According to Clayton Christiansen, disruptive innovation "describes a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors." That definition reminds me of the concept of the "underdog." It's the product or service that no one thought too much about until it rose through the ranks.
When I started teaching in 2000, I had a science lab full of desktop computers donated by a local company as they upgraded their own equipment. My department chair and I were the two in the building that were using a LAN to allow for a fairly paperless classroom (we were real fancy with our use of Word, Excel and Paint). Sometimes it was messy and a real pain, but we stuck with it. The tech problems I run into now seem insignificant compared to some of what we used to find. I guess it never dawned on me that this may have been considered by some to be innovative. It's just what we did, even though it was only the two of us. Fast forward a few years and we piloted the laptop cart initiative (provided by the district) instead of donated, older desktops. Fast forward a few more years, a hiatus as a stay at home mom and a new district and now we've got a learning management system, carts and cart of devices (although I would argue still not enough), Google drive, free simulations that allow us to control virtual nuclear power plants, travel to the moon to experience the difference between weight and mass and so much more.
Part of my return to the classroom after discovering that two kids in daycare cost more than my mortgage included the expectation that I would embrace flipping. I was exposed to some of the basics of flipping. I kept thinking that asking kids to watch a video was kind of like asking them to read a chapter before they came to class. A video instead of a book. Initially, I borrowed a lot of videos until I learned to make them. They are not motion picture quality, but they aren't the Charlie Brown teacher voice droning on in the background either. As I watched Disrupting Class - Part 4: Blended Learning, Michael Horn described flipping as the "low hanging fruit" of blended learning. Flipping was the beginning with so many other directions to go.
Until I started reading the text for this class (EDLD5305), Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, I didn't realize how many defined models of blended learning there were. This year I am out of the classroom so I am struggling with what to do for my innovation plan. The innovation plan is the big, real life project of our own choosing we'll be working on during the rest of the our time in the DLL program. I'd probably work on a station rotation model in my own room or see if I could have gotten my whole team on board with a lab rotation (we even tried to do some rotating of students to different classrooms last year), if I still had teenage students. Creating and delivering a single professional development ins't a whole innovation plan; however, I wonder how many other teachers and schools out there in my own district, are blissfully unware of all the different defined models of blended learning. I know for certain that colleagues in my district can come up with multiple great definitions of blended learning (because we just had those conversations today), but I don't know how many can rattle off models and their unique features. Could I work on more than a single PD to help get the blended information out to teachers? Maybe a series of PD's all about blended learning? Blend the PD about blending? Is PD even the way to go? Maybe find a teacher or small group of teachers who wants to try some blending but need help getting started. The wheels have been in motion since Monday and just as I thought of one piece of an idea, something else popped in my head. It's like when my dog gets distracted by squirrels. Or bunnies. Or me being distracted by glitter. If you ever wondered if you should email your professor to share your rambling thoughts and have him point you in the right direction, I urge you now to do it! Thanks Dr. H for suggesting I think beyond just PD and really focus on getting in the trenches and working alongside a fellow educator(s). I'm now leaning toward modeling and/or coteaching with a peer(s) as I help them launch blending in their own classroom. Now I just need to find someone willing to play. I mean work. Someone willing to work.
**Even newer idea....I spoke to a friend on the phone this evening. I may reach out to the teacher who works with our high school students who are in the Education and Training Pathway. Maybe, I can model and co-teach blended learning benefits, purposes and strategies with her to some of our future teachers. Then those future teachers can design some blending in their practicum course? Surely students would design lessons that they liked and would want to do themselves. It would be interesting to see what students design and take that information back to teachers to implement new ideas into their courses. Instead of a "what do you think of this course" way to get student feedback, see what the students design and use that as the feedback to guide what teachers do? Now the wheels are spinning again. More glitter and squirrels.
References
Christiansen, Clayton. (2012). Disruptive Innovation. Retrieved from http://www.claytonchristensen.com/key-concepts/
Edmentum. (2013, March 5). Disrupting Class - Part 4: Blended Learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=-TGmqeWprqM
Horn, Michael B. and Staker, Heather (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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