How does innovation really work? Join us!

This blog shares what is happening in the world related to societal drivers. These ideas will be impacting education in the future, but the specifics of how remains to be completely understood. Regardless of how these ideas might impact education, it will require innovation.

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article about how innovation really works, one of their conclusions is that...

Once everyone is thinking about ideas – and imagining that their cool concept might actually move the company – you get the whole company effectively engaged in innovation. And in the Internet era, with the pace of innovation always accelerating, understanding the science of innovation could make all the difference in your ability to compete.

We ask that everyone in the AISC community is thinking about the ideas and drivers in society and join our conversation. Please mark your calendars for two upcoming events:

Inspiration Conversation, where we will share our thinking about the Futures Plan with the community. This will happen on Thursday, November 9, from 3:45-5:00 in the BBT. 

Futures Summit, where we will consider readiness in the workforce and how that might impact our future graduates. This will happen on Saturday, December 2, from 8:30-4:30 in the Madras Hall. 

Will you join us and share your insight, expertise and passion?

INVITE: Inspiration Conversation and Futures Summit

As we are preparing for our new Building Futures Plan, we have been working with different groups in the school community to find out what important issues we should be addressing the next three years.

The Leadership Team, Associate Principals and the Academic Committee had a session to discuss the purpose of education and identify priorities. We also asked teachers to tell us what they need to be doing that they aren't doing now.

All of this information has come together to help us identify our big rocks in the coming futures plan.

We want to share our current thinking, in draft form, with the community during our Inspiration Conversation at 3:45-5:00 on Thursday, November 9 in the BBT. We hope you join us!

We also invite all community member to the Futures Summit on Saturday, December 2. This is will be an all day session where we will explore readiness in the workforce, what it will mean for future AISC graduates, and what it could mean for AISC.

Please mark your calendars.

Here are some examples of school - reimagined.

Finland is designing the perfect school.

This innovative school has no teachers. 

What could we be doing now to prepare our students for an uncertain future?

The Maker Movement and the Future of Creating

Looking at the last 50 years, the Maker movement has completely transformed. In the early stages of the Maker movement, people created products for themselves or their local community, and some may have even referred to themselves as part of the DIY movement rather than a maker.

More recently the desire for artisanal, local products has escalated, and makers have capitalized on this trend, which can be seen in the increase of farmers markets, craft coffee and other local creations. This desire for local, hand-crafted products is in direct response to mass-produced, mass-marketed products that are ubiquitous in a market.

In additional to this increase of popularity of artisanal or local crafts, makers are using affordable manufacturing tools, such as a 3D printers, global shipping and ecommerce to make, not just for themselves and their local community, but for the world. ETSY is one of many online marketplaces for people to make and sell their goods. 

Check out some amazing things that are happening with 3D printing and new kinds of creations. 

Desserts can now be created with a 3D printer.

A house was 3D printed in 24 hours. 

Functional organs can also be made using a 3D printer.

The future of 3D printed shoes.

How has this shift affected you already? What could this mean for us as consumers and as makers?