By: K12 Lab Network

Innovation in schools has proliferated over the last decade, evidenced by rapidly-increasing technology in the classroom. But now that schools around the world are becoming more equipped to teach in a digital world, what is the role of innovation in education now?

The time has come to redefine "Head of Innovation.” Join us as we embark on a six-part series exploring how innovation leaders in schools can be effective creative practitioners themselves and spark the creative courage of their students and educators within their communities to make an equitable change.

The Masters of Creativity: Education Edition will feature four sessions, each focused on competency that will support the Head of Innovation and build a vibrant community of creativity, discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship:

Past Workshops

The Input Obsession: October 8th, 10am - 11am PST

The topic of innovation often triggers natural associations with output. For anyone who's spent much time in the field, it's clear that creativity is a function of input, not output. Yet very few have a structured approach for cultivating the inputs that drive fresh thinking.

Our belief is that anyone seeking to deliver innovation must cultivate a discipline of inspiration, which we define as a deliberate pursuit of fresh inputs. This talk draws on research across the spheres of invention, scientific discovery, entertainment, innovation, and art to bring together a coherent approach to the routine practice of inspiration.

Collaborative Community Problem Solving: November 5th, 10am - 11am PST

Every organization has something they know needs to improve, but that they can’t seem to advance. No matter how much they try it remains a persistent, intractable problem. Design for Community Problem Solving supports people in identifying an intractable challenge by examining their own data looking through the lenses of design, equity, and community development to find bright spots in their community—homegrown solutions—that they can amplify and scale. 

Experimentation through Parallel Prototyping: December 10th, 10am - 11am PST

New ideas involve countless risks. Unknowns beset any new direction. So where to start? Masters of creativity deploy cleverly designed experiments to create valuable data and eliminate meaningful risks at the earliest as possible. Drawing on a vast history of invention, discovery, and innovation, this session will cover simple tools and powerful techniques to bring an attitude of experimentation into your innovation process. Join us to add these must-have tools to your creative kit. 

Inculcating Creativity in Your System: December 17th, 10am - 11am PST

Rather than thinking about creativity as a sprint, innovators think of it as a lifestyle.

What does it mean to have creativity inculcated into your learning system so that each person is able to imagine bold, radical ideas within their daily work? In this session, we explore ideas that highlight how we can support leaders, managers, and directors in implementing a creative approach to problem-solving, daily work, and big projects. Highlighting examples from the world of work and schools, we will share ideas, strategies, and concepts you can use to bring creativity into every aspect of your organization or school.

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