Innovation is a process. It flows. It ebbs. It reads a room. It pivots. It pirouettes. It embraces what is as it pursues what should be. Existing resources, re-imagined, often bring forward the most innovative solutions.

As Director of Innovation and STEAM Specialist with Blue School and in my Innovation clubs at Public Prep, my joy has bloomed in developing experiences for students and teachers that bring forth their most creative and confident best selves, inspired by compassion, fueled by justice, sustained by community. A design process, for instance, is far more fun to learn when solving a real-world climate challenge by drawing inspiration from the hellbender salamander and the stomata of oak leaves, and then designing the Hellbender Airmender. For instance. Slay.

Innovation and Improvisation are close cousins. Disciplined Improvisation is that cool cousin you want to hang out with as much as possible. When inspiration arrives, everything is a possible resource. Hand-sawing a 4'x4' sheet of plywood without suitable clamps? Find something heavy enough to hold it still, cut it, and celebrate with a dance, simultaneously! (Old Skool STEAM)

Innovative classrooms recognize that children listen differently to their peers than to their teachers. They enjoy communal learning, and appreciate the opportunity to share their expanding knowledge and expertise. In early adolescence, studies show, children prefer the company of their peers, and even tune out the adults in the room. Why fight biology? Support children in teaching each other. It's OK if it doesn't look like what we're used to. Maybe it's not supposed to.

Innovative assessments seek more than just answers, and often introduce new questions. How is the process going? Who's applying themselves? Who's not? Why? What would they rather be talking about? Where is the bridge from what they want to talk about to what you want to talk about? How do we build that bridge?
Hint: an actual 2x4 is a great start (ask me about the dominoes.)

It's part of the process. The flow. The ebb. The assessment. The pivot. The pirouette.
To paraphrase John Lennon, learning is what happens when you're busy making other lesson plans. Just imagine...

What else does innovation look like? 

Invited to participate in the Waterfront Alliance Cardboard Kayak Race, we jumped at the chance. With no experience in building cardboard kayaks. None. At all. 

When we stepped onto the construction zone, we quickly realized we were the only middle school team in the competition. Stuyvesant High School's engineering club was there. No other schools. None. At all. 

Other teams included design firms and engineering firms from across the city. Oh, and the Coast Guard fielded a team. No problem, kids. None. At all.

We decided to play to our strengths, crafting a vessel that was smaller, but sturdy. The only materials allowed were cardboard, shipping tape, and scissors. And our imaginations.

We kept our noses up, literally, as we launched, avoiding the waves crashing into shore, scrambling aboard, and taking off into the East River. Yes, the East River. 

Our vessel proved seaworthy for two consecutive heats. Our rowers remained undaunted by the competition. And ... we took 3rd place!