George Couros' "The Innovator's Mindset" Part Three

So, this blog post marks the conclusion of my reflection on, “The Innovator’s Mindset,” and I have to say that overall, I think that this book has provided me with some really great ideas and has helped me put into words some of the thoughts that I have concerning education. That being said, I would like to offer some critique.

First, Couros is explicit in stating that using technology isn’t synonymous with being innovative, however most of the innovations that he gives as examples involve blogging, tweeting, or online portfolios. Don’t get me wrong, I think that those are great pathways to sharing successes and strengthening community involvement in your program, but I also recognize that not all schools or members of the community have access to internet or know how to participate on Twitter. I am specifically thinking about the school that I will be student teaching at this spring and conversations that I have had with my cooperating teacher.

Also, I know that a primary target audience population were leaders in education such as school administrators, and trying to help them see the importance of empowering teachers so that they can empower students, but I found myself thinking many times that many scenarios presented in this book seemed a bit utopic. I don’t want to say that the ideas aren’t relevant, because they are great and I am excited to strive for the ideals that Couros has and that I share, but at the same time I don’t want to enter a new school with unrealistic expectations.    

That being said, let me share with you some great insights from the last part of the book. Chapter 11 is about embracing an open culture, which emphasizes the importance of sharing and competitive collaboration. So far in this journey to teacherhood I have been so impressed by people’s willingness to share their time and resources with me because they are passionate about their work and the students that enter not only their classrooms, but all students. That to me is an amazing thing.

Another insight is how you can involve the local community in what is going on in your classroom by communicating via social media and encouraging students to share what they are working on in with others. I know I just finished criticizing the reliance on technology and social media, but I really do think that, where it is available to the school and community members, social media is a great way to involve and strengthen community ties with the school, teachers, and students.

In conclusion, I am excited to teach! I am excited to try out some ideas that I will borrow from this book as well as some others that I have gathered along the way.