Como fomentar a inovação e a criatividade, mantendo o rigor acadêmico?

I think the vision and goals need to centre around the creative process. It can be taught, it has to be taught through whichever means best fits the school: entrepreneurship, creative writing, engineering etc. you foster something by ensuring all the participants have the skills to take part.

In order to develop a vision it’s important to get in to the zone of deep flow. In this busy world it has to be intentional otherwise we can coast along with day to day focus without strategic focus. Where are we going? Where are our pinch points ? Visualising our end goal can help us to see how we get there. Team input and diversity of thought is fundamental to having a structure that ‘fits’ all and allows individuals to thrive

"In the realm of education, fostering innovation and creativity is the key to unlocking the door to progress, all while upholding the sturdy structure of academic rigor." - Anonymous 3 questions to ask on this: How can you integrate project-based learning, experiential activities, or real-world applications into academic settings to encourage creativity and innovation among students? In what ways can educators provide a supportive environment that allows for exploration and experimentation without compromising the academic standards and integrity of the curriculum? How does collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches, and exposure to diverse perspectives contribute to fostering innovation?

Trust through caring actions is #1 step before anything else. Is there trust between stakeholders? All the rest is moot without this. Keep reading if you have trust in place.. innovation and creativity should be built into your vision and goals in clear concise words - challenge yourself to use as FEW words to convey your vision & goals.

Leading from the Middle is the best model for our current culture and climate in education. Four key drivers for innovation. Clarity of Focus - what is the purpose of education? What are the skills and competencies we want students to attain? Shared Leadership - have all voices been heard? How is information flowing through the organization? Feedback loops? Collective Expertise - Learning Rounds to calibrate our understanding of pedagogy, technology Instructional Design, Framework, Formative, authentic assessment, one year’s progress definition. Continuous Improvement - Groups meet to discuss evidence of learning 4-6 weeks, site teams meet every 7-8 weeks to discuss, District gathering to discuss end of cycle commitments based on sites.

Innovation requires a large range of skills that can meet the challenging needs of society and economy at large. Educators need to harness the skills of critical thinking, creativity and problem solving apart from subject based knowledge., There need to be structural shift towards student centric learning from a teacher driven environment. Facilitation of creativity by leveraging technology and encouraging collaborative learning are need of the hour. Learning is a continuous process both for the facilitator and learner

One way that you can foster creativity and innovation while maintaining academic rigor is by "flipping the classroom." Essentially what happens is that learner becomes the subject expert and they share the information with their peers. All levels of learners begin to lose interest when the leader is standing and delivering information but when you provide the information to the learner and then task them with providing the information to their peers they become more invested. Not only do they become subject experts, but they become more empowered with the knowledge they've gained from research and preparation.

The critical error is losing focus on academics. We can introduce all the shiny new toys, gadgets, and technologies in education -- but to what end? I see more focus on "innovation and creativity" than on academic achievement. Let's get back to the real focus of academics and help students learn. Sometimes this doesn't take as much innovation and creativity as it does the hard work of mentoring and teaching.

The key is striking the right balance. Encourage experimentation but ground it in rigour. My approach is clearly articulating the "north star" - the vision and outcomes we're striving for. Within that framework, empower teams to unleash creativity in how we achieve them. Celebrate novel solutions but measure against real impact data. Enable calculated risks but course correct rapidly based on feedback. Innovation and creativity should serve greater student mastery. If we uphold high standards and assess new approaches objectively, we can foster environments where creativity flourishes in service of academic excellence.

Build trust and vulnerability in your staff. When people feel safe, respected , heard and affirmed that can do great things. Be clear in your intentions and never be too important to do the hands on stuff… it’s not that hard.

