Last week, I had the distinct honor to co-present with an amazing group of educators around a tool that has transformed my practice at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The Innovator’s Compass is a free tool created by Ela Ben-Ur that applies principles of design thinking to all facets of life. Her site contains several templates, examples and ideas for use, and showcases the many educators and individuals that are using the Innovator’s Compass in their work and in their life.
The stage was set for innovation from the first slide.
Ela spent her time guiding faculty and staff from various disciplines around the Innovator’s Compass. To watch this process unfold was highly insightful. Facilitation was a natural occurrence.
It was interesting to me to witness the thought process. To witness real questioning of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. The issues that people picked ranged from class, professional, to personal. It really didn’t matter what the issue was. What mattered was the process.
From that work led to practical applications of the Compass. Fellow educators/innovators Dan Ryder, Matt Drewette-Card, Audrey O’Clair and myself spoke to the ways we have leveraged the Innovator’s Compass in our own respective settings. Dan has used it in his classes in character analysis and STEM. Matt has used it with faculty to open thinking and ideas around inclusion, curriculum and instruction. Audrey, has used it in training and with her family and friends. Audrey then shared it with me, which I use in training.
I bet you’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with Assistive Technology, Accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning. Well, it’s quite simple, actually. Often times, in the work around AT, AEM, and UDL, one must think differently in a safe and supportive manner. In terms of training and support, often times, the voices of multiple perspectives can be detrimental to the goal- the learner. The Innovator’s Compass allows for multiple perspectives to be heard while not losing the focus of the learner at the center of it. In my own practice, the Innovator’s Compass has expanded how Assistive Technology Evaluations are conducted. By using this framework alongside Joy Zabala’s SETT framework, the evaluation process, quite literally, comes to life. It feels 3 dimensional. It doesn’t feel static or just an isolated moment in time. It feels dynamic. It feels as if all voices are being heard, where team members feel safe to expand on their thinking, their ideas, their vision as to how to best leverage tools to meet the needs of our learners. It feels empowering to hear differing perspectives in a collaborative tool.
By nature, the Innovator’s Compass is accessible to all. Anyone could use pictures, video, words, handwriting to use this tool The beauty of the compass is that there are multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression by its very nature that lends itself to inherent accessibility.
Now, imagine how this would feel in your classroom. In your school. In your life. Where you felt empowered to take action. To learn, to grow, and to question “the way things have always been” in a safe and supportive manner. Well, you can do that with the Innovator’s Compass. Try it. It may very well change your life.
Wow, Hillary! What a lovely accounting of our day together! And of Innovators’ Compass, with the help of you and the others here, making a good design thinking experience—and hopefully an important difference—for our participants! Thank you!
It was such an honor to be a part of this wonderful day! Thank you!