Creating Innovators

Book Review

Creating Innovators : The Making of Young People Who Will Change the Word.  By Tony Wagner

I found this book a very enjoyable read.  I have read another good book by Tony called The Global Achievement Gap which was an educationalist's view of the world around the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.

The thing that most surprised me was that Creating Innovators is a book that is intrinsically linked to a website (click here for link) with videos that drive the writing within each chapter..

Tony identifies the key set of skills and habits of mind that modern students need to thrive in the world.  Those are;

1. Curiosity,
2. Collaboration,
3. Associated and Integrated Thinking (aka adaptability), and,
4. Taking action (experimenting).  

Chapter Five was the most interesting for me as a teacher in a high school.  Here Tony works through the conservative nature of education within modern secondary schools.  He highlights the traditional nature of education was based upon facts, but that there is an exponential growth in the amount of facts.  Primarily he challenges secondary teachers to seek new ways of finding relevance and meaningful connections with their students.  Ideally creating within our students the development of passion and purpose in their learning.

Much of the lament of Tony's comments on the American education system (over emphasis on testing and a highly specified curriculum) are things that New Zealand schools don't face.  Our NZC opens up the opportunity for teachers to innovate their learning into wide contexts.

Another wee gem in Creating Innovators is the 'letter to a young innovator' - five pages at the end of the book where Tony writes directly to modern day learners.  Here he offers advice to young people about the opportunity and importance of becoming more and more innovative.

I would recommend this book to any teacher interested in the 'big picture' of education.  It is an interesting read (one you'll have to do with access to the internet).  It was a readable book, one that you can digest over a weekend.  If I had any critique it was that it was too intercontinental United States.

This post relates to RTC#8. "Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn." and RTC#7. "Promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment."