The colleague responded that none of my ideas were new, and that those ideas had been around for a long time.
That caught me short. I thought, Wait, I'm involved in countless discussions online everyday about implementing these ideas. I replied, "Well the ideas may not be new, but they certainly aren't embedded into the work we do." The colleague concurred, and then the discussion went forward a microstep towards thoughts related to implementing these ideas--ideas related to STEAM, new school structures, and more.
It's difficult to have confidence when it comes to new ideas, particularly new ideas that are not embraced, or worse made fun of, in your organization. I suppose this is the gestation period of new ideas--the uncomfortable, sandpaper-like refinement process as new ideas are born. Ideas that can't withstand the criticism, ridicule, and analysis don't make it, while ideas that continue to demonstrate worth, more worth than the the pain and frustration that ridicule brings, survive.
I'm sure someone out there has studied and written about the lifespan of a new idea including the typical gestation period, the likely attitudes, actions, and attitudes that result, and the kinds of attributes that actually nurture a new idea to popular acceptance. Who has written those books and done the research? What are the titles? Any blogs about the life of an idea?
Ideas currently debated in education include the following:
- Should teachers share what they are doing on a regular basis? Of course, I'm a big fan of this, but this idea still reaps ridicule in many education circles.
- Should Project/Problem Base Learning be a mainstay in all classrooms? Again, I'm a big fan, but the popular agenda including standardized tests and typical school structure doesn't support this work.
- Should roles and responsibilities in schools be re-looked at and revised? Of course, I say, look at the way learning and leading has changed in all the organizations outside of education. Read Pink's book, Drive. Yet, there's been little movement on this front.
- Should teachers have more time for planning and collaboration? Factory-model schools provide this time for leadership, but not for teachers--the ones who are working with students all the time. Again, I believe that great teaching depends on thoughtful planning and learning design, yet the time for this is minimal. That's why to have my voice in education, I typically work double-time. Full time plus to serve the children, and many more hours to research the promise and possibility education holds.
- Does the best learning happen in a classroom? I want to "break down the walls" of the typical classroom and extend learning to new school structures, field studies, internships, and community partnerships with greater effect, yet simply planning a field trip still takes more time than it's worth in many cases.
In many cases, leadership will support a new idea that's been tried-and-true, and there's often little support for new ideas at the gestation stage. Hence, it takes a lot of confidence and effort to move a new idea forward in education.
What has your experience been with new ideas in your organization? How do you gain the confidence and capacity to move new ideas forward? I am thinking about this, and look forward to your response.
