I have been an educator for 25 years and I have always felt like I was on the "cutting edge" trying to do things better. However, the level of work and effort I put into being new and different didn't equate with the results I was seeing.
When I met Thompson and we started exploring this need to re-imagine education in order to better meet the needs of the future, I found myself getting truly inspired and excited like I had never felt before.
Thompson invited me to an Innovation Summit at Stoller Vineyards. I was placed at a table full of industry professionals who were true innovators. Most of the companies or businesses represented, as well as job titles, were completely foreign to me. What really got my attention was the character traits and skills they were all looking for in future employees and innovators. They wanted the disruptors, the creative problem solvers, the makers and creators, the idea generators, and students who were curious and had a sense of agency in their learning process.
The light bulb came on. Educators have long been avoiding change citing that "in the real world".... The reality is that very few educators, including myself, have no idea what the "real world" is like. In schools we have created our own world that is often shut off from the outside world and the "real world" we refer to is often shaped by our own experiences which are often not current or very limited.
I finally had the validation I needed to move forward. The people around the table had no idea what fire they just fueled. I was now committed to learn more about this "real world" we were preparing our students to live in and how to begin to re-imagine a 100 year old educational system to better match the needs of the 21st century.... simple, right??