Many a times, kids grow up in an environment where ‘failures’ are not acceptable. Hence, the fear of ‘failure’ is very high & ‘failure’ carries a certain stigma with it. It is instilled in their minds since childhood from constant pressure from schools & society alike; hence the ‘risk averse’ mindset grows & creativity starts taking a backseat. Creativity & innovation cannot thrive if we cannot ‘fail forward’. While the academic rigor is sacrosanct, we have to give a lot more importance to the process & effort rather than the end results/marks. In my projects, I encourage diverse collaborations, experimentations, learning from failures. This approach helps to learn & co-create better solutions.

Educational agility thrives on collaboration & diversity, integral to fostering innovation & maintaining academic rigor. Using Kanban boards promotes transparency, efficiency, & collaboration across all departments & levels. These visual tools create spaces for teams to work cohesively, exchange ideas, & co-create solutions. The culture of respect & trust cultivated through Kanban values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, & experiences, enriching the collaborative process. By tapping into the strengths of the community, Kanban facilitates addressing challenges effectively. It enhances innovation & creativity by generating new possibilities, & ensures academic rigor through critical thinking, robust feedback, & continuous evaluation.

Many people stick to what they are comfortable with, but when you mix ability levels and backgrounds, be it cultural or work experience, you're able to create a team of well-rounded individuals who bring their subject matter expertise to the table where they can create a product that is innovative and creative. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging have become the newest buzzwords in many industries. What is important to promote a culture of respect, well it is very important that leaders set the precedence for the team and the expectations for behavior. Creating team building activities which forces people outside of their norm helps to open the minds of individuals and promote a common understanding of norms and values.

In addition to this, fostering a culture that values effort, learning, and resilience can be significantly helpful. Emphasize that intelligence and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. The concept of a growth mindset, pioneered by psychologist Carol Dweck, has become a pivotal aspect of fostering innovation and creativity within academic settings. Cultivating a growth mindset in academic environments is a foundational step in promoting innovation and creativity. It sets the stage for a culture that values effort, embraces challenges, and sees failures as opportunities to learn.

Incentivar a colaboração e a diversidade na liderança educacional é essencial para fomentar a inovação. Criar espaços que promovam a troca de ideias e a cocriação de soluções fortalece uma cultura de respeito e inclusão. Valorizar diferentes perspectivas e talentos impulsiona a inovação, garantindo rigor acadêmico e estimulando o pensamento crítico.

Collaboration leads to exchange of ideas which sparks creativity and innovation. Each team member has diverse skill sets involving their own strengths and talents. To harness full potential out of a team members, involve people with different types of skill sets. Collaborating with others provides opportunities to learn from different skill sets and expertise. This can contribute to the development of a broader range of skills and competencies. Stay responsive and appreciative of diverse opinions. Publicly acknowledge achievements and express gratitude for the unique talents each one of them bring to the team.

Pour favoriser l'innovation et la créativité tout en maintenant la rigueur académique, il est essentiel d'encourager la collaboration et la diversité. En favorisant les échanges et les discussions entre différents acteurs et en accueillant des idées diverses, nous permettons l'émergence de nouvelles idées et perspectives. En parallèle, il est nécessaire de maintenir une rigueur académique en encourageant la recherche approfondie, les méthodologies solides et l'évaluation critique des idées proposées. Ainsi, la combinaison de la collaboration et de la rigueur académique permettra de stimuler l'innovation et la créativité de manière durable.

I created opportunities and spaces for your team and your community to work together, exchange ideas, learn from each other, and co-create solutions through flexible meetings opportunities, teacher-led lunch and learns, and vertical alignment teams. Promoting a culture of respect, trust, and inclusion that values different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences was cultivated through weekly Community Circles with staff. Leveraging the strengths and talents of my team and community to address the challenges and opportunities in education began with having each member identify their perceived strengths and areas of growth and then facilitating self-selected mentorship amongst staff.

Creating space for open dialogue and collaboration among students promotes innovative thinking. However, it's crucial to strike a balance, ensuring that these creative endeavors align with academic standards. Through my experience, I've found that establishing a culture that values both creativity and academic excellence requires consistent communication, teacher development programs, and a willingness to adapt strategies based on student needs and outcomes. This dynamic approach ensures that innovation flourishes without compromising the essential foundation of academic rigour.

