Welcome in the year 2007! The start of a new year is always a time when we try to sort out the past and look forward to the future (if you dare, Google this: 2007 predictions) and so I decided that it is entirely appropriate for my first post of 2007 to be in this spirit.

Today I came across this post: Progress and Innovation in Education, which presents some very interesting quotes made by educators that question the usefulness of certain innovations that we now of course take for granted. Reading these quotes in the year 2007 is certainly quite amusing, but anyone who has ever tried to introduce a new technology in education (or elsewhere) knows that attitudes towards innovation haven't changed much from those of the year 1703. Surely, not all new innovations are useful, meaningful and meant to be adopted, but if we find something that works and that does the job better than ever before - why not? And here we must not forget (as history teaches us) that we can't predict the failure of something just because we fail to see its use.

But how can we fight against those skeptics that seem to be afraid of innovation and progress? One way is surely by showing them the now hilarious failed skeptical prediction (for more material check out the Wikipedia Failed predictions article) and by reminding them (and ourselves) that change is inevitable and constant. And I think the best way to adopt change is by trying out new things - sometimes you just can't see the use of something until you try to use it in real life situations. So, my wish for our new year is that we'd all try many new exciting things and with any luck find at least a few innovations that will rock our world. And I of course also wish everyone good luck with spreading innovation - with some people such luck will always be needed :)

(By the way - if you want to know how to sharpen your own quill or prepare your ink check this site out :) )


Originally published at http://ialja.blogspot.com/2007/01/good-luck-with-finding-and-spreading.html