Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators by Stephen Brand

Posted by guest contributor on October 21, 2008

I attended the Business Innovation Factory's BIF-4 Collaborative Innovation Summit and was fascinated by the power of stories and insights from the innovators. The more I listened, the more I asked. . . what would the future bring if our schools and parents created learning experiences that taught kids what these people know? Here are a few ideas that were inspired by our speakers:

Inspired by

Saul Kaplan, Chief Catalyst at BIF – imagine if teachers were catalysts and not teachers.

Mark Ecko, Fashion Icon – imagine if schools could help students turn show and tell stories of childhood passions such as rhinos and Star Wars’ action figures into a life of innovation, entrepreneurship and community service.

Alexander Tsiaras, Anatomical Visualization Artist – imagine if teachers realized that one of the best ways to teach kids about health and science is to surround them with images and sounds so real and dynamic that you can image yourself swimming in the blood stream or walking through nano-sized particles of new composites.

Jason Fried, Software CEO – imagine if students and teachers could learn that in order to acquire new skills you need to surround yourself with the objects and tools of experts.

Matt Cottam, Nursing Home of the Future – imagine if teachers realized that learning can be accelerated by getting out of the classroom, immersing oneself in the knowledge you seek and asking questions of those who are living the world you want to learn about.

Richard Satava, Military Medical Surgeon and Futurist – imagine if schools, teachers, parents and students realized that some of the greatest genius is in those who fail in school and it takes those who realize this must either totally change the school experience or ignore grades.

Deb Roy, MIT Researcher – imagine if schools taught kids that observing human behavior over long periods of time can teach you much more than brief encounters of watching.

Lewis Gordon Pugh, One who swam in all of the world’s oceans . . .even at the North Pole with water temps of -1.7 degree Celsius – imagine if teams of teachers told each student that they have the ability to accomplish things that have never been accomplished and that as a team they will make sure they graduate and exceed in their lives.

Dennis Littky, professor, educator and learning innovator – imagine if school was about learning and experiencing life rather than going to classes and taking tests.

Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com – imagine if parents and teachers taught kids that you should always upgrade what you do for people and do more than others expect from you.

Jacqueline Novogratz, new world venture capitalist – imagine if each kid was required to invest $500 as a micro lender to entrepreneurs in third world countries and keep connected to those that borrow their money throughout their school years – what a lesson in world cultures, personal giving, and entrepreneurship.

BIF-4 presented an inspiring collection of stories of ideas, inspiration and making things happen – imagine if kids learned how to tell stories that have impact, create lives where their stories need to be told, and understand that the best storytellers are the best listeners (someone with great wisdom stated this at the conference).

This post was written by guest blogger Stephen Brand, Chief Imagination Officer of The New Enterprise Factory

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