And Lead a Culture of Creativity - Empower Learning

Shout out to all Educators - Read this Book! The writing is amazing; feels like you are having a conversation rather than being preached to. Deeply resonated with me about teaching and learning practices. If we still teach the way we were taught - than it's time for change. You will be inspired and encouraged to take the LEAP and start initiating change within your classroom.

Every single educator, aspiring educator, and administrator must read this book. Now. Not only do our children need us to embody this mindset, we need it for ourselves. The world is moving too quickly and our children are growing too quickly for us to sit back and wait for change. We must be the change. Today. Everyday.

If you're already on the change and innovation bus, read this book to find practical ways to move forward and be reminded that you are not alone. If you're looking for inspiration or don't know where to start, start here.

This is a fantastic read for educators at every level. Our district leadership team did a book study and found the content to be motivating, forward thinking, and easy to implement. This book will help you to do what is right for students!

Great inspirational read for teachers that only want the best for their students. If you are reading this review, this book is for you. You obviously have a growth mindset as you are seeking to learn.

As a student, I didn’t question the education system I was stuck in: an endless cycle of boring note-taking routines, endless testing (especially in public schools), and worksheets. This pattern followed me from day one of my education, and therefore I never thought much of it. But The Innovator’s Mindset changed that for me. I asked, “Why is the system the way it is? Why can’t we have more interesting work, like projects, instead of the same worksheets doled out day after day?” I realized that there was no good reason for this. Our current standard of education isn’t just dull, but also unhelpful to us, the students. I learn not to fully understand information, but rather to recite it. In that sense, I never actually learn. Even if you wholeheartedly believe in our system of education as it is today, I strongly recommend reading this book. It might just change your mind about the way we should be teaching.

A must read for all educators including those of us higher education. Often times we, in higher education, need to learn about and read the books k-12 educators are reading and not spend as much time thinking our students "need" only theory books. This is a book all of our future leaders need to read and see us model. Creativity and empowerment!

The best educational resource I have ever read. Period. I have 32 years as an educator. In my present role, I have read over a dozen books just this year. Couros's book stands alone. I use Kindle Cloud Reader when I read. I highlighted 195 passages with 11 notes. The next closest resource had 29 highlighted passages with 3 notes. One of the coolest things about this book is how real it is. Its impact on our students in our district will be profound. Thank you George!

#Innovator'sMindset is recommended and required reading for educators willing to lead transformation of how to stay ahead of the ever changing world to prepare all learners for the jobs that don't exist. This book gives you the tools to develop learners and leaders who will create a better future. It doesn't end with this book as you are encouraged to network and continue to share ideas in regards to #Innovator'sMindset on Twitter.

Underlining and annotating began in the Introduction of Innovator's Mindset. I'm very happy to have chosen this for the first book in my Innovative Educators Book Club (so far, only 2 of us). Every train ride to work, I found myself varying from intense reading, to quickly grabbing my pen to jot a note on the side, or sometimes staring into the space on the other side of the subway car, lost in thought about how I might "innovate inside the box" of my behemoth of an education system. Ideas have been flowing, as have connections to other books, websites, videos, and blogs of interest. George Couros shares his vision and structure for innovation in education, and couples this with anecdotal stories from the front lines of education - the classrooms and schools themselves. He values connection to others and the sharing of ideas to create newer and better outcomes for students. A worthwhile read and one I look forward to sharing beyond my book club of 2.

This book is phenomenal! George Couros has written a practical, user friendly guide to help educators bring out the "Innovator's Mindset" in all of their students. I would encourage anyone involved in education (superintendents, principals, teachers, etc...) to read and embrace the information in this book. Kudos to George!

George Couros has found a way to connect with the reader to provide practical ideas to innovate within your setting. Innovation looks different to different people and Couros has provided a number of ideas, suggestions and thoughts to promote this type of leadership. Anyone who is interested in doing what is best for students should read this book. I highly recommend to all educators.

Dan Butler

Innovator's Mindset is the perfect read for both new and veteran administrators. The book will give you that spark, that kickstart, that restart to lead effectively by building relationships first. This is a fast read--so just schedule time to read it in one sitting because you won't want to put it down!

This book was an incredibly refreshing to read to round out the summer! It puts a refreshing spin on the ways technology should be used! This book doesn't hide behind the buzzwords of education but uses and dispells theories that are practical relatable and implementable in the classroom!

