Innovation? let's be careful...

Education Week has released a special report on innovation. On first glance, it appears to be describing (advocating?) for an increased role of business in K-12 education. I fully understand the reasoning that encourages such activities: The free market will introduce competition into the field and thus make it better and cheaper. Unfortunately, the evidence that is true is weak.

Educators should welcome any and every innovation and new idea... we are entering a new world in which education can and must be reinvented and new tools and new practices invented to replace tose that are outdated.

The care must come, however, in assessing those inventions. I propose caution on several fronts:

First, "innovators" may seek to find innovative ways of creating 20th century education.

Second, just because something is supported by a business leader does not mean it is worthy.

Third, it is easy to market junk and to sell superficial improvements.

Forth, just because someone or some organization has money, it does not mean they have a pedagogically sound idea.