Fostering a Innovative Mindset
George Couros shares this mind map of the 8 characteristics of the innovator's mindset (http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/4783). The innovator's mindset builds the capacity for leadership in the following ways:
Cognitive: Problem-solving expertise develops from problem finding, where asking effective, probing questions come first. Knowledge of effective school and classroom practices that directly affect student learning is developed through careful observation and reflective practice. Observation, particularly in unexpected places, enables making connections. Reflection on what works and what doesn’t can lead to change and improvement. Systems thinking and networking encourages little “c” thinking in terms of collaborative creativity.
Social: Perceiving, managing and acting on emotions in appropriate ways enables empathy. In turn, empathy allows leaders to immerse themselves in new learning opportunities, as well as allows for a deep, authentic understanding of students.
Psychological: Optimism and self-efficacy, or believing in oneself, enables risk-taking and trying new approaches. Resilience comes from being proactive and not giving up. Determined and continued searching for great ideas leads to innovation.
Further consideration:
As an arts educator and a faculty member of the Imagination, Creativity, Innovation cohort at our Faculty, I have embraced the innovator’s mindset for years and in multiple ways. George Couros referenced design thinking to determine characteristics of the innovator’s mindset. Design thinking is integrated with and innately connected to visual thinking and visual art learning. I encourage and embody a creative culture in my classroom and within the teacher education department. Observation, asking questions and exploring different answers, risk-taking, making unexpected and unexplored connections, creative thinking and practice are all strategies that I use to empower and hopefully inspire my visual arts and education students.
Couros defines innovation as “a way of thinking that creates something new and better.” He clarifies that innovation is not a thing, a task, or a form of technology. In an attempt to be creative leaders in our PQP Part 1 class, my presentation group asked the class to respond to the topics of creative leadership and building relationships through clay. While the activity was traditionally creative, the intention was to encourage the class of learning leaders to engage in a leadership presentation in a different way. The task required them to take risks with a material and experience a new way of communicating. It also required them to make connections and be reflective in their response. The individual art works were physically connected/threaded together representing the professional network that was our class group. The class members all contributed to a collaborative art experience that resulted in a new way of expressing the groups learning. The finished art piece was simply a byproduct and reminder of that learning.
