For education-purists, this might be a post to skip so you can head onto the next deep-in-the-classroom blog.
But, if you're constantly looking for parallel conversations that tie innovation, technology, and education together, perhaps you might get a bit out of reading Baris' thoughts on the new iPod phone that Mac-enthusiasts are going a bit Jobs-smacker over lately. Thanks to Jing Chen's "CuriousGirl's Playground" for suggesting that I take a look at this post.
I'll skip to the end when he mentions that the deep need for design today may in fact remind us to support the growing value of d.schools (design oriented programs) over the class B-school (business schools). Whether you've read Dan Pink and are doing the head nod, or haven't really given it much thought, this is a post I'd highly recommend:
Yesterday this time, I was sitting in the audience listening to Steve Jobs. A day later, I've had some time to think about what I really liked about the Apple iPhone. I think the best innovation, out of many great ones, is how they've solved the problem of web browsing on a handheld device.
What so many others have tried to solve with technology, they've solved with user interface design. It's one of the finest uses of design as a serious competitive weapon.
Mmmm. Design as a serious competitive weapon for schools. Now, what would that actually mean?
Perhaps it's overly optimistic to want to mash-up that sentiment for the future of education as well -- believing that it may be the 'interface' of education that is the 'killer app' -- but I'm willing to swing out on the limb.
As for the "serious competitive weapon," the design quotient for schools and education lies in our ability as educators to craft authentic engagement and opportunities for our student to authentically solve problems that lead to substantive creation that have value in real time in the real world. Look again at the iPhone. Think of the difference between the traditional phone experience and the re-imagination process taking place here. And start to think about the take-away's for what it means to approach the classic interface of a school. As a design problem, perhaps we are challenged to re-think the value proposition for our students and the value of the entry point, the choices they seek to make and explore, and ultimately whether we're designing for those who 'run' the ship or those who are being mentored to one day sail boldly on their own. Both are valuable, but both lead to very different outcomes - and very different user commitments.
So, like Apple (ditching the 'computers' name, BTW) realizing that design would continue to separate the wheat from the chaff in the 'cellphone' game, perhaps there is a lesson about the need for innovative re-design of the 'user interface' of tomorrow's education. Perhaps.
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