This is a must read for all educators everywhere. George Couros will encourage and motivate you to empower your students to create revelant learning experiences in and outside your classroom. I absolutely loved the book. I hope there is a sequel.

The Innovator's Mindset is absolutely fantastic, one of the best books in education I have ever read! It is not only about leadership and teaching and learning in the 21st Century, but at a deeper level it also portrays a keen understanding of human nature and how we relate to each other. I look forward to continue reading George Couros' tweets and blog, I find them fascinating also!

The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity is a quick easy read that should be at the top of every educators list of books to read. Fantastic for Teachers, Administrators, and Parents. The book will open your eyes to what education should be in 2016. I cannot wait to help transform education for students that struggle with our traditional models!

I was excited, and jealous, when reading this book because I felt all my thoughts and dreams were put to paper. This is a MUST read for school leaders, teacher leaders, and all educators who want to prepare students for future endeavors in a world that is changing every minute. Shame on you if you haven't already clicked the "add to cart" button.

Great book for anyone interested in Education. This book will put you up to date with some educational issues and will help you get you out of a rut and back on track in growth mindset. It also a great book to have in schools, book club of any other study groups. Lots of interesting ideas and easy to read for the profane.

An insightful and challenging look at rethinking education. The primary focus is not on getting the right tech or the right standards, but rather on asking "what is best for this student? ". From this essential question, Couros challenges that the innovator's mindset, often working within the system we already have, can and must reshape education.

I followed George Couros on Twitter and once I learned he had a book about innovation, I knew I had to get it. The book is amazing! Any educational leader looking to lead others in understanding innovation, creating a foundation for change, and then learning how to unleash the talent of others has to read this book. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed!

This book helped me to articulate my educational philosophy and empowered me to become a better teacher. George asks good questions and my own answers to these questions have propelled me forward to make a difference. This book is good for educators in any stage of their career. The reading was enriched by George's gracious and generous presence on Twitter.

As a a former site administrator and current district administrator, I read The Innovator's Mindset as one of my summer reads and loved it. I found his use of Dweck's growth mindset useful as a foundation for the strategies he promotes throughout the text. Very useful for administrators who want to promote creativity articulated at all levels.

Great book for educators who seek to be innovative in the classroom. The author is not afraid to challenge the status quo and establish a child driven innovative approach to teaching. Must read for teachers and educational leaders.

The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros perfectly combines common sense, anecdotal and personal with knowledge and logic. I am passionate about promoting positive culture, and The Innovator’s Mindset fills the need of a book I can refer others to for information and inspiration to promote that positive culture in and with their own lives. While centered on the area of education, there are whole life takeaways to be found as well.

I came upon The Innovator’s Mindset at a time in my life that involved some major life changes, including an immersion in the educational world as the vice president and co-founder of an educational technology consulting company. The Innovator’s Mindset encouraged me that I am not alone in seeing the need for various cultural changes, as well as motivated me to be one of those involved in pushing for those changes.

Let’s innovate and build a better world! There is nowhere better for this movement to start than in our educational communities, where the next generation is learning from and observing the adults around them.

Remember, relationships matter! If you ever have the opportunity to hear George Couros speak or meet F2F, I suggest taking it (in addition to adding The Innovator’s Mindset to your book collection).

This book has changed by entire teaching method and mindset! As I transitioned into new roles and a 1:1 technology pilot, this book really challenged my perspectives and gave great insight into how to truly be an innovator in the classroom. Must read for teachers!

George does a fantastic job defining innovation and the real implications of shifting mindsets in today's schools. He kindly "pushes" school leaders with a combination of ed research and examples from his own practice and the practice of other leaders. Bravo!

Amazing-outstanding thoughts and "game-changing" thinking for administrators young and old. Your staff, students and you will benefit greatly from trying just one thought in this book. Great ideas to engage everybody in the learning process.

George Couros inspires the reader to consider current practice in education, ask "why?" and dive into creative, innovative thinking to make education better for all students and teachers. An engaging read, anyone who is connected to a school system can benefit from the thought-provoking narrative and references within.

