Disruptive Innovation in Technology
The power is in the refinement! A phrase I repeated to myself over and over again throughout the five weeks of EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education. Diving into disruptive innovation definitely challenged my feelings regarding change. In my twelve years as an educator, I've never been fully comfortable with radical organizational change. Is change necessary? Yes, but often I shied away from the disruptive, innovative kind of change mostly out of my fear of failure.
In years one through seven of my career, I tended to stay in my teacher comfort zone. I did not want to be "that" teacher to rock the department boat by suggesting we try something new. It was not until the last five years that I began to truly see the necessity for disruptive change in education. Realizing the need for change, I became its confident advocate campus wide. Using my love for technology and knack for appealing to the heart of the resisters as the best avenues for implementing much needed change.
Introducing technology through organizational methods such as Microsoft OneNote was my initial strategy for disrupting innovation followed by an infusion of subject specific Blended Learning platforms. However, before these changes could be implemented with fidelity, I had to truly understand the concept of disruptive innovation.
EDLD 5305 did a great job of defining disruptive innovation as it relates to marketing concepts found in the business world. At its core, disruptive innovation is introducing a product with slightly different modifications that appeal to a consumer base other than the mainstream or next tier in turn creating a new market in which the product gains steam, surpasses it competitors and redefines a culture.
Opportunities for disruptive innovation can come about in several ways. Most often it emerges to satisfy the need for problem solving in individuals and within organizations. While relating concepts of disruptive innovation to change in the business world was easy to understand. It was the task of translating the marketing principles of disruptive innovation into viable options for the campus principals to consider as catalysts for change in the education system that was definitely more of a challenge.
The word system becomes important in implementing technology into schools whereas administrators, teachers and students need to view technology use as not just another program they are made to do to fulfill a district initiative but as a system for disruptive innovative change. Programs tend to “go away” but systems when implemented effectively become permanent drivers for positive change within an organization leading stakeholders to thrive.
Over the last five weeks, creating a system of change began with understanding how the world learns, deciding a plan for implementing change, researching the previous paths of other educational technology innovators and effectively using media that engages learning and enhances the entire system of change.
Early on in this course, I felt I had a good understanding of what disruptive innovation was in relation to education. However, going forward with my initial plan for implementation would prove to be my biggest challenge but also my biggest area of growth.
The recipe for my plan consisted of two very important ingredients. The first I considered to be the meat of my recipe. The main ingredient consisted of integrating organizational technology in the form of an electronic binder. With the addition of a little Microsoft OneNote to the mix and we were cooking with grease. The second ingredient, the potatoes, also known as Blended Learning served as the perfect compliment to my plan. Everything seemed to be coming together nicely except for the mindset of the chef.
This school year, I was asked to help improve technology use in our district. We are a very large 1:1 district with eight middle schools, ten intermediates and six high schools all at very different levels of teacher and student technology use. As I started visiting schools to promote technology, I rapidly felt very out of place. Here I am technology's head cheerleader silenced by the apathetic play of teams district wide.
From the sidelines to the kitchen, my frustration and general angst over teacher apathy toward technology implementation was hurting my plan and putting my ideas in a negative space from the beginning. A quick gut check to remember "why" I became a teacher led to a long and purposeful revision of the plan. My verbiage changed from reshaping learning in failing 1:1 schools to how small shifts in innovation can largely and positively impact district wide learning. If a quick gut check was all I needed to refocus my mindset then maybe the same could be helpful in combating teacher apathy towards technology.
I hit reset on plan and added an inspirational video entitled, "What's Your Purpose?" and a handout that guides teachers step by step through the process of rediscovering their purpose as an educator and creating a bold statement that reaffirms their intentions.
Having a purpose proved to be beneficial in shifting the mindset of reluctant teachers therefore making it much easier to create teacher buy-in. To further teacher buy-in of my plan, I created another video emphasizing the importance of incorporating blended learning into school wide curriculum. The video, "Why Not Blended Learning!" is an emotional appeal highlighting the tangible and intangible benefits of on-line learning integration.
My five week journey through EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education has been one of great personal discovery. I started out focused on how to help others implement change but quickly realized that in order for that to occur I had to first look inside of myself and change my own mindset so that I could become the right catalyst of positive change for others. Personal change was definitely occuring especially in week 3.
Week 3 of EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation lived up to its name but in a very good and necessary way. Through several conversations and emails, I was able to gain a new perspective on my approach to implementing blended learning technology. I learned that my frustration and general angst over teacher apathy to technology implementation was hurting my plan and putting my ideas in a negative space from the beginning. A quick gut check to remember "why" I became a teacher led to a long but purposeful revision of my plan. Perhaps the best advice I received this week came in the form of a quote. "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow." --- Dewey
If my plan gives just one student access to all of their tomorrows, then I know I have served my purpose as a teacher and learner.
I believe my journey through disruptive innovation does not end at the completion of this class, it is only just beginning. I am only just beginning to unlock my potential as an innovator. I am confident in my abilities to keep up with and share with all stakeholders valuable research as it relates to disruptive innovation. I know my purpose as an educator is to motivate students to achieve their goals and inspire them to explore a world filled with endless possibilities!
