Subversive Change: Empowering Educators to Lead Innovation from Within

• Main Author: Eleonora Badilla-Saxe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics 2004-04-01
• Series: Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
• Subjects: Digital Technology; Modular Technology; Leadership; Improving Education; Constructionism; Innovation
• Online Access: http://www.iiisci.org/Journal/CV$/sci/pdfs/P860366.pdf

Improvement of the quality of education, and even educational reform is goal for most the educational systems in the world. But, it has been proven historically that changing and improving an educational system is probably one of the most difficult and complex tasks in our societies specially, if it is externally and top-down imposed. My proposal here is that change and reform in an educational system must empower educators to take the lead and prove we are able to change and promote change. And to do so, we need show innovation and be credible. We need to empower ourselves from within. In this paper I will present the case of the Faculty of Education of the University of Costa Rica that, with its project LUMEN is leading an impressive innovation process, not only among its different departments and faculty members, but amongst other Faculties at the University such as Engineering and Medicine, for example. I will present also the vital role that the constructionist vision and very new digital technology have played in this case.