Data and Innovation
Repeatedly we hear the call to base everything on data driven research, not a bad idea in itself but when you live in the world of technology and innovation then it possess quite a stumbling block. How can you collect data on the future? It takes years to develop a good research plan, carry it out and draw any conclusion. Somebody has to go first.
Districts that will only make decisions based on what has gone on before will forever be behind and out of sync with technology and modern learning environments. How does that serve our students and communities to prepare them for the technology rich, mobile and ever changing landscape in the modern economy? It is quite a balancing act to incorporate both data and innovation.
2 thoughts on “Data and Innovation”
Your post brought to mind the issue that I see far too often in today’s classrooms where policy-makers form plans and mandates for education based on such data without keeping in mind that ever-changing landscape you mentioned. Students are first and foremost individuals with individual needs and the reduction of them to a dot on a graph meant to adhere to plans intended to stay the same for decades does not sit well with me at all.
I very much agree with you that we not only put data forwarded every time but allow its combination with innovation in this present day. People often say just because it work for a person does not mean it would work for another. And sometimes because of peculiarity of environment or personality, innovative ideas becomes the best resort. Especially give the technology now, executing innovative ideas is being made much easier