Stepping out of our comfort zone

By David Knapp,

 “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” – Brené Brown

At the Loveland City School District, our educators hold the growth and development of our students higher than anything else. We empathize with the needs of our students, our families and our community to do all that we can to ensure that we reach and grow every single one of our students. This is no small task, and to pull this off on a daily basis, it truly takes a village and also requires a little bit of magic. Not magic in the sense of the way of the Jedi or the stuff that happens at Hogwarts, but in the magic of stepping outside of our comfort zone from time to time to take on a new challenge. As we adapt to and embrace the changing needs of our students, innovation is the process that continues to allow us to do this. And true innovation requires failure… and grit.

She told me she had failed – many, many times. But she never gave up.

Our students “get it” – and, in my position, I have the amazing opportunity to learn from them daily. One young Innovation Lab student at Loveland High School recently stood out to me – she was exploring and learning the world of digital art creation. Working through intricate software programs, pen and stylus combinations, and a multitude of barriers to her success, I was in awe of the complex challenges that this student had taken on to fuel her creative passions.

She told me she had failed – many, many times. But she never gave up. Her diligence led to works of art that she proudly showcased in a digital portfolio during our chat. Her resilience, laser-focus on her passions and her ability to step out of her comfort zone (on a consistent basis, I might add) allowed her to reach new heights. Pretty impressive stuff.

So – how do we, as educators, help students like her? We step outside of our own comfort levels to make some magic.

So – how do we, as educators, help students like her? We step outside of our own comfort levels to make some magic.

It is with great excitement that we announce the Innovative Classroom Grants for the 2017-18 school year. Continuing with the momentum started last year that awarded 11 grants across the Loveland City School District, and with the purpose of positively impacting student growth and achievement, we couldn’t be more excited to give all of our teachers this unique funding and professional learning opportunity. This year, our teachers will be encouraged to partner with students to create innovative solutions that focus on student-centered learning. We will also be working with our partners at the Xavier University Center for Innovation to support us in the ideation and refinement of these ideas through the process of design thinking.

We cannot wait to see what Loveland teachers come up with this year to promote #TigerInnovation!

David Knapp is the Director of Technology & Innovation for the Loveland City School District [email protected]

Keep an eye out this year for a special series of district stories (www.lovelandschools.org) that feature several of our 2016-17 Innovative Instructional Grant winners, and we look forward to sharing the results of this year’s applicants with you this winter.

Your partner in innovation,

David Knapp

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