Call to Reform Schools to Teach Innovation

Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio called for radical transformation of the school system in his State of the State address last week. "It is absolutely clear to me that simply tinkering with centuries-old education practices will not prepare Ohio's children for success in college, in the workplace or in life,"

He also said he wants state education standards to be reworked to reflect modern skills such as innovation, creativity, problem-solving and media literacy. “And you know, good ideas shouldn't be something we stumble on accidentally.” That's why his plan creates a Center for Creativity and Innovation within the Ohio Department of Education. The Center will monitor research and results from across the country and across the world to keep Ohio schools and Ohio educators informed of new advances.

Among other things, his plan calls for mandatory kindergarten, lengthening the school year by 20 days and a four-year residency program for teachers.

I just finished reading chapter two of Dr. Ken Robinson’s book, The Element, in which he presents a compelling argument that the one thing our schools do best is stifle creativity and innovation. You can hear a very entertaining twenty-minute speech on his ideas at TED.

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From Phone to Study Machine

Sometimes it seems as if today’s students put more energy into figuring out how to cheat than any other school topic. They use their phones to text the answers to one another or to take pictures of the test for friends in later classes. They record the answers on an iPod so the teacher will think they are innocently listening to music during a test. They post instructional videos on YouTube to teach others how to cheat. They download pre-written papers from the internet. As soon as schools figure out how to stop them from using one method, they invent another. Ironically, if they would spend that much time studying, they wouldn’t need to cheat.

Finally, publishers are taking a cue from students and marketing study guides to use on iPhones and iPods. Kaplan SAT Flashcubes is the perfect on-the-go study guide to help students prepare for the Verbal section of the SAT exam. Kaplan's Medical Terms for Nurses is designed to help nursing students learn important terms needed in both the workplace and for licensure exams.

Kaplan has more apps in the works, and other publishers are offering similar study guides to the potentially massive market of high school and college students. The guides are available at the iTunes store.

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Five Ways to Squeeze as Much Learning as Possible from your Job

One of the benefits people look for from their jobs is the opportunity to learn and grow. Here are five ways to take advantage of the resources available:

1. Tuition Reimbursement. This is a huge benefit because education is something you don’t lose when the job ends. Even if you already have the degree(s) you want, find individual courses or certificate programs that will help in your career. Technology and innovation are moving so quickly now that there is always something new to learn. Online classes make sure that anything you want to learn is available wherever you are.

2. Corporate training. Take advantage of all the corporate training available. Make sure to document everything and add it to your resume or portfolio.

3. Informal on-the-job training. Most learning occurs casually, outside the classroom. Make it a point to learn whatever you can about the industry/company/department through discussions with your colleagues. Cross training can also be valuable and give you more flexibility for your next job.

4. Professional organizations. Join and participate in at least one professional organization related to your job, especially if the company pays for your membership. This gives you additional learning or certification opportunities and the chance to get to know people in your field from other companies—always a plus when job hunting.

5. Magazines, books, software. Use every resource available to enhance your skills. Even if you don’t have to know Visio (or whatever) in your current job, learn how to use it. The more you know, the more valuable you are to your employer and the more you have going for you in the job hunt.

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