TheInnovatorsMindset

TheInnovatorsMindset
AReflectiononGeorgeCourossBook

BrookeHansen
EducationalLeadership325
ProfessorMandyFroelich
April19,2016
UniversityofWisconsinOshkosh

TheInnovatorsMindset

Abstract
George Couross book,
The Innovators Mindset:EmpowerLearning,UnleashTalent,andLead
a Culture of Creativity
is a powerfulleadershiptool that divesintothehardquestionsabouthow
to become an effective educator. Couros writes in a fashion that is easily comprehensible, yet
still gives a deeper understanding to how innovation and leadership work handinhand.Eachof
his observations and statements are backed by examples and fresh solutions for the reader. He
invites the reader in by creating a conversation about complex concepts, rather than simply
trying to explain them. This book explains that innovation is important in education, whether it
be through technology or not, because the world around us in constantly changing every single
day, by the minute. The books concepts, such as innovation, creativity, leadership and
transformation, are incorporated in a fashion that allows for comfortable reading that demand
constant reflection. Couross book is agenuinepiecethatstrivestomoveeducationforwardinto
what students are craving, as well as, attempting to give educators the drive they need to help
students succeed.InthisreflectionIwilldiscusswhatIhavefoundmostprofoundinthereading,
how this book relates to other class activities and readings, and the extent to which
The
InnovatorsMindset
changedthewaythatIthinkaboutinnovation,teaching,andlearning.

MyAhaMoment

TheInnovatorsMindset

What I found most profound in this book, was George Couross ability to reform my ideas on
innovation, right off the bat. My first mindset change was early on in the book. Innovation,
though, starts not by providing answers but providing questions. To be innovative, these
questions focus on having empathy for those we serve (Couros 38). This quote was extremely
powerful when I read it the first time, and is still just as hard hitting when reflecting upon it
again. In order to become innovative, educators must focus primarily on theindividual needsof
the students, rather than focusing on the logistics on how to come up with something new and
exciting. The other section whereIencounteredmylargestwakeupcallasafutureeducatorwas
on pages 117 and 118 where Couros gives a series of What if questions. He states,
What if
schools operated as if we should all be learners, as opposed to students being the only
learners? (117).
What if we focused on connecting and learning, both globally and locally?
(118).
What if we empowered students to make a difference in the world today
and in the
future? (118). All of these questions left me dumbfounded. They seemed so simple, yet at the
same time, they never had occurredtomymindbeforeassomethingthatschoolswerenotdoing
already. But, when I took a moment to think about it, this is what schools are doing. Schools
need to grasp the concept thatlearningiseternalandthatconnectionsandcollaborationarewhat
make this world thrive. This is the moment that I decided that I truly was passionate about
education.Iamdriventomakeachangeandbethelightforfuture.
ClassRelativity
Althoughthisclasswasmostlyabouttheintegrationoftechnologyintotheclassrooms,itwas
alsoaboutputtingthestudentsneedsfirst.Thematerialinthebookcoveredallofthemain
pointsthatwediscussedinclass.Wediscussedinclasswhytechnologyisusedintheclassroom,

TheInnovatorsMindset

andthenexpandedintothewhatandhow.Fourquestionsarelaidoutinthisbook,
Whatis
bestforkids?Howdoesthisimprovelearning?Ifweweretodo____________,whatisthe
balanceofriskvs.reward?Isthisservingthefeworthemajority?(Couros147).Thesequestions
arenotjustrelevanttotechnology,butalsoforeverysinglemovethatwemakeaseducators.I
believethatthelargestconnectiontoourclasscomesfromaconstantideathatistouchedupon
throughouttheentirebook.Thisideaiscreatinganetworkandcommunityforyourselfasan
educator.Inclass,weparticipatedinaTwitterChat,aGoogleChatwithGradstudentsin
Minnesota,andallaroundlearnedaboutdifferentwaysthatwecanincreaseourPersonal
LearningNetwork(PLN).ThistopicissomethingthatIwilladmitwascompletelyforeignto
meandsomethingthatIdidnotunderstandforagreatportionofthesemester.However,nowI
amabletoseeitsimportanceasIamgrowingintoayoungeducator.Ibelievethatthiscourse,
alongsideCourossbookhasbecomeinvaluabletome.
AChangedView
Thelargestwaythatthisbookhaschangedmyideasisinthegranderschemes.AlthoughIfound
theinformationontechnologyhelpful,Ibelievethebiggestimprintsthatthebookhasleftonme
areabouttheideasofwhataneducator,aclassroomenvironment,andaschoolasawhole
shouldlooklike.Ilearnedthatitisnotenoughforaschooltobefilledwithcreativemindsthey
alsoneedancommunitythatfostersgreatideas,ratherthanshutthemdown.Aseducators,we
needtoworktogethertotospreadoutgreatideasandexpanduponthem.Theeducationalworld
alreadyhassomanygreatideas,thatonlyneedtobespreadtothosewhoareunawareofthem.
Totrulygiveourstudentswhattheydeserve,wenotonlyneedtohaveaninnovatorsmindset
ourselves,butalsoinstillthatintoourstudentsthroughcommunication,collaboration,and

TheInnovatorsMindset

encouragement.Overeverythingelse,Ilearnedthatinanygivencircumstanceeducatorsmust
stovetocreateanenvironmentinwhichcreativethinkingismostlikelytocometofruition.
Conclusion
While reading this book, and upon finishing it, I found a sense of newpurposeasaneducator.I
felt empowered and motivated to move forward in my training program and develop skills to
become a leader for not only my future students, but my peers today. I also began to develop a
new found confidence in that I can never truly messup.IfIamtakingrisksinwhatIdototry
and find something thatbenefitsall,thenwhatis stoppingmefromtrying.Whatdoubts,fearand
hesitations have stopped me from accomplishing something in the past and what will I
accomplish now that I will strive to overcome them? This isthenewmindsetthatisblossoming
inme.ThisistheInnovatorsmindset.

TheInnovatorsMindset

Reference
Couros, George.
The Innovator's Mindset: Empower
Learning
, Unleash Talent, and Lead a
CultureofCreativity
.
DaveBurgessConsulting,Inc.(2015).
Print.