Earlier this summer I finished reading the book The Innovators Mindset by George Couros (@gcouros).  One of the things that I loved about the book was his use of his website and blog as a way of linking to important information that tied to the chapter you had just completed.  On his website you find a page dedicated to each chapter of the book.  It has a brief overview as well as links to additional reading (typically blog posts or new articles), as well as video resources.  One of the links led me to the video below titled “An Open Letter to Educators.”  Take a moment to watch the video:

A few thoughts after watching:

• If a strong education is the key to success, what does that education look like in this day and age?
• Does the current institution of education get our students prepared for a successful future?
• How has “free” information changed your life?  How might it continue to change the lives of your students?

If, as Dan Brown says “education isn’t about teaching facts, it’s about stoking creativity and new ideas” and one of your primary goals should be to “empower students to change the world for the better” then I wonder what our classrooms need to look like?  What are we getting right?  What aren’t we getting quite right yet?

For me, I see collaboration, student choice and student voice, authentic and meaningful learning, inquiry based activities, and opportunities for our students to apply their learning beyond the classroom as keys to help meet these needs for our students.

What do you see as the keys to success for your students?  How is your classroom currently meeting the needs of your students?  In what ways is your classroom still falling short on meeting those needs of your students?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!  If you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, I highly recommend The Innovators Mindset as a way to help you find opportunities for innovation!