Innovator Profile - Steve Jobs

Posted by Leslie

You can’t have a conversation about great American innovators without including Steve Jobs. He led Apple in the creation of exciting and engaging technical products that have changed the world as we know it. You may be reading this very article on your iPad, or maybe you’ll forward it to colleagues with your iPhone. But how did Steve Jobs become a great innovator, and what are the core beliefs that led him there?

It’s not surprising that his educational background was unconventional. He learned what he wanted to learn, guided by key principles that those of us in the education field already know to be extremely effective.

“Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement,” says internationally recognized leader in education development Sir Ken Robinson. “And it’s the one thing that I believe we are systematically jeopardizing in the way we educate our children and ourselves.”

Jobs’ early development certainly bears this out. His mother taught him to read before he ever attended elementary school. (Again, we know that involved parents make for better education.) He’s said that he thought of himself as a “humanities person” as a kid who also happened to like electronics. After he dropped out of college, he continued to direct his own learning by persuading professors to allow him to attend just the courses he wanted to take. Through those courses, Jobs developed an understanding of graphics and fonts, which he later applied to computer technology. When he was eventually fired from Apple, Jobs said he wanted to continue creating things. We’re certainly fortunate that he did.

His own rules for success in innovation were simple:

1. Be passionate. Do what you love in order to persevere during the tough times.

2. Be a talent scout. You need a team of great people.

Those rules can help those of us who are inspired to make the impact of a visionary in the field of education. Every child is inherently creative and innovative; they just don’t know it yet. So are teachers. We can all be education innovators ourselves and help kids to tap into their own creativity and ability to innovate.

Steve Jobs’ life can inspire the innovators in us all. Click here for a 9-minute video summary of his fascinating life.

(Image via Digital Trends)

Idea Rated: Flipboard

Posted by Courtney

The Idea

Flipboard, a personalized magazine app, keeps Web 2.0 simple by focusing on the lead images of content we subscribe to.

Why We Like It

By integrating new and old media outlets, Flipboard makes it easy to hone in on the stuff that matters to us most--whether that's a familiar magazine you can't give up, a new blog you're checking out, or a friend's Facebook feed.

Thesys' Rating?

Nice!

(Image via Flipboard)

Idea Rated: Square

Posted by Courtney

The Idea

Square, the simple platform turning iPhones into credit card readers and inventory systems, shook the small business industry up when in launched in 2009 allowing the smallest business owner (i.e. your babysitter) to begin taking credit cards.

Why We Like It

What was once a boring system is new and improved, making transactions convenient for the seller and the buyer. And most importantly, increasing access and choices to people on both sides of the "cash register".

Thesys' Rating?

Finally!

(Image via Square)

In Search of Lightbulb Moments

Posted by Alan

As we look for the next great idea, it’s helpful to consider where good ideas come from. That’s exactly what Steve Johnson spoke about in his TED talk in July 2010, and you might be surprised at what the best-selling author of six books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience revealed. (Check out his talk here, or watch for his forthcoming book, Where Good Ideas Come From.) It’s valuable insight worth incorporating if you’re looking to inspire great new innovations in education.

We’re all familiar with stories of a “Eureka!” moment, a stroke of genius or a light bulb moment, but most good ideas actually take some time to incubate. In fact, Johnson’s careful research uncovered that many of the breakthroughs achieved throughout history were devised through discussion and collaboration. It’s the sharing of ideas and gathering of input from multiple sources that creates great work. As Johnson says, we take ideas from other people and “stitch them together to form something new.”

Independent research and brainstorming is great, but it’s vitally important to create a forum where people can share their ideas and discuss them. Think of each participant in a meeting as having a different piece of the puzzle. When thinkers get together and share their thoughts, they just may have that “light bulb moment.”

(Image via Ted.com)

Innovation Campaign Introduction

Posted by Leslie

Nothing great happens without innovation. It’s part of the core mission at Thesys, and we think it should be partbof yours—no matter what your role in education. So we’ve made it one of our early resolutions for 2012 to draw more attention to creative ideas and spark some vital discussions on how innovation can transform American education. There’s more to innovation than a simple “Eureka!” moment. Even better, it doesn’t require an advanced science degree or a genius IQ. Everyone has the creativity to innovate. Take advantage of the tips and strategies we’ve compiled that can help anyone strengthen their innovating skills. As part of our focus, we’re launching a series of blog posts about great innovators, sharing their insights, and inviting and evaluating some of today’s hottest innovations?

We hope this focus will inspire educators to embrace innovative ideas in their schools and teach students to follow their lead. We plan to offer examples of great innovations throughout American society and open a dialog with Facebook and Twitter followers who can suggest creative ways to apply the same concepts to education.

We’d like to start that dialog by inviting your comments and ideas here to kick off our “Innovation Nation” section. Do you have great examples of innovations that excite or inspire you? Please share them with us here. Be sure to review others’ ideas and share your comments and ratings as well. Here’s how the ratings will work:

• "WOW!" I"m in awe - that changes everything! I might be a little nervous, but I still can"t wait to see it in action and incorporate it into my life.
• "FINALLY!" It"s that thing I"ve been waiting for, even if I didn"t quite know I needed it. This, will make a difference.
• "NICE!" Incremental improvement, and we"ll take it! Keep it coming people…

Encourage your colleagues to share their ratings with us, and be sure to vote for your favorite ideas on Facebook to help us select the innovations we’ll highlight in our “Best Education Innovations of 2012” at the end of the year.

(Image via New Business Intel)