Information Technology How is IT innovated? As an IT student what do IT students today need to learn to become innovators themselves?

Information Technological innovation is essential for human development. From the printing press to the computer, people have devised tools for facilitating learning and communication.Technology is not inherently good or bad, the outcome depends on how it is usedInformation and technology (IT) involves innovations in microelectronics,computing (hardware and software), telecommunications and opto-electronics micro-processors,semiconductors, fibre optics. These innovations enable the processing and storage of enormous amounts of information,along with rapid distribution of information through communication networks It is accepted that telecommunication is a basic infrastructure necessary for economic and social development of a country. This is even becoming more strong than ever as information related economic activities are growing. Information and communications technology may be described as the support of the central nervous system of complex societies, transmitting and processing information and commands among the various parts of such societies. Internet plays a fundamental function in ICT role

The digital divide The distribution of Internet users show uneven distribution in the world. Connecting a major portion of the population is a challenge in developing regions . Limitations are the outdated public telephone network and the arbitrary high cost of the services. To beat this problem, solutions based on the most advanced techniques but with accessible costs have to be devised. Radio technology represents in many cases the solution.

College tracks need to be adding the value and teaching the skills that matter most in the marketplace.A little imagination, then, goes a long way. The goal of education today, says Wagner, who describes himself as a translator between the education world and the business world, should not be to make every child college ready but innovation ready - ready to add value to whatever they do. Today, Wagner argues, the capacity to innovate - the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life - and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far 1. Urge students to imagine the skills not the job title they want. Because todays job landscape is changing so rapidly, it no longer makes sense to ask student what they want to

be but rather what skills they want to have. By the time they are career-ready, they should have a wide enough variety of tools to succeed on multiple career paths. 2. Promote creativity. Innovation requires creativity to be effective, and creativity requires innovation to be effected. 3. Build intrinsic motivation. Wagner cites play, passion, and purpose as the three most powerful ingredients of intrinsic motivation. The play is discovery-based learning that leads young people to find and pursue a passion, which evolves, over time, into a deeper sense of purpose. 4. Help students see differences, not similarities. In the words of Youngme Moon, Where a novice sees similarities, a connoisseur sees differences. Its your job to teach your students the value of the latter, and to lead by example. 5. Explain that different does not necessarily mean opposite. Some students, especially younger ones, may assume that thinking differently means assuming the opposite stance in an argument or discussion. Consequently, they may end up being even less productive members of the class, countering every idea with its opposite just to stand out. 6. Dont confuse conformity with competition. If you see one student eyeing anothers science project, encourage that student to abandon his envy and continue on his own path most likely he will be more successful that way. We all feel safer competing under the same conditions, but sometimes we sacrifice an original idea in the process. 7. Expose students to the work of innovators. Demonstrate to your students that innovation has a place in all fields of study, from literature and science to math and art. 8. Help students build digital portfolios to showcase their work. Since what gets tested is what gets taught, all students should have digital portfolios to showcase evidence of mastery of skills like critical thinking and communication, which they build up right through K12 and postsecondary. 9. Have students produce real products for a real audience. Require students to do a team-based service learning project in which they go out into the community, research a problem, and then figure out a way to solve it. Not only will students find this exercise empowering; it will help them realize how big of an impact they can make with a series of small changes. 10. Create skills-based and discovery-based rewards. Try merit badges or extra credit points in things like entrepreneurship, writing, speaking, and team work. Step up the reward system by using rubrics with a blank column to acknowledge and reward innovation and creativity. 11. Measure progress not by how much a student knows but by how well he uses what he knows. Standardized tests are designed to measure knowledge, but they wont help a student once he enters the job market. In order to be innovative, he will need to know how to use that knowledge creatively. Base part of your teaching plan on practical application, and design your assessments around it as well. 12. Cultivate a broader set of skills beyond core content knowledge. Focusing on skills doesnt mean your classroom has to become a vocational school; it just means that having students memorize core content knowledge wont help them get a job after college like it used to.

13. Encourage design thinking. Design thinking is a structured approach to generating new ideas, and involves Discovering a Challenge, Interpreting the Context of the Challenge, Forming an Idea, Testing the Idea, and Developing a Solution. There are many great resources available for educators who are interested in design thinking, such as IDEOs Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators. 14. Use thinking tools. Hundreds of interesting, thought provoking tools exist for thinking through problems, sharing insights, finding solutions, and encouraging divergent solutions. Use Big Think tools or the Visible Thinking Routines developed at Harvards Project Zero. 15. Help students expect to succeed. When students know that they can succeed at a task, whether its because they believe in themselves or because someone else does, they are more likely to actually succeed at the task. Help students believe they are good students and can tackle any challenge. 16. Aim for aha moments every day. Light bulb moments of discovery help students gain understanding and confidence in learning. 17. Help students make connections to the world beyond the classroom. Expose students to historical or current scenarios where innovative thinking helped solve real world problems. Lead a discussion better yet, have students lead a discussion on the thought processes that led to social change. 18. Encourage trial and error. Students gain lasting self-confidence not by being protected from failure but by learning that they can survive it. Read more about the value of mistakes here. 19. Cultivate an interdisciplinary mindset. Though specialized expertise is important, Googles director of talent, Judy Gilbert, says that the most important thing educators can do to prepare students for work in companies like hers is to teach them that problems can never be understood or solved in the context of a single academic discipline. 20. Have students read and write poetry. Perhaps more than any other literary genre, poetry necessitates innovative thinking. Assign them passages from a collection and ask them not what they liked or disliked but rather what they found surprising, confusing, or unusual. The original thinking they learn from poetry will serve them in other disciplines as well. 21. Let students teach themselves with hands-on projects. At the most innovative schools, classes are hands-on, and students are creators, not mere consumers. Teaching students to apply what they have learned requires relinquishing a degree of teacher control, relying far less on textbooks, and encouraging students to take initiative and be responsible for their own learning. 22. Form teams, not groups. Innovation now emerges from teams and networks and we can teach students to work collectively and become better collective thinkers. Group work is common, but team work is rare. Some tips: Use specific methods to form teams; assess teamwork and work ethic; facilitate high quality interaction through protocols and critique; teach the cycle of revision; and expect students to reflect critically on both ongoing work and final products. 23. Encourage reflection. Because teachers have so much material to cover in a short period of time, the tendency is to move on quickly from the last chapter and begin the next chapter.

But reflection is necessary to anchor learning and stimulate deeper thinking and understanding, says Thom Markham, Ph.D., a psychologist and school redesign consultant. There is no innovation without rumination. 24. Allow for mistakes. Innovation requires the willingness to fail. This is perhaps the most important habit to cultivate for teachers and students alike. 25. Teach students to inspire each other. Innovation and entrepreneurship are often presented as sole efforts, but the most successful leaders are readily inspired and willing to collaborate. -