Encouraging collaboration involves fostering teamwork through group projects, respecting diverse viewpoints, integrating multicultural content, creating an inclusive environment, and promoting cross-disciplinary engagement. This approach enriches learning experiences and prepares individuals for diverse and collaborative environments.

Our children are the future risk-takers and yet they live in an increasing risk-averse world. We must keep children safe, but we also need them to explore, to build connections, to challenge the status quo and to make mistakes. It has already been mentioned, in this thread, that a key component of this is the development of a 'Growth Mindset', but that is hard to develop if you seek to never fail? For some, to fail is to lose, for others it is simply the 'First Attempt In Learning'... Watch a toddler in action and see true risk taking in action, before we step in and say 'no'! We are born with risk taking ability and natural curiosity... As educators, we need to strengthen the flame, not put it out!

I believe the key issue to address to develop our learners is the semantics/terminology with which we have for years chosen to label these skills. Risk and failure are negative terms in many languages and cultures. Simply look at the synonyms provided in dictionaries: failure: debacle, collapse, defeat and risk: danger, peril, threat. Are we muddying our objectives through word choice? If we can find ways to reframe these essential skills for learning and life - in the minds of our educators, families and students - then perhaps these skills would have a more organic place in our classrooms and be embedded into the mindsets of children as just another stepping stone towards success.

A growth mindset is a very important concept to adopt when risks need to be taken. Many people live in a fixed mindset where they are hesitant to take risks. Adopting a growth mindset allows the person the courage to take risks that they normally would take. There's an old saying - no risk no reward. In order to learn from failures, risks should be taken. And, although something didn't work - reviewing the metrics, and feedback from participants allows the group to pivot, rethink, and reimagine what could be revised and implemented again. With every failure there are parts that are successful - celebrate the small wins and use that as a jumping-off point to adjust the parameters of the unsuccessful parts.

It starts with the leader. Are you creating an environment where risk-taking and mistakes are welcomed and translated into growth? How do you know? I am reminded of an initiative we rolled out on my campus for team data-digs to look at student data. Rather than dictating what this should look like, we agreed upon the outcome and let every team be creative in how they approached this. Some teams thrived, and others struggled, but we learned from each other and created space to showcase successes. They found ways to approach data that positively impacted all students on our campus through a creative approach, but it took a few mistakes to get there. Ultimately we were better for it and thankful for the space to take risks and LEARN.

Christian's point about First Attempt in Learning is key in my opinion. Thanks for saying that. In a recent visit to an international school whilst quality assuring their provision it struck me how hard the academic staff have worked to create emotionally, socially and spiritually safe spaces where the children were comfortable trying things out, having a go and what ever the outcome, put in a lot of effort. I also noticed a strong sense that students actively sought to have a go expecting to make mistakes - so they could learn more. It was really inspiring to see the intentionality among a group of professionals who have deliberately fostered a sense of effort and process being so central to student first learning.

Innovation is born from failure. The safety to take risks creates the conditions for innovation. Educational institutions need to carefully consider who is safe to take risks. Oftentimes those who are risk-seekers have lived with the privilege of knowing that they have many options if they fail along the way. Educational institutions need to create safety for the risk-averse, especially for those who the system itself marginalizes. Innovation cannot be the sole privilege of those who are carrying less weight.

Embracing an Agile mindset is pivotal. Agile supports experimentation & risk-taking by providing dedicated time & resources for teams to test new ideas & learn from failures. The balance between innovation & stability is achieved through Agile's adaptive nature, allowing for continuous refinement while ensuring the core values & goals remain steadfast Agile manages risks & uncertainties by fostering a culture that values evidence, data, & standards. Through regular feedback loops Agile encourages the application of lessons learned from both successes & failures. This approach not only stimulates curiosity, exploration, & discovery but also ensures academic rigor by grounding educational practices in evidence & maintaining high standards.

