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56 Reasons Why Innovation Initiatives Fail

Another reason some students are applying to MIT. Undergrads are making a difference globally. "the innovative MIT classes and field trips known collectively as D-Lab, the project aimed to develop creative solutions to problems facing people in the world's least-affluent countries - and then hoped those residents would embrace the solutions." "The program now employs about 20 people and encompasses 16 courses that reach about 400 students each year. Even though D-Lab does little to publicize its activities, staffers are increasingly hearing that this program was a major reason why participating students chose to attend MIT." "All of D-Lab's classes assess the needs of people in less-privileged communities around the world, examining innovations in technology, education or communications that might address those needs. The classes then seek ways to spread word of these solutions - and in some cases, to spur the creation of organizations to help disseminate them. Specific projects have focused on improved wheelchairs and prosthetics; water and sanitation systems; and recycling waste to produce useful products, including charcoal fuel made from agricultural waste."

"All of D-Lab's classes assess the needs of people in less-privileged communities around the world, examining innovations in technology, education or communications that might address those needs. The classes then seek ways to spread word of these solutions - and in some cases, to spur the creation of organizations to help disseminate them. Specific projects have focused on improved wheelchairs and prosthetics; water and sanitation systems; and recycling waste to produce useful products, including charcoal fuel made from agricultural waste."

Great resources for Innovative planning and implementation; I especially love the School 2.0 toolkit

Focus on Your Winners

Some ideas on being an innovative leader

Are you an innovative leader? Here are some traits

Creativity and observation..keys to innovation.

Some excellent thoughts on what an innovative organization looks like

Is your school "innovative"? Here are some ?'s to ask

SKR keynote highlights broken down into 8 videos. Videos are 2 minutes long on average. Particularly relevant is the Creating a Climate for Innovation video

If you had to come up with a checklist for your organization that was guaranteed to stifle imagination, innovation, and out-of-box thinking...a checklist designed specifically for people who want nothing to do with disruptive change...what would it look like?

As districts are faced with the challenge of building a buget in these extremely tough fiscal times, this article becomes imperative. Seeking new ideas from not only those within our industry, but those stakeholders outside of education may provide new insights and opportunities for us in education. "Outside of the box" thinking may help to save many of our programs and initiatives that we pride ourselves in inspite of the economic crisis we are/ will be faced with.

Sharing, and sharing online specifically, is not in addition to the work of being an educator. It is the work." Ewan Mcintosh

"For those who share this common commitment (and really, who among us does not?),there is, I am arguing, a moral responsibility, a strong one, to share our educational initiatives and innovations: to summarize them, share their key elements, show examples of them in practice, and, at best, reflect upon their successes and lack thereof."

"This is also an essential element of educational leadership. Leadership is showing the way to others and making it easier for them to follow, it is empowering others to benefit from your example, take inspiration, and improve upon your advances- to stand on your shoulders."