Disruptive innovation

Why is change so important : 

The world is evolving at a fast pace. Keeping up with the societal and technological changes is imperative to our success and survival. It’s no longer enough to enjoy a liberal education based on the classics. To survive and thrive in this changing world, students also have to learn to use the latest technology and teachers have to adapt their lessons so that they are “speaking the same language” as their students. 

What can we do to change our educational system? 

There’s no doubt that our educational system has not evolved to keep up with the modernization of our society. The needs of students are not being fully met with the system we have in place. Technology and blended learning are filling the gaps left open by the traditional system. Online learning / blended learning provides an opportunity for students with a diversity of talents to thrive, giving students a more customizable learning experience.

What is a disruptive innovation and why is it so important and how does it come about?

Disruptive innovation is not just about how technology has affected change in the classroom but also about how the delivery of education has changed to a more customizable student centered approach. Its importance lies in the flexibility it provides in the customization of the education to the individual student. It can only come about when students are given the opportunity to do more than was possible with the previous delivery method.

How can disruptive innovation be a catalyst for change in education or your industry and organization?

Disruptive innovation can be a catalyst for change in education if the new technology adopted is better in quality and employed to provide students with a customizable education that can meet student needs through its flexibility,

If blended learning is not about the technology but about the learning then why do we overemphasize the technology aspect of this change?

It is difficult not to overemphasize the technology portion of blended learning because technology based learning has not the standard in our classrooms.  

What are some opportunities for innovation in your organization?

I currently teach a foreign language to grades 1-8. I teach as I was taught to do through presentation of topics, modeling and using whatever technology is available to me. I see an opportunity for my students to get more out of my class if I add an online teaching aid like DuoLingo to their routine.