This document discusses George Couros's ideas about developing an innovator's mindset for teaching and learning. It emphasizes teaching students critical thinking and problem solving skills rather than just transmitting information. Key aspects of an innovator's mindset include embracing change, learning from others through collaboration, empowering students as learners by giving them choice and voice, and being resilient in the face of challenges.

1. Using the Innovator’s
Mindset
George Couros’s ideas to change how we teach and
how students learn

2. Objective:
To examine some
components of an Innovator’s
Mindset
Why:
To evaluate and think of ways to
enhance our teaching practice

3. N.I.E.T.
Instruction Rubric
Problem Solving
Thinking
Questioning

4. Are we teaching
to yesterday?
Or are we
teaching for
tomorrow?

5. What is Innovation?
Innovation is not about “stuff” but
more about a way of thinking.

7. Fixed
Mindset
Growth
Mindset

8. Resolve or Strength of Character

10. A great teacher
Adjusts to the
learner
Not the other way
around!

12. Critical
Questions
for the
Innovative
Educator
1. Would I want to be a learner in my own
classroom?
2. What is best for this student?
3. What is this student’s passion?
4. What are some ways we can create a true
learning community?
5. How did this work for our students?

13. Change “Change is the one constant that we
will always have in our world and if we
do not grow and learn to embrace it,
then we will become irrelevant”
George Couros

15. Be a Learner
We can all learn something new. Find how you like to encounter dynamic info:
● Network
● Professional Blogs
● Social Media
● Newsletters from Experts
● Talk with your colleagues
● Attend targeted professional development
● Pinterest
● TED Talks and TEDx

16. Have never known a world
without computers and
cellphones
Generation Z

18. The First Generation….
To not need adults for information and
learning, everything is a few clicks away

19. Collaboration
Teacher to Teacher, Student to Student, and Student to Teacher

20. Empower
The
Learner
Let students decide how
they are going to tackle a
problem.
Present the issue and let
them figure out how to solve
it collaboratively.

21. Choice
Provide Choices in Learning
Given a certain task, we each
would tackle it in a certain way.
Students are no different.

22. “Leading does not necessarily
mean telling people what to
do and how to do it:
Rather, it often requires pushing others’ thinking
and abilities by asking questions and challenging
perceptions without micro-managing.”
George Couros, page 127

23. How can you provide
choice in your classroom?
Table Talk #1

29. Decentralized
Classrooms
With 1:1 technology and virtually unlimited
electronic resources our students don’t
necessarily need us for the answers.
But they do need us to teach them how to think
critically.

30. Connected Learning
Let the experts teach! A lesson on space can be
taught with a NASA video, use TED Talks
delivered by kids to inspire kids.
Virtual Reality Field Trips can transport students
anywhere.

31. Let someone else teach the class!
If students are having a hard time grasping a
concept...Find an expert to show them a different
way

32. How do you
reflect on your
practice?
TableTalk

33. The ability to
come back
after defeat
Resiliency

34. Sam Berns

35. Let Students Solve
Problems that they want to
solve
Problem Solving

36. Our students learn from
failure and taking risks
Let them be amazing!

37. HW Solution: Super Challenge Question
An ultralight airplane tracked monarch butterflies migrating to
mexico. She found that they traveled about 45 miles a day. The
month of september has 30 days. How many miles did the
butterflies travell in September?
Math – Solve the problem and show all work
ELA – Find 4 grammatical errors in this word problem

38. The only source of
knowledge is experience
Albert Einstein