<=> Less is More <=> A Diet of Innovation

 I have a terrible sweet tooth! My biggest weakness; a potluck table covered by an assortment of various presentations of cakes, puddings, cookies, and anything else imaginable. When given an opportunity to grab sweets at will I can load my plate with pieces of this and that to the point where I have to balance my plate with two hands and slowly shuffle back to my seat to keep from upsetting the load. Consumption is even more alarming. I can consume sweets to the point where I feel bloated and sick. Soon, I have regrets and remorse for my actions and start to plan the next diet that I know I will eventually need to go on.

Unfortunately, I'm the same way when it comes to innovation. When I view the #IMMOOC Facebook or Twitter page I see a layout of tempting innovative practices that I want to load onto my plate and indulge in. Sometimes I even feel like I have to indulge in these to become a better teacher. Like when I eat too much dessert, I can feel bloated and sick by innovation overload. Hearing George Couros say that less is more is a real comfort to me. This week I've decided to start an innovation diet. I plan to cut my innovation practices down to those that I feel I can manage effectively and will not weigh me down. I still plan to sample innovation practices here and there but not try to indulge in so many all at once.

I love the idea of using a mantra and have adopted a few a these from "The Innovator's Minset"
for myself.

"Eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak"
"Focus more on depth than breadth"
"Quality should always override quantity"
Beware of "too many opportunities without a clear focus"
""At this point, choice no longer liberates but debilitates""

Although dieting is never easy it always leads to positive results. I'm looking to starting my innovation diet and reaping the rewards of a clear focus.

What if?

"What and If - Two innocent little words, and perfectly harmless on their own. But put them together and...

It's like unleashing the power of the atom"
      - psychology-solution.com/anxiety/what-if


I performed a Google search on the question "what if" and the results that came back were about psychology. In the field of psychology, "what if" is a question that leads individuals to stress, anxiety, and worry.

In education, however, the question "what if" is liberating. It leads to freedom, excitement, and innovation. I encourage educators to engage in "what if" thinking (the educational kind, that is) in order to experience its positive benefits. I will pose a psychological and educational "what if" question of my own...

What if we don't engage in educational "what if" thinking?

To help get started, here are a few "what if" prompts from George Couros...

What if we believed that everything that we had to make great schools was already within 
     our organization, and we just needed to develop and share it? 
What if schools operated as if we should all be “learners,” as opposed to students being the only 
     learners? 
What if we promoted “risk-taking” to our staff and students and modeled it openly as administrators? 
What if we hired people who did not look at teaching as a “career” but as a “passion”?
What if everyone in our organization, not just our students, was encouraged to pursue his or her 
     dreams? 
What if we focused on connecting and learning, both globally and locally? 
What if people were always our first focus, as opposed to “stuff”? 
What if we recognized and built on learners’ strengths? 
What if we empowered students to make a difference in the world today and in the future?"