Is innovation losing its luster? Critiques of the ubiquitous "disruptive innovation" theory—in the pages of The New Yorker (June 23, 2014) and elsewhere—have led some to wonder. Growing use of quotation marks around the word innovation, and the eye-rolling its use can sometimes provoke, reflect not only its overuse, but also a dawning reality: What we call "innovation" often lacks substance and sometimes works to our detriment, not our betterment.
There are good reasons for educators to heed these criticisms. We've seen too much innovation-for-innovation's-sake. Countless would-be innovators offer products and services that look shiny and cool—and lay claim to "disruptive" potential—but fail to solve any real problems for educators or learners. Moreover, these offerings often reek of arrogance about the challenge of engendering meaningful learning, and are overwhelming in the numbers with which they bombard educators...