Justin Reich on Iterate The Secret to Innovation in Schools
Oct 4, 2023
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Dr. Justin Reich, ED of MIT Teaching Systems Lab, discusses coherence in schools and the value of invitational and transformational leadership. He emphasizes the importance of practice and iteration in teaching, as well as leadership in implementing innovation. The challenges of incorporating edtech in schools are explored, along with the importance of partnering with different thinkers. Empowerment and making change in education are also discussed.
Two paths to coherence in schools: invitational leadership and transformational leadership, both involving creating a shared vision and bringing people together around ideas they care about.
Experimentation and peer learning are key drivers of innovation in education, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, incremental changes, and providing support and recognition for teachers' efforts.
Deep dives
Coherence in Schools: The Key to Powerful Learning Experiences
Dr. Justin Reich highlights the importance of coherence in schools, where all elements work together to support powerful learning experiences. He discusses two pathways to coherence, invitational leadership and transformational leadership. Invitational leadership involves creating a model vision and inviting others to join, while transformational leadership focuses on bringing people together, understanding their achievements, and guiding them towards a more coherent approach. Reich emphasizes the need for shared values and instructional language to foster collaboration and experimentation. He also explores the role of design thinking in promoting continuous improvement and innovation in schools.
Experimentation and Peer Learning: Driving Innovation in Education
Reich emphasizes the importance of experimentation and peer learning in driving innovation in education. He shares the story of a charter school where teachers collaborated and experimented with new practices, leading to successful outcomes. He highlights the need for teachers to collaborate, learn from one another, and make incremental changes based on evidence. Reich suggests that leaders should create opportunities and resources for teachers to experiment, providing support and recognition for their efforts. He also encourages a balance between improvement and innovation, recognizing that step-by-step changes can lead to significant progress over time.
The Role of Technology and Design Thinking in Innovation
While not directly addressing edtech, Reich acknowledges that technology plays a crucial role in supporting innovation in schools. He stresses the importance of connecting technology investments to specific learning goals and ensuring they align with the values of the school community. He suggests a design thinking mindset as a toolkit for systematic experimentation and iteration. Reich highlights the need for small-scale, faculty-driven experiments that build on strengths and involve the broader community. He also underscores the importance of leadership in creating conditions for experimentation and fostering a culture of innovation.
Crafting Agreements and Community Involvement for Sustainable Change
Reich emphasizes the need for leadership to understand, honor, and respect what educators have already accomplished while guiding them towards transformative ideas. He discusses the importance of finding agreements based on shared values and strengths, rather than seeking unanimous consensus. Reich highlights the significance of involving the broader community, including parents and stakeholders, in the innovation process. He suggests leveraging design thinking to empathize with community needs and to create continuous improvement plans that evolve through experimentation and collaboration.
On this episode, they discuss the two paths to coherence:
Invitational Leadership: inviting people into a shared vision
Transformational Leadership: As Dr. Reich says, this is ”Bringing People Together around Ideas They Care About;.....start[ing] with understanding, honoring, and respecting what people have already accomplished, and then helping them come together around ideas that will take their work forward.”