Inspiring young minds to innovate

Converting data to knowledge
Understanding the organizational drivers of innovation
Developing the leadership styles for innovation
Thinking in ways that result in innovation

Gathering data and presenting information is just the first step in creating innovation. Next comes converting that data into understanding. The ideal environment for developing these skills is a small team of three to seven people, including outside experts in the process (i.e., a teacher), who band together to define projects. The group learns and applies relevant tech tools, like simulators that allow students to gain hands-on experience. They ask the right questions at every stage of the process and spend time thinking about the meaning of what the group is doing. A valuable opportunity for students to understand and articulate each step in the innovation process they followed is presented when a teacher encourages students to demonstrate the knowledge they’ve gained from a particular project.

Most people begin the process by relying on information. They gather facts and answers, compile reports and build graphs. However, successful leaders and innovators recognize this as simply the first step in innovation. They aren’t satisfied with the preliminary conclusion reached at this stage. Instead, they review their knowledge and push further with additional experience, taking a step back, thinking about things and analyzing the big picture of what everything means. It’s an ideal process that teachers should strive to create for students, who will gain the opportunity to really think and learn at every stage. Create lesson plans to take students from simple data to real knowledge, and inspire them to cultivate the skills and patience involved in becoming innovators.

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How—and why—to teach innovation in our schools

As government mandates shove schools toward standardization of learning, schools are hard-pressed to find the time and resources to inspire creativity in both teaching processes and students’ skill development. Organizational drivers of innovation and technology development must:

Work toward a clear target. In the educational setting, the target is what the students say they want. With more students saying they desire relevance, teachers must ask how to get there.
Incorporate the models proven successful by real innovators.
Begin with the strong points. It’s so much easier to build on a foundation of what’s already working than it is to focus on overcoming a weakness that may or may not become a major obstacle.
Put some money behind the development. Starting small is fine; all that’s necessary is a modest investment to drive accomplishment one step at a time.
Think in broad terms. Not all technology developments originate in the IT department, and they rarely involve a single brilliant expert or a flash of genius. Begin with a question, work as a team and share ideas. As one idea fails, another person can suggest a modification.

Jack Welch (General Electric), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), and Bill George (Medtronic) have been great business leaders in innovation and technology development, and they demonstrate some of the key characteristics and leadership styles that can inspire innovation from others. The same characteristics and leadership styles apply when it comes to innovation in education. Teachers can identify their own teaching styles and embrace their strengths to empower innovation in the classroom. The people who lead powerfully innovative teams typically demonstrate one of the following leadership styles:

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