Disruptive Innovations to Improve Schools

Disruptive innovation in the field of technology in education is more crucial now than ever before. With our technologies advancing rapidly every day, providing instant access to experts from anywhere, our cultural norms and expectations are changing rapidly. However, our educational system, once considered cutting-edge, is struggling to keep up with these rapid changes.

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns presented a significant challenge to education. It became clear almost overnight that being technology-rich did not automatically translate to effective virtual learning. Nonetheless, valuable lessons were learned during this time as everyone was thrust into the digital learning environment. Educators were forced to think outside the box and employ new tools to engage their students, including making resources accessible through the internet and devices. One positive outcome of this challenging situation was the potential for innovation driven by necessity. However, rather than embracing the creativity and design that emerged during that time, our system has remained largely unchanged, and in some cases, even regressed. There is now a push towards linear thinking and traditional paper-pencil methods, with an expectation to double the amount of content and workload students need to handle in the same amount of time, all in an effort to "catch kids up" and compensate for perceived learning loss attributed to the digital environment. Unfortunately, the true potential of the digital environment as an innovative tool that revolutionized many aspects of education is being overlooked.

Educators are well aware of what is needed, but find themselves trapped in a system that seems resistant to change. Their goal, like that of education as a whole, is for all learners to be successful. It is time for a shift in mindset, utilizing the available resources of pedagogy, neuroscience, technology, research, wealth of case studies and expert knowledge at our fingertips. We need to rearrange these pieces to "create the conditions for learners to flourish," as Sir Ken Robinson so eloquently stated. Once this disruption occurs, we can transform the educational system at large to an outcomes-based approach and celebrate the growth and achievements of each student by giving them voice and choice in pace, place, time, and modality. By doing so, we can enable our "communities, which rely on a diverse range of talents" to lead fulfilling lives rather than merely enduring them.

(If you have time, this TED Talk from Sir Ken Robinson is well worth your time. This video still remains on point for the needs we have in our educational system today, 13 years later. )