Start with small initiatives. Implement pilot programs or small-scale experiments to test new initiatives before full-scale implementation. Pilots allow for learning from real-world experiences with a controlled scope. This will helps teams to make informed adjustments and improvements. Regular reflection sessions where team members can discuss what worked, what didn't, and what they learned from their experiments. Use these reflections to make future decisions. This will gradually provide stability and continuity.

One thing I know is that organizations led by resilient leaders foster resilience in team members and students. Resiliency means bouncing back from hardship or challenges. Systems are in place to respond to and recover from any eventuality, while learning from the experience so as to avoid its pitfalls in the future. This includes risk taking. To take risks in meeting the needs of the school community, schools must be able to try, without fear of failure. Building innovation and creativity into existing rigorous academic programs assures all students and staff have opportunities to develop innate skills and interests. Infusing real-world applications supports required curricula and creates meaningful, safe environments to grow.

Learn how tech companies do it. Seriously, embrace failure as a learning point! Don’t penalise students for trying, failing, iterating, and learning from it. Teach risk taking and entrepreneurship in the classroom, and complement it with a real life industry project. Third, invite industry professionals (both junior and senior) to mentor students and assist in shaping the curricula. And fourth, creativity, empathy (social-emotional learning), and critical thinking are the driving forces for innovation. Blending them into the academic process will benefit the students, employers, and academia.

To model innovation & creativity in educational leadership, one must actively engage in continuous learning & skill development. Personally, I commit to staying abreast of emerging educational trends, attending workshops, & incorporating new technologies into the learning environment. By showcasing a willingness to adapt, I set a precedent for embracing change. I challenge myself by regularly seeking feedback from peers, students, and parents. This fosters a collaborative environment & demonstrates a commitment to improvement. Sharing experiences, including both successes & failures, establishes transparency & authenticity. Through this openness, trust is built, creating a positive climate that encourages innovation.

The 1st thing to decide in favour of, is speaking, the truth. And the 2nd, is: not being persuaded, to modify that, for gain. Then, the 3rd thing, to embrace, is to share that commitment, freely. A 4th thing, is to ensure, that you live up, to your advocacy, of it, consistently. 5th, is to fund exemplars, of the same, to prove, its viability, throughout history. Next, or 6th, is to know your companions, in that great enterprize, as your true friends. A 7th point, is to feel that you are all, part of an overarching plan, to refashion the world, for good. The final, or 8th aspect, is to know, the inspiration, for all this, is given you, from heavenly sources.

Foster innovation by doing hard things. Set life-changing goals. Otherwise, they’re a to-do list. Examples of life-changing goals: Become a Marine, a Doctor of Educational Leadership, or a Financier. Foster creativity by the way you think and the lens through which you see the world. What’s your fundamental idea? Is it love, courage, or education? When your idea is education, you see the world through perseverance, associations, maturity, enthusiasm, and discipline. Foster rigor by defining your terms. Socrates taught that words mean things, and we can refine our positions through dialogue and compelling questions. In short, lead by example and do hard things, love what you do, and engage in monk-like study of who you are!

Demonstre comprometimento através de ações e decisões. Desafie-se a aprender, adotar novas mentalidades e compartilhe experiências, sucessos e falhas. Busque feedback para melhorias contínuas, construindo um ambiente de confiança e credibilidade enquanto mantém o rigor acadêmico.

Embracing an agile approach involves recognizing & rewarding innovation with a focus on incremental building, adaptation, & transparency. I foster a culture that celebrates not only the successful outcomes but also the journey of ideation & collaboration. Incremental progress is acknowledged, valuing the iterative nature of innovation. Transparency is key in appreciating efforts. Collaborative efforts are particularly highlighted, reinforcing the importance of embracing a culture of innovation as a team. Celebrating the process, encouraging collaboration, & valuing adaptability contribute to a dynamic educational environment that nurtures innovation while maintaining a commitment to academic excellence.

