Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them. Some are good and extremely creative while others are not realistic or applicable to a certain situation. As social media continues to evolve, there now seems to be an endless sea of ideas as to how education should change and what educators should do to improve professional practice. I will go as far to say that just having an idea is not good enough. It doesn’t take much effort to develop a sound bite that sounds great in theory, but if it is challenging to implement in practice, especially at scale, then we need to reconsider the relevancy of that idea.
We all struggle with a tug-of-war of sorts when it comes to ideas. In many situations we are asked to either implement or embrace the ideas of others, particularly those who we are accountable to or so-called experts in the field. This can be problematic at times if the groundwork explaining the what, why, when, and how has not been clearly articulated. Then there are those that we develop on our own. Throughout my career and even up to this point, ideas are constantly flowing through my mind. There tends to be a bias towards the ones that we come up with, which throws another wrench into the process of moving an idea into actionable change.
Being open to new ideas is extremely important in these disruptive times. If we continue to employ the same type of thinking, then the chances are we will probably have to settle for the same old results…. or worse. Great ideas are the seeds of change. Many of them don’t have the opportunity to germinate because of our fixed mindsets. For the most part nobody likes change. This is just how our brains are wired, unfortunately for many of us. I can tell you that this was the case for me early in my administrative career. It is important not to fall victim to idea voodoo.
Don’t let idea voodoo cloud your vision as to what is possible. Embracing a growth mindset can put you in a better position to lead change in your classroom, school, district, or organization. This is only half the battle though. Don’t assume that just because you are open to new ideas that everyone else is. This is where the hard, and at times frustrating, work comes in. The real challenge of change is getting the resistance to embrace and implement your idea(s). So what makes a great idea that others will embrace and take some calculated risk to implement? Great ideas are:
Innovative
Doable
Energizing
Aligned
Sustainable
Innovative: here are so many words associated with innovation. Some popular ones include new, change, transformation, improvement, better, and success. Innovation to me, in an educational context, is creating, implementing, and sustaining transformative ideas that instill awe to improve learning. Fresh Ideas are needed that take into account dramatic changes in society, technology, and learner needs. New is not necessarily better. That is why innovative ideas must focus on improving existing culture.
Doable: This goes without saying. Great ideas consider financial resources, time, and mandates. Doable ideas can be associated with lofty goals, but a meticulous effort on articulating the what, why, when, and how must occur to overcome fixed mindsets and an entrenched status quo.
Energizing: If an idea doesn’t inspire or motivate someone to embrace different and better then it might just be a crumby idea. Great ideas should be energizing and create a buzz. When people believe that a change will lead to improved outcomes embracement is more likely. Initially this might not be the case. Coming up with great ideas is a start, but the differentiator is how the idea is rolled out. Energizing ideas bring an increased joy to learning and professional practice. They are also presented in ways that motivate and inspire.
Aligned: Great ideas should complement and then enhance what is already in place. This includes curriculum, standards, mandated assessments, and other elements associated with school/district culture. They should also be aligned to research, evidence, and professional development. Take a critical lens to all ideas to ensure efficacy.
Sustainable: If an idea fizzles out then it probably didn’t meet any or all criteria listed above. Great ideas lead to changes that become embedded into school culture and professional practice. They withstand the test of time and thus become the new normal way of doing business.
Just because an idea sounds good doesn’t mean that it will lead to an improvement. It is time to weed out the bad and so-so ideas while striving to make good ideas great.
We all struggle with a tug-of-war of sorts when it comes to ideas. In many situations we are asked to either implement or embrace the ideas of others, particularly those who we are accountable to or so-called experts in the field. This can be problematic at times if the groundwork explaining the what, why, when, and how has not been clearly articulated. Then there are those that we develop on our own. Throughout my career and even up to this point, ideas are constantly flowing through my mind. There tends to be a bias towards the ones that we come up with, which throws another wrench into the process of moving an idea into actionable change.
Being open to new ideas is extremely important in these disruptive times. If we continue to employ the same type of thinking, then the chances are we will probably have to settle for the same old results…. or worse. Great ideas are the seeds of change. Many of them don’t have the opportunity to germinate because of our fixed mindsets. For the most part nobody likes change. This is just how our brains are wired, unfortunately for many of us. I can tell you that this was the case for me early in my administrative career. It is important not to fall victim to idea voodoo.
Innovative
Doable
Energizing
Aligned
Sustainable
Innovative: here are so many words associated with innovation. Some popular ones include new, change, transformation, improvement, better, and success. Innovation to me, in an educational context, is creating, implementing, and sustaining transformative ideas that instill awe to improve learning. Fresh Ideas are needed that take into account dramatic changes in society, technology, and learner needs. New is not necessarily better. That is why innovative ideas must focus on improving existing culture.
Doable: This goes without saying. Great ideas consider financial resources, time, and mandates. Doable ideas can be associated with lofty goals, but a meticulous effort on articulating the what, why, when, and how must occur to overcome fixed mindsets and an entrenched status quo.
Energizing: If an idea doesn’t inspire or motivate someone to embrace different and better then it might just be a crumby idea. Great ideas should be energizing and create a buzz. When people believe that a change will lead to improved outcomes embracement is more likely. Initially this might not be the case. Coming up with great ideas is a start, but the differentiator is how the idea is rolled out. Energizing ideas bring an increased joy to learning and professional practice. They are also presented in ways that motivate and inspire.
Aligned: Great ideas should complement and then enhance what is already in place. This includes curriculum, standards, mandated assessments, and other elements associated with school/district culture. They should also be aligned to research, evidence, and professional development. Take a critical lens to all ideas to ensure efficacy.
Sustainable: If an idea fizzles out then it probably didn’t meet any or all criteria listed above. Great ideas lead to changes that become embedded into school culture and professional practice. They withstand the test of time and thus become the new normal way of doing business.
Just because an idea sounds good doesn’t mean that it will lead to an improvement. It is time to weed out the bad and so-so ideas while striving to make good ideas great.
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