With the world moving faster than ever before, one thing is for sure, the only thing that remains the same is...change. I accept and embrace the need for organizational change along with personal change. I am no longer afraid to step out of my comfort zone in fear of making a mistake because I wholeheartedly believe THE POWER IS IN THE REFINEMENT!
In years one through seven of my career, I tended to stay in my teacher comfort zone. I did not want to be "that" teacher to rock the department boat by suggesting we try something new. It was not until the last five years that I began to truly see the necessity for disruptive change in education. Realizing the need for change, I became its confident advocate campus wide. Using my love for technology and knack for appealing to the heart of the resisters as the best avenues for implementing much needed change.
Introducing technology through organizational methods such as Microsoft OneNote was my initial strategy for disrupting innovation followed by an infusion of subject specific Blended Learning platforms. However, before these changes could be implemented with fidelity, I had to truly understand the concept of disruptive innovation.
EDLD 5305 did a great job of defining disruptive innovation as it relates to marketing concepts found in the business world. At its core, disruptive innovation is introducing a product with slightly different modifications that appeal to a consumer base other than the mainstream or next tier in turn creating a new market in which the product gains steam, surpasses it competitors and redefines a culture.
Opportunities for disruptive innovation can come about in several ways. Most often it emerges to satisfy the need for problem solving in individuals and within organizations. While relating concepts of disruptive innovation to change in the business world was easy to understand. It was the task of translating the marketing principles of disruptive innovation into viable options for the campus principals to consider as catalysts for change in the education system that was definitely more of a challenge.
The word system becomes important in implementing technology into schools whereas administrators, teachers and students need to view technology use as not just another program they are made to do to fulfill a district initiative but as a system for disruptive innovative change. Programs tend to “go away” but systems when implemented effectively become permanent drivers for positive change within an organization leading stakeholders to thrive.
Over the last five weeks, creating a system of change began with understanding how the world learns, deciding a plan for implementing change, researching the previous paths of other educational technology innovators and effectively using media that engages learning and enhances the entire system of change.
Early on in this course, I felt I had a good understanding of what disruptive innovation was in relation to education. However, going forward with my initial plan for implementation would prove to be my biggest challenge but also my biggest area of growth.
The recipe for my plan consisted of two very important ingredients. The first I considered to be the meat of my recipe. The main ingredient consisted of integrating organizational technology in the form of an electronic binder. With the addition of a little Microsoft OneNote to the mix and we were cooking with grease. The second ingredient, the potatoes, also known as Blended Learning served as the perfect compliment to my plan. Everything seemed to be coming together nicely except for the mindset of the chef.
This school year, I was asked to help improve technology use in our district. We are a very large 1:1 district with eight middle schools, ten intermediates and six high schools all at very different levels of teacher and student technology use. As I started visiting schools to promote technology, I rapidly felt very out of place. Here I am technology's head cheerleader silenced by the apathetic play of teams district wide.
From the sidelines to the kitchen, my frustration and general angst over teacher apathy toward technology implementation was hurting my plan and putting my ideas in a negative space from the beginning. A quick gut check to remember "why" I became a teacher led to a long and purposeful revision of the plan. My verbiage changed from reshaping learning in failing 1:1 schools to how small shifts in innovation can largely and positively impact district wide learning. If a quick gut check was all I needed to refocus my mindset then maybe the same could be helpful in combating teacher apathy towards technology.
I hit reset on plan and added an inspirational video entitled, "What's Your Purpose?" and a handout that guides teachers step by step through the process of rediscovering their purpose as an educator and creating a bold statement that reaffirms their intentions.
Having a purpose proved to be beneficial in shifting the mindset of reluctant teachers therefore making it much easier to create teacher buy-in. To further teacher buy-in of my plan, I created another video emphasizing the importance of incorporating blended learning into school wide curriculum. The video, "Why Not Blended Learning!" is an emotional appeal highlighting the tangible and intangible benefits of on-line learning integration.
My five week journey through EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation in Education has been one of great personal discovery. I started out focused on how to help others implement change but quickly realized that in order for that to occur I had to first look inside of myself and change my own mindset so that I could become the right catalyst of positive change for others. Personal change was definitely occuring especially in week 3.
Week 3 of EDLD 5305 Disruptive Innovation lived up to its name but in a very good and necessary way. Through several conversations and emails, I was able to gain a new perspective on my approach to implementing blended learning technology. I learned that my frustration and general angst over teacher apathy to technology implementation was hurting my plan and putting my ideas in a negative space from the beginning. A quick gut check to remember "why" I became a teacher led to a long but purposeful revision of my plan. Perhaps the best advice I received this week came in the form of a quote. "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow." --- Dewey
If my plan gives just one student access to all of their tomorrows, then I know I have served my purpose as a teacher and learner.
I believe my journey through disruptive innovation does not end at the completion of this class, it is only just beginning. I am only just beginning to unlock my potential as an innovator. I am confident in my abilities to keep up with and share with all stakeholders valuable research as it relates to disruptive innovation. I know my purpose as an educator is to motivate students to achieve their goals and inspire them to explore a world filled with endless possibilities!
With the world moving faster than ever before, one thing is for sure, the only thing that remains the same is...change. I accept and embrace the need for organizational change along with personal change. I am no longer afraid to step out of my comfort zone in fear of making a mistake because I wholeheartedly believe THE POWER IS IN THE REFINEMENT!
Highlights from Disruptive Innovation
The Plan
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