1) Acknowledge and reward innovative efforts through incentives like awards and promotions. 2) Balance recognition for innovation with traditional academic rigor measures. 3) Motivate and empower teams by validating their work while fostering a culture of creativity.

Recognizing effort includes recognizing failure. It is important to remember that all effort is forward movement towards the goal. So, acknowledge and appreciate your staff even when the outcome isn't a perceived success. The key is to focus on the learning obtained from the experience.

Valorize os esforços e conquistas da equipe com incentivos como prêmios, subsídios ou promoções. Equilibre o reconhecimento da inovação com a promoção do rigor acadêmico, validando e certificando o trabalho para motivar, capacitar e reter talentos.

Structured recognition with specific criteria such as integration of technology or development of unique teaching strategies. Provide recognition though exhibitions to highlight and celebrate innovative projects, research, and initiatives.

Some fear that diverse approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment might harm academic standards. I don't believe that! I support flexible curriculum designs empowering educators to adapt and assess risks, fostering engaging learning experiences. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles endorse this adaptability. It's too common to stick to established methods, but educators should explore innovative approaches and try new things. As Woodrow Wilson said, changing curricula is harder than relocating a cemetery, highlighting entrenched educational structures.

Delivering innovation & creativity in increments aligns with agile. Monitoring impact involves utilizing tools like Kanban to measure flow & progress. I employ data and evidence to inform decisions, ensuring a user-centric approach where user satisfaction is paramount To evaluate initiatives, continuous feedback loops are established. This involves quantitative data & qualitative insights from the team & the wider community. This collaboration ensures a holistic understanding of outcomes. This approach fosters innovation by embracing a culture of learning & improvement. By evaluating & improving through incremental iterations, educational leadership remains dynamic, responsive, & committed to delivering impactful innovation & creativity.

1) Involve the team and community in the evaluation for diverse perspectives. 2) Transparently communicate results to stakeholders, ensuring continuous improvement and maintaining academic rigor.

Monitore o impacto com dados e feedback, utilizando evidências para informar decisões. Envolva a equipe no processo de avaliação, promovendo aprendizado contínuo e inovação. Comunique resultados para garantir qualidade e relevância, mantendo o rigor acadêmico.

I think the first step is to ask why innovation and/or creativity affect academic rigor at all. To assume that the evolution of learning tools or ways that we learn somehow diminish academic rigor goes to the overall problem higher education faces in society today - a reluctance to change.

Agile school leaders embody a culture of innovation by integrating creative thinking into decision-making processes, emphasizing adaptability & iterative progress. Kanban boards provide transparency, distributing tasks throughout the organization & ensuring a connected, collaborative effort. The visual representation of progress fosters a shared understanding among members, reinforcing the collective engagement in achieving goals. Agile leaders create learning environment by offering mentorship, workshops, & providing access to new technology. This support empowers educators to implement innovative methods while upholding the standards associated with academic rigor.

Joe Sallustio goes to the heart of the matter. Creativity, innovation and change are encouraged and celebrated elsewhere in society and improve quality of life. Think about advances in transportation after horses, or in illumination after candles. What makes education different? Nothing. At least it shouldn’t. Unless we want to ride horses to the candle shop. #JoeSallustio

Academic rigor IS defined as all of the characteristics shown here. Why do we assume, by virtue of the phrasing of this question, that they are oppositional?

Creo que partimos de una premisa equivocada. El pensamiento correcto es afirmar que no puede haber rigor académico sin innovación y sin creatividad. Excluir estas dos áreas en un entorno educativo convierte el aprendizaje en dogmas y no en descubrimiento y progreso.

There can be a false tradeoff between creativity and rules/rigor. Creativity happens within context (games, solutioning, synthesizing, etc.). Rigor can be a tool to drive creativity rather than a limiting factor.

Promote a collaborative environment, encourage diverse perspectives, provide autonomy within structured guidelines, incorporate real-world applications into academic tasks, and support ongoing professional development to balance innovation with academic rigor.