What are the most effective ways to promote innovation in schools?

Before we go to bring in an ecosystem of innovation to our schools, creating a climate conducive for innovation and inquiry to thrive is prerequisite. As part of this, I would see a dire need to overhaul how teachers training in various forms and formats happen. If educators aren’t trained, sensitised and empowered to build a culture of inquisitiveness, inclusion and curiosity all others things done will have subpar results

Para fomentar la creatividad en la educación, es crucial transformar el enfoque hacia la tolerancia al fracaso. Actualmente, el sistema penaliza el error, sofocando la innovación. Es esencial que los órganos intermedios de gobierno actúen como protectores, permitiendo una mayor flexibilidad en las escuelas. En Lima Metropolitana, aplicamos esta filosofía con la metodología del Aprendizaje entre Pares, donde los estudiantes eligen temas de interés y son guiados por tutores a través de preguntas socráticas, culminando en demostraciones públicas. Este enfoque perpetúa un ciclo continuo de aprendizaje y ense?anza.

Recognition can be challenging because it must mean something to both the recipient and those with the potential to receive. Therefore, strength in reward is derived from formal power in the form of policy, quality of evaluation of work, and substantive delivery by the person giving recognition. In other words, people work best when they know and understand the criteria for recognition and can place faith in those structures. Much of what happens in the mind concerning recognition is concerned with good faith and trust. Therefore, leaders should be deliberate, logical, and analytical in crafting and implementing how to receive recognition. Meaning they must define what "good work" is.

Diversity is a strength, is a phrase used often, and heeded less when it comes to collaboration. Empowering diverse populations means listening to voices and opening the floor for discussion to those who might have been excluded. Like any other leader, teachers must look for opportunities to bring people into the proverbial fray because diversity can be as simple as hearing from someone who speaks less than those who have not had the means. The idea is collaboration, which means eliminating as many barriers between people's ideas and reality as possible to change the conditions of this reality.

Modeling innovation and leadership? These are loose terms. Teachers must create an environment for double-loop learning which requires individuals to go through four steps: - critical reflection of self-behavior - identifying value assumptions within underlying behavior(s) - Change underlying values and assumptions; and - implement changes to behavior Each of these elements also scales up into the organization (workplace), allowing them to flow easily into any planned organizational change model. Approaching learning in this way can help to engage cycles of continuous learning requiring occasional facilitation from teachers/leaders.

Individual and team psychological safety is an important factor in fostering innovation. Organizational members must feel safe to leap—and even stumble—through demonstrated acts of support and encouragement by leadership. Many points in the above article work toward psychological safety, but a key factor in promoting innovation is reaffirming commitment to the organizational member who takes calculated, creative risks, and reassuring their status and membership in the community is not at stake—win, lose, or draw. Taking a few moments to carefully consider how to frame interactions, asking questions, identifying areas of concern, and evaluating future progress based on what was learned along with potential opportunities can go a long way.

There is no denying that setting the conditions for innovation ideation and establishing leadership standards is demanding. However, as much as we hate cliches, "where there is a will, there is a way." this means that we have to find and get as many people to contribute to improving the environment around us as possible for continual improvement. There is no harm in asking yourself or those around you, "What have we missed"?