One of the bloggers who always gets me thinking is Harold Jarche. His insights into the ways that organizations and individuals need to function in order to ensure continuous learning are important for educators to consider since our ultimate goal is to prepare students for the “real world.”

His most recent post shared the following quote:

“Connections drive innovation. We need input from people with a diversity of viewpoints to help generate innovative new ideas. If our circle of connections grow too small, or if everyone in it starts thinking the same way, we’ll stop generating new ideas —Tim Kastelle (2010)

How can those of us who work in schools be sure that we are developing the skills in our students that are necessary for them to develop a diverse network that allows them to generate new viewpoints and ideas?  Don’t we first have to develop learning communities where educators are encouraged to establish the connections necessary to drive innovation in their schools and classrooms?