Creativity and Innovation in Education Moving beyond best practice

Creativity and Innovation in Education 1.The need for innovation 2.Views of teachers and teaching 3.Teaching: The learning profession 4.The rise of creativity, developing innovation 5.Innovation in education 6.Developing Next Practice

The need for innovation Schooling in the early 21 st Century

International National Prescription Reform Review Improvement

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

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

Developing Practice Effective Practice – for today Best Practice – prescribed practice Best Practice – indicative practice Next Practice

Views of teachers and teaching

Views of Teachers and Teaching How do teachers see themselves and their work? How do others view teachers and teaching?

Views of Teachers and 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)

Views of Teachers and 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)

Views of Teachers and 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)

Teaching: The Learning Profession

Tri – Level Structure Does this model constrain learning opportunities?

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

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

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

Networking Learning

Key paradigmatic shifts (Fraser, 2006) From …To(wards)… PragmatismPhilosophical Enquiry Informed PrescriptionInformed Professional Judgement Culture of dependencyCulture of professional authority Best practice thinkingNext practice thinking Communities of PracticeCommunities of Learning CollaborationNetworked Learning Institutional LeadershipEducational Leadership Reforming schools and systems Evolving schools and systems - Transformation Distributed LeadershipDistributed Knowledge

The rise of creativity, developing innovation Beyond the download

Creativity Solve problems Seek New perspective Necessary for innovation

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

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

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

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

Innovation in Education A disciplined undertaking

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

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.

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.

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

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

Principles of Teacher-led innovation 1.Strong moral purpose 2.Focused on students 3.Undertaken on behalf of the profession 4.Oriented towards learning 5.Clarity of purpose and goals 6.Builds on and develops professional knowledge

7.Integral to the professional life and work of teachers 8.Context-based developing teachers’ knowledge and skills (“New” professionals) 9.Takes a “What next?” approach 10.Networked learning to build professional knowledge (innovation, creativity, quality) 11.Closely monitored, evidence-based Principles of Teacher-led innovation

Developing Next Practice Generating new realities for the future

From Innovations Unit

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

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

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

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;

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.

...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? Just Suppose...

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