What has changed in the realm of education in the past 100 years? Unfortunately, many of us can only come up with a short list of things that have changed in education. Why is it that the world is rapidly changing and moving forward but education is not? Well, we have found the missing link . . . innovation!
There are many reasons as to why innovation has been missing in education however, I feel that these are the top 3 reasons why.
1. Resistance to Change
To have innovation in education there must be change. No one likes change but it seems that in the realm of education we really dig our heels and resist change. It is easy and comfortable to teach the same way we were taught. Trying new things is scary in this high-stakes testing phase that education is in. Parents also resist change too. Many times parents state, "Why can't they teach it the way they did when I was in school?" It is easy to resist change when even your student's parents do not like the change.
2. Compliance
Education is a high-stakes testing phase that affects schools at every level, even down to teacher evaluations. The many rules, laws and number based evaluations have led to a state of compliance instead of a state of innovation. We cram everything in and do what has to be done in order for students to perform well on a test, therefore taking out any room for innovation and creativity.
3. Lack of Vision
Many times lesson planning becomes about making sure all standards are covered. While this is important and should be done, many times it leaves us short-sighted. When our focus is solely on covering every standard we are not looking at depth of knowledge being developed or how these skills prepare students for their future.
Educators teach and develop the leaders of tomorrow, therefore, innovation should be at the forefront. A fortune 500 company cannot remain at the top without being innovative and forward thinking. How can we develop innovative leaders for tomorrow if we are not willing to be innovative ourselves? Innovation is the missing link in education today. If innovation were at the forefront of all educational institutions there would be no limit to what our students and future leaders could accomplish.
