You can start by understanding the students who sit in front of you.

“Innovation in education is not just doing things a different way, but more importantly, doing things in a better way. Are we actually improving teaching and learning?”

— George Couros

Our guest

George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts is modeled in his writing and speaking. In his 20 plus years in the field of education, he has worked at all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and is currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. George is also the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity and his latest book, Innovate Inside the Box.

Why this conversation matters

A recent guest on our show remarked that “The discussion in education has moved beyond the question of ‘Do we need to transform education to make it more responsive to the needs of students in the 21st century?’ That train has left the station. The debate now is over how.” Today’s guest answers that question in part by pointing to purposeful innovation. Not just innovation that changes something, but innovation that provides greater value, and makes teaching and learning better. And making something “better” calls into question what and how we measure student learning.

Listen for

√ Why the best teaching doesn’t start with content, but with knowing what learning we want for the student in front of us.

√ Why we need to shift measurement from data-driven to learner-driven and how that involves revisiting what we mean by evidence and assessment of learning.

√ Why you should start any process of change or innovation knowing the expertise of those who have to execute it.

√. Why if you’re trying to spread innovation – improved teaching and learning – you should start with teachers and students who appear to have influence over their peers.

√. Why constraints lead to “innovating inside the box.”