It's About Learning

Change Starts With You

Moving your organization forward or encouraging your colleagues to join you in implementing innovation or change is an ongoing and challenging process that includes multiple steps and continued effort. Most innovation initiatives start with a proposal.

Your innovation proposal should focus on your specific audience who may include, but may not be limited to, the administrators who will be affirming the completed innovation plan, your colleagues or peers you are hoping will be inspired to join you, and/or other stakeholders who have an interest in how the innovation will impact your learners.

Ideally, your innovation proposal should take the form of a 1-page letter because it will become part of your overall plan that you will be sharing with your audience.

The innovation proposal should address the “Why” or purpose of your innovation initiative which is expanded on with the following 5 key points:

1. Opportunity or problem that you have observed – always focus on the opportunity perspective rather than the problem.
2. How you will address the opportunity or solve the problem.
3. What you are proposing to do (1.2. adopt a Blended Learning initiative…).
4. Benefits of this solution (summary of your why).
5. What are you asking for? (I am asking to pilot blended learning in my classroom… over what time frame)

Be prepared to revise and update as your ideas develop and your situation changes.

Letter Format Examples

• https://booksbirdiesandearlgrey.wordpress.com/2021/09/11/from-basal-to-blended-a-new-way-of-creating-content-for-the-k-12-publisher/
• https://bjosephs6.wixsite.com/teachingincolor/project07
• https://stemtoolkit.weebly.com/project-proposal.html
• https://sharplibrarian.weebly.com/innovation-plan.html
• https://tashiamossman.wixsite.com/tmossman/innovation-plan-proposal

Document Format Example – Depending on your audience and their expectations more detailed documentation may be required and the following example followed the format that was required by these student’s district. Remember, this proposal must be developed for your intended audience.

• http://www.patricknreid.com/2016/09/05/ipad-educational-opportunities/

Innovation Proposal Planning Tips

• Begin with the end in mind, 100k view, learning outcomes, be clear about your purpose
• Understand that the proposal will change based on situations, personnel, circumstances
• Be flexible, adaptable, and patient, rest assured that things will not go as planned
• Collaborate with others–get others on board with your ideas, key influencers
• Start with a pilot/trial/focus group, don’t extend too far too fast
• Plan forward, but do not map every step; fail forward opportunities are automatically built into innovation planning
• Consider how you will measure success; what will be happening and what will others be doing

Completed Innovation Plan – Looking Ahead

Your innovation plan will include the following

• Media Pitch – 2 minutes or less, capturing your project and Audience
• Innovation Proposal Letter to District/Principal/School Board/Administration/Management
• Literature review support
• Implementation Outline, plan ahead for next steps over the next 12-24 months
• Innovation Plan – your final post that narrates and summarizes your plan and includes links to all the above

Examples of how the innovation proposal will fit into the final innovation plan:

• https://nnbagot0.wixsite.com/nnbagot23/innovation-plan
• https://booksbirdiesandearlgrey.wordpress.com/applied-digital-learning/edld-5305-my-authentic-innovation-plan/
• https://bjosephs6.wixsite.com/teachingincolor/project07
• http://www.patricknreid.com/ipadopportunities/
• https://haileyfrogge.wordpress.com/disruptive-innovation-in-technology/

Revised October 2021