Tony Wagner’s “Creating Innovators” doesn’t go far enough

In his recently released book, “Creating Innovators” Tony Wagner speaks about the five essential differences between schools that he calls innovative versus the culture of schooling in most classrooms. From my perspective as an innovative educator, I don’t feel his essential differences are all that innovative or go nearly far enough. When I speak to audiences and write about innovation, I enjoy pushing readers/listeners much further.

Here is my critique of one of these differences.

Collaboration Versus Individual Achievement
Wagner indicates that innovators collaborate yet school rewards individual achievement offering few meaningful opportunities for genuine collaboration. I’ll give him the fact that there’s not genuine collaboration in schools, but there’s not much of anything that is genuine in a school world that looks nothing like the real world in which young people live.

When it comes to collaboration however, I’m not sure if Tony has spent a significant amount of time in public schools lately. It’s all about...

• Collaborative groups.
• Work in teams.
• Sit in 4-desk pods.
• Never have a moment to be alone.
• Never have time to think critically and deeply.
• Groupthink, groupthink.
• Get grouped with other people who happen to be share your birth year and geographic location, rather than group yourself, if you choose from others in the world, not just your classroom.

The collaboration aspect Wagner says is missing in schools is NOT what it missing. Collaboration is needlessly forced upon kids whether they want it or not and they are made to work with others whether they want to or not.  Wagner says that innovative school programs understand that collaboration is essential for innovation and every class requires teamwork and collaboration. Is forcing teamwork and collaboration innovative?
I want more »