19. 
This time, the class linked up with the school to prepare the young people for their Christmas Bazaar. We decorated the Hall with all things shiny, made ceramic coasters to be sold at the bazaar, painted sleighs for the Santa's Grotto and simply enjoyed the big reunion!

I found a great website that might be of inspiration for Danish teachers. Here you can learn how to use innovation and entrepreneurship in all the different subjects in school:
http://www.piif.dk