What are the obstacles to innovation?

[Anne Mirtschin]

I am interested in hearing from people as to what they perceive as being major obstacles (if any) to innovation? That is the actual ideas for innovation, to its practise in the classroom right through to being accepted as mainstream practice? Is it financing, lack of successful networking, infrastructure problems, lack of promotion or ???

[Adélaïde SIMON]

I think it's mostly a problem of resistance to change. Innovation means risk for many people (teachers, parents, local government...)
Let's pick up the situation in my country as an example. In France, innovation in the classroom is rather scarce. Not really because of financing or any material problem but because of mindset. It sad to say that but our country is old and has a tradition of opposition. So, even the government can't set up any innovative ideas because each time they try, many teachers demonstrate...Our teachers aren't innovators because during all their schooling, they have to follow exactly what they are taught.
So, one obstacle to innovation is the feeling that innovation doesn't concern schools but only science or industry as computing...Moreover, some innovative methods has failed int the past so the precautionary principle is used as a kind of reason to do nothing...
However, more and more people become aware that classrooms of the 21th century can't stay as classrooms of 1920...

[Anne Mirtschin]

Thank you Adelaide for this interesting insight into your eduational system. I agree that risktaking is one of the key elements. That means it is hard work to push through all the obstacles in the way. It is much easier (far less work, far less strain, no need to justify what you are doing etc) to continue working with traditional methods and in traditional settings. Your statement at the end is the key, classrooms of the 21st century cannot remain in a 20th century mode.

[Britt Gow]

Hi Anne,
I've been thinking about this and one of the reasons I don't do more in the classroom, is because of the risk of it not working - I need to get through a certain amount of content in maths and science and if we waste time experimenting with new ways to present it, I miss out on some topics. I hope to have a balance between content delivery (boring but somewhat necessary in my subjects), hands-on activites (science experiments and collecting data in maths for example) and student-directed/project-based learning. It would be great to have better access to computers and ways to collaborate with staff in other subjects to share the time and desired learning outcomes.
I agree with Adelaide too - resistance to change can be a problem in schools with more experienced staff. Lack of support from leadership in some schools - like where Nings and chat rooms are banned - is also an issue.
keep up your great work, Regards, Britt Gow

[Anne Mirtschin]

Britt, curriculum delivery especially at VCE level is always a challenge. As I teach information and communications technology, I have been in a unique position in that I can experiment quite legitimately. However, innovation is not always technology related and I know that you use innovative programs without the need for computer access.

[Britt Gow]

An update on the school where Ning was banned - Ban the tool or educate the users? We don't ban scalpels in science or stanley knives in art because some people use them in a dangerous way. Don't ban the tool, educate the users and counsel the abusers. Enjoying this forum by the way!

[Carole McCulloch]

Hello Anne, I see obstacles mainly in the blocking of Web 2.0 tools inside eduational networks and in the mindset of some in authority. I understand about the duty of care to young students and would want to preserve and maintain a safe environment for the very young - online. As a grandmother I so understand the need to protect from cyberbullying etc.
However, what the blocking does is put in place a fear factor that inhibits the explorers among educationalists whilst in that protected domain. Without the explorers we don't get forward momentum and our daily practices become stale and non-engaging with the new generations. Explorer is just one kind of innovator - as you know - and there are others - we need them all: we need the
explorers - people who have the exploring profiles like to question assumptions and discover novel possibilities - they challeng and discover
emperimenters - those people who have experimenting profiles like to test out various combinations of new ideas and learn from the results - they combine and test
modifiers - those who have the modifying profiles like to refine and improve what has already been done - they refine and optimise
visioning - people who have visioning profiles like to imagine an ideal future and let long-term goals be their guide - they envision and idealise

Knowing the different types of innovators helps us to identify the types of obstacles that stultify their pursuits - I fall in between the two categories of visioning and exploring - so I like to take risks but get off track frequently (as you can see from this posting (smiles). I prefer the idealising because it is more exciting and novel - but if you want me to follow the rules and not try out new things, you'd lose my interest.

What type of innovator are you?

[Anne Mirtschin]

I think that I am an explorer and experimenter. You have made many valid points. The 'walled garden' effect and keeping students completely safe is paramount for many in education. However, in the 18 months or so that we have been using many of the web2.0 tools, we have had no issues at all, except for one spam and some businesses trying to advertise their stock, when a student mentions an item in a blog. Staff at our school are able to teach students how to stay safe and walk them through some of mistakes they make in a secure, sheltered, educational environment. Leadership are very supportive of our work, yet three years ago, mobile phones and iPods were banned and students in years 5-7 did not have email addresses.

[Jenny Ashby]

Increasingly the NAPLAN is taking up curriculum time. Practicing tests and test items is becoming a common addition to the classroom. This type of work does not allow for innovative practices and the testing structure of multiple choice question and answer and reading questions is needing to be learned as much as the content for the NAPLAN. It is becoming prescriptive with school data being used in school planning and from region. Teachers can't turn a blind eye to the NAPLAN testing and the pressure to teach to the tests has built incredibly. We are warned about the US system and see where they have gone. (video ....It's not on the test) Yet we still travel down the same path.

[Nic Ryan]

It seems to me that NAPLAN is an issue that requires courage from administrators to deal with. Yes its great to measure progress. However this is only one tool, devised by people divorced from the local environment. When school and district leaders stand up and also give credence to the professional judgement of teachers, we will feel much more comfortable teaching what the kids need rather than what some external agency implies is important.

Finland regularly tops international comparisons of school systems yet has no comparative testing. Pasi Sahlberg who devised much of the current Finish systems says that there is no word in the Finish language for accountability the nearest word is trust.

[Julie Pavletich]

Hi Adelaide,
Thank you for a fascinating insight into your system.
Our department is trying to promote the notion of disciplined innovation. Of course no one wants to put children's education at risk yet innovators (and their leaders) must be able to tolerate a level of uncertainty and it can seem risky. One way to ensure that the risks are minimised is to link experimentation with evaluation. So that means, when you have a great idea and you want to try it, you must plan to evaluate it along the way and then relfect back on it at the end point. By doing that you force yourself into checking if things are going according to plan. Maybe, if you're lucky, something is taking an unexpected turn and you can pursue it and continue to monitor that it's taking you in a positive direction.

[Anne Baird]

I think that one of the things that many of the new technologies we now have available to us enable us to assess and record the progression of learning more easily. Perhaps what is required is a more open attitude and understanding of what assessment actually is and looks like. There is great potential for students to demonstrate what they know and understand using new technologies. It has the added bonus of also engaging and exciting students to work more independantly and to demonstrate learning in different ways.

[Adrian Camm]

I would have to agree with Jenny - too much emphasis on standardized testing. While schools and individuals are beginning to understand the need to innovate, they find it difficult in removing the barriers to innovation. Major barriers in my opinion are internal bureaucracy and staff unwilling to venture out of their comfort zone. In my experience, whenever there is a discussion about implementing something new, the discussion become political, taking us farther from our objective.