Valerie Hannon: The Innovation Unit, England

2008 Curriculum Corporation Conference

Melbourne, Australia

November 2008

‘Only Connect’

Learning Innovation

There has never been a better time to embark on a complete rethink of

our priorities

The dream of wellbeing dreamt until now by a few is not sustainable for all. We have to change.We have to learn how to live better, consuming fewer environmental resources and regenerating the contexts of life.

Ezio ManiziniPoitecnico of Milan

real live

s

processes

values

ideas

organisations

The beginnings of a research field…

An emerging UK field of thought leadership…

…with an exploding array of exemplary social innovation organisations…

…and an inspiring catalogue of social innovation practice

Idea set #1: Von Hippel, Leadbeater, Shirky

• profound changes have arisen in business and social enterprises because ICT enables mass collaboration, and self organisation on a massive scale

• users are developing products/services with companies freely and open-sourced: democratised innovation

• a different model of social change: transformation by many small steps

Idea set #2: Clayton Christensen

• Disruptive innovation is what is needed to transform learning/schooling

• D.I. is a positive force: it’s the process where an innovation transforms a market where services are complicated and expensive into one characterised by simplicity, convenience and accessibility

• D.I. disrupts the upward improvement trajectory• Often poorer, initially, than conventional service; so not

attractive to market leaders and their customers

the principles of social innovation….

• open

• collaborative

• free

• with (not ‘to’ or ‘for’)

Connect learning ecosystems!

• engages children in growing and celebrating food

• twin concepts of the open classroom and expanded faculty

• brings together gardeners, artists, cooks, teachers, and the local community

• “to know our world through a plot of land”

Our mission is bigger than our footprint…

‘networked nonprofits achieve lofty missions with humble means…[by putting] their mission first and their organisation second…and they cooperate as equal nodes as a constellation of actors’

Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2008

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these ‘next practice’ schools model the effort to build new relationships (connections) which ~

• build participation• provide learners with recognition• make children feel cared for• motivate

This is learning ‘with’; not ‘to’ or ‘for’Charles LeadbeaterWhat’s Next? 2008

Learning Feature

Where learning takes place

Mainly in schools

Past

Who learns from Teachers

Learning Mode Instruction

When In school terms and hours

The lesson

Assessment End of the line

Focus on cognitive skills

How In classrooms, from books, whiteboards

Funding To schools and school boards

Standards/Measures Top down

In schools (including Studio schools, learning villages and open campuses), cultural centres, businesses, homes, virtual centres and other places across the city

Future

Teachers, parents, other skilled adults, peers and social networksInteraction, collaboration

More learning by doing and discovery

All the time, in different periods that more suit people’s individual learning

During learning for better learning

More peer-to-peer evaluation and self-evaluation against learning plans

More focus on non-cognitive skills

More real world learning

Schools as productive units

More to pupils, learning networks

More bottom up targets and self-evaluation

‘The future’s already here – it’s just unevenly distributed’

William Gibson

Engagement(through)

Relevance:• enterprise and enquiry led• knowledge and skills balance• learning through doing• thematic and project emphasis

Learning which is deep, authentic and motivational

Co-construction• negotiation of curriculum• content and delivery modes• location• timetabling

Integration(of)

In/out of school contexts:• learning processes settings and styles• informal, formal and virtual learning• family, business and community partnerships

Learner/teacher mix:• peer tutors• teachers as learners• parents• external experts• mentoring, coaching and learning communities

© Paul Hamlyn Foundation & The Innovation Unit

Pedagogy for Tomorrow- the view from Finland

• Ubiquitous technology, ubiquitous opportunity• Collaborative, social-constructivist learning• Problem-based instruction• Progressive inquiry, experimental study• Peer feedback and peer cooperation

Director General, Finnish Board of Education

Timo Lankinen

“Only connect!That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height.Live in fragments no longer.” E.M.ForsterHowards End 1910