My Innovation Journey

At times I struggle with my professional role as an educator. I'm a young Caucasian female who's a relatively inexperienced instructor. Many of my colleagues also lack a formal educational background. Despite this, we've all persevered through trial and error.

Retrieved from Pixabay

My colleagues and I are innovators. While sometimes we struggle in this role, we strive to use new methods of teaching, learning, and technology to improve our students' learning. Since beginning my position as an educator I've had to focus on the most effective way to present material to my students. I must ask myself how I can present this material so it fosters students' learning and their communication, collaboration, and innovative thinking skills.

I've educated myself on how I can think like an innovator and encourage my students to do the same. One way is through continued integration of technology in the classroom. But this can be tricky, as it should be only technology that will benefit student learning. Awareness of intersectionality, different learning preferences, and the knowledge students hold prior to entering the classroom are all factors to consider when selecting technology. These factors also play a vital role when formulating lesson plans and educational experiences.

To capture my innovative learning experience, I've created a film using images and videos to showcase my making and innovating. While making this film, it became apparent that I'm certainly a maker and surprisingly an innovator. I'm excited to continue thinking as an innovator and encouraging my students to do the same. As stated by McKinney, "By exploring new and better ways to educate students and also teaching the skills students need to become innovators themselves, today’s educators can have a tremendous impact on the future of our world" (McKinney, 2017).

References:

McKinney, P. (2017, February 23). Innovation in the classroom: why education needs to be more innovative [Online blog]. Retrieved from https://philmckinney.com/innovation-classroom-education-needs-innovative/.

Linforth, P. (2019, April 13). Idea Innovation Business [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/idea-innovation-business-4095184/ .