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Innovation as a Life Theme
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Let me ramble down memory lane for a bit and describe some milestones in my thinking about innovation. It recently has occurred to me that I’ve always been curious about creativity in education.
The 1970s and 1980s
Growing up in a privileged cloistered suburb of Chicago, I had the opportunity to learn and grow through many high-quality informal and formal educational experiences. My educator parents believed in the Open Classroom model and sent me to an independent school where experiential learning was core to its mission. I vividly remember many field trips, outdoor education activities, service learning opportunities, and trips to other parts of the US that were a part of my schooling. Hands-on learning and small classes allowed my teachers to get to know me and presented opportunities for my confidence to improve. For example, my drama teacher had me do a solo recitation of “Housework” from Free to be You and Me (originally given by Carol Channing on the iconic album) for a school assembly and to this day. I think it was her secret ploy to help me learn to slow down my speech and articulate!
In high school, I also had excellent teachers for the most part, and again, I had many opportunities to explore my interests and hone my academic skills. My favorite teacher…
