Creativity and Innovation in Education

1. Creativity and Innovationin Education Moving beyond best practice

2. Creativity and Innovation in Education • The need for innovation • Views of teachers and teaching • Teaching: The learning profession • The rise of creativity, developing innovation • Innovation in education • Developing Next Practice

3. The need for innovation Schooling in the early 21st Century

4. International • National • Prescription • Reform • Review • Improvement

5. Resulting in … • Improved outcomes • Plateauing of standards • Deprofessionalising teachers • Culture of Dependency • Pragmatism • Best Practice = Prescribed Practice • Isomorphism

6. Educational Imaginary Public assurance from obsolescence Feudal system – agrarian Industrial system – factory Traditionalist measures

7. Developing Practice • Effective Practice – for today • Best Practice – prescribed practice • Best Practice – indicative practice • Next Practice

8. Views of teachers and teaching

9. Views of Teachersand Teaching How do teachers see themselves and their work? How do others view teachers and teaching?

10. Views of Teachersand Teaching Teachers are implementers of policy reforms and initiatives determined beyond the classroom Teachers are in need of tighter standards and greater accountability Teachers have been demoralised (Canada) Teachers have been deprofessionalised (England)

11. Views of Teachersand Teaching Teachers can play a significant role in providing solutions to the problems facing education. “Teachers are the masters of their own fate. The profession has to get it into its mind that it is its own job to solve the problems of the education system.” Sir Michael Barber, The Risk Takers, Guardian Education (23/05/2006)

12. Views of Teachersand Teaching “(T)eachers are not just here to do this job in the classroom – to do a job that is prescribed for them. They’re here to be professionals in which they participate in the business of trying to work out what is best for the school, what is best for the kids and how education should be practiced.” Dr David Frost, Cambridge University (8/05/2006)

13. Teaching:The Learning Profession

14. Tri – Level Structure Does this model constrain learning opportunities?

15. How can teachers be engaged in improving practice in authentic ways?

16. “New” Professionalism“New” Leadership Informed Professional Judgement Create a Culture of Learning Connect Ideas, People and Practice Transform from within

17. Interconnectedness Me and my school We and our schools Leadership that crosses site boundaries

18. Networking Learning

20. The rise of creativity,developing innovation Beyond the download

21. Creativity • Solve problems • Seek New perspective • Necessary for innovation

22. Creativity • Combinatory play – synthesise • Self-assurance • Risk From Richard Florida, Rise of the Creative Class

23. What do we mean by innovation? the successful exploitation of new ideas • …at least two types of innovation • Entirely new ideas • Re-working of an old idea or the transferring and embedding of existing ideas in to a new setting

24. the nature of innovation ….? • Incremental Innovation • Minor modifications to existing product • Swims with the tide • Starts with the present and works forward • School improvement ? • Radical Innovation • Significant breakthrough representing major shift in design • Swims against the tide • Starts with the future and works backwards • Transformation ? From presentation by Valerie Hannon, Innovations Unit

25. The Nature of Innovation Far from existing practices Radical Innovation Near to existing practices Incremental Innovation LEVEL of INNOVATION David Hargreaves (2003)

26. Innovation in Education A disciplined undertaking

27. The imperative to innovate Should the profession engage in innovation? Does the profession want to engage in innovation? Can the profession be trusted with innovation? The answer lies with the profession

28. Innovation and creativity doesn’t have to be a lessening of standards. • Need to bring together a range of professional knowledges in partnerships where all are seen to be equal.

29. Innovation requires a risk-analysis and discipline. • Schools need to be at an acceptable level before the freedom to innovate. • Test things out – not just pilot, and learn from trying things out on behalf of the profession.

30. Disciplined Innovation • Management of scope of innovation • Prioritising areas needing attention • Network ideas • Network people • Quality assurance of ideas

31. Disciplined Innovation • Careful planning • Trying things out on behalf of the profession • Close monitoring and evaluation • Risk analysis • Processes to capture knowledge

32. Principles of Teacher-led innovation • Strong moral purpose • Focused on students • Undertaken on behalf of the profession • Oriented towards learning • Clarity of purpose and goals • Builds on and develops professional knowledge

33. Principles of Teacher-led innovation • Integral to the professional life and work of teachers • Context-based developing teachers’ knowledge and skills (“New” professionals) • Takes a “What next?” approach • Networked learning to build professional knowledge (innovation, creativity, quality) • Closely monitored, evidence-based

34. Developing Next Practice Generating new realities for the future

35. From Innovations Unit

36. STIMULATING INCUBATING ACCELERATING Next Practice Innovation Model Utilise knowledge management techniques Synthesise evaluation & research Accelerate diffusion with system agendas Analyse need Scan the horizon Seek innovators Generate creative options Support the leadership of change Broker relationships and alliances Create communities of practice Ideas for Next Practice Field Trials Models of Next Practice in Action System learning System-level reflection & intervention Local level action Innovation Unit (UK)

37. Next Practice Stage 1 Needs analysis Stage 4 Generating creative options Stage 3 Mobilisation Stage 5 Field Trial Stage 2 Horizon Scanning /

38. To what extent can teaching, as a profession, solve the problems facing the education system? • What new ways of thinking required?

39. Focus on: • Developing a learning orientation within teaching as a profession and across education systems; • Building teacher capacity to problem identify, problem solve, analyse and research from within the context of their classrooms; • Engaging teachers in school improvement through a focus on developing and innovating on good practice;

40. Focus on: • Building professional knowledge; • Developing next practice; • Laterally transferring new professional knowledge to other sites and teachers so that it becomes new professional practice; and • Identifying and developing the most creative, innovative and ingenious teachers.

41. Just Suppose... ...the virtual school became a reality? ...students created digital learning resources? ...students worked from home or elsewhere? ...students led their own learning? ...timetables were flexible?

42. How can you use your expertise to contribute to the outcomes desired for students and the teaching profession?