Innovation Summit at Arcadia High Opens Options and Eyes

(Left to Right) George Couros, Dr. David Vannasdall, and Jon Corippo. – Photo courtesy Arcadia High School

By Susan Motander

I am throwing aside all rules of journalism and writing in a personal manner about the Innovation Summit held last week at Arcadia High School. The event was the second such “Summit” that the Arcadia Unified School District has held.

I was prepared to attend the opening speech, take a quick photo, and make an even quicker exit.

As a contemporary sort of Luddite, technology is not high on my priority list. I prefer handwritten bread and butter notes to emails and still enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, rather than my tablet (for those whose history teachers were remiss: the Luddites were the English textile workers who destroyed machinery, in fear of losing their jobs during the Industrial Revolution).

I was, therefore, shocked to discover that I was fascinated with the presentation of the keynote speaker, George Couros, a Canadian educator who, not only supports the use of technology in education, but also encourages its innovative uses.

His remarks were based, in part, on his book, “The Innovative Mindset.” His too-short address (in my opinion) forced me to re-examine my views on the uses of various electronic devices.

I have seven grandchildren and had been bemoaning their virtual addition to their phones and tablets – only the youngest at 14 months is immune to their mesmerizing influence. Couros highlighted ways these devices could be used for more than just babysitting. I was hooked … so I attended several of the breakout sessions and was fascinated (although I am still wondering about that Popsicle thing – must be a current trend).

The closing speaker, Jon Corippo, was from Cue, a non-profit group dedicated to inspiring innovative learners. Among the other exciting ideas he presented was the concept of sharing your ideas with other teachers.

In all, the conference was inspiring and exciting. Over 500 people attended the summit, from 16 different school districts throughout Southern California. The truly amazing thing is that the Arcadia School District provided all this at no charge to those attending.

To get a feel for the conference check out their Facebook page.

More from Arcadia Weekly