Educational Innovation and its Relationship with Teacher Education
Abstract: Educational innovation is a term swirling around higher education. Researching and teaching innovative educational practices is not new, however it seems that higher education institutions are viewing educational innovation as a standalone specialty discipline. Educational innovation and entrepreneurship programs are surfacing in colleges of education across the country. Educational innovation logically seems to be the amalgamation of various educational disciplines and ideologies. The combination of design, creativity, content, technology, etc. is at the center of innovative educational practice. Due to this complexity, educators, administrators, curriculum developers, researchers, and prospective students are left with the question, “What is educational innovation?” Due to current circumstances, educators at all levels are being asked to revise their practice and innovate quickly. In that regard, this panel of teacher educators will open with overviews that explain how they view educational innovation through the lens of their specific expertise. The panel will then turn its attention to project-focused methods being used to prepare teachers to practice educational innovation. Finally, the panel will shift discussion to the future of educational innovation within teacher education programs. The sequence of prompts will allow panelist to overview educational innovation, detail teacher education methods, and outline the future of educational innovation.