Having formed a sizable committee from all walks of our educational community to craft a plan to become a “District of Innovation,” district leaders and I decided to launch our series of “colloquies” with a book study. Considering the title, The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity, and the fact the author, George Couros, was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for our summer technology and curriculum conference, Lone Star TIA ([...]), it made perfect sense. Although I’d already ordered a digital copy upon its release, I had yet read the text knowing I was saving it for my upcoming, month-long medical leave of absence. After hearing Couros speak at the Texas Computer Education Association ([...]) conference in Austin a few years ago, I’ve been a huge fan. With a combo of insight and humor, his engaging style of presenting hooked me; and I attended all of the sessions he offered as well as a few other events in which he spoke. Hearing him talk of his experiences as principal and as a district leader, I hold his leadership style in the highest regard. To know I could gain insight into his thinking in far greater depth, I couldn’t wait to dive into the pages. And he didn’t disappoint.

After reading What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation (http://www.the store.com/What-Matters-Now-Competition-Unstoppable/dp/1118120825) by author and London Business School professor Gary Hamel a few years ago, so much of what Couros writes is of the same ilk, only applied specifically to education rather than to business. Hamel pens, “To be an innovator you have to challenge the beliefs that everyone else takes for granted—the long-held assumptions that blind industry incumbents to new ways of doing business.” Couros captures this thinking throughout. “Without innovation, organizations—including educational facilities—cease to exist.” His words reflect a note highlighted in my copy of What Matters Now, “Truth is, every organization is successful until it’s not. There’s a simple, but oft-neglected lesson here: to sustain success, you have to be willing to abandon things that are no longer successful.” The parallels to the two texts are astounding with each author emphasizing the role of innovation to the continued relevance in business (in the case of Hamel) and education (from the lens of Couros).

“Change is an opportunity to do something amazing,” writes Couros who also quotes author John Maxwell, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Throughout, his tales of his own experiences and those of others, Couros provides insight and guidance on fostering a “growth mindset” towards innovation, which he defines as “a way of thinking that creates something new and better,” all while debunking the idea “innovation is synonymous with technology.” Melding the two concepts of innovation and Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, he describes the “innovator’s mindset” as the “belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed so that they can lead to the creation of new and better ideas.”

Of the numerous lines I’ve highlighted, one stood out above the rest. “Innovate inside the box.” While acknowledging “schools are not overloaded with funding,” he writes, “Innovating in our schools requires a different type of thinking, one that doesn’t focus on ideas that are “outside the box,” but those that allow us to be innovative despite budgetary constraints. In other words, we need to learn to innovate ‘inside the box.’” Whoa! Stop. Reread. #profound So often, educators give up or give in to what is in our “circle of concern” rather than build upon what is in our “circle of influence” ([...]) as noted by author Stephen Covey in his bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Couros does not allow readers off the hook to surrender to this age-old excuse despite its glaring reality.

When reaching out to committee members in my initial contact, I wrote, “I’ve no idea where the ‘District of Innovation’ process will take us, but one of the highlights I’ve underscored in the Couros book reads, “Innovation starts not by providing answers, but by asking questions. #InnovatorsMindset” Because there truly is no predetermined course of action, this quote solidly reflects my view going into the process.

From his “critical questions for the innovative educator” to the “eight characteristics of the innovator’s mindset” to the “characteristics of the innovative leader” to the “eight things to look for in today’s classroom” to “eight things to look for in today’s professional learning” (I’m sensing a pattern here.), Couros scaffolds a system of support for educators willing to embrace change and innovation.
From his stories about Carly Rae Jepsen ([...]) and analogies citing Blazing Saddles and Talladega Nights, this page turner kept me going; and I finished it over the three-day Memorial Day weekend. (Now what am I going to do with the next 27 days?)

In his book, Hamel writes, “Within any organization, it’s usually the malcontents and rebels who are the first to sense the impending demise of a long-cherished business model, and the first to see the value in wacky, new ideas. The best leaders are the ones who get the most options on the table before making a decision.” With The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity, Couros does just that; and for this fact, I am beyond grateful to have read this book.

And finally, although I am certain my heritage is German and not Greek and the fact he is Canadian and I American, I’m more than convinced we are “brothers from another mother.” From the same stylized spiked haircut to the similarities in presentation styles to our insistence to remain connected to the classroom (as I continue to teach students across our district (as in the 50+ sessions on the “growth mindset” with kindergartners to ninth graders this school year) to his ridiculously simple idea of talking his laptop to classrooms for hours at a time doing administrative work there rather than the office, I think it’s true.