Innovation Archives - Jeff Everhart

SXSWedu Days 2 & 3: Reflections and Round-up

A lot has been going on over the last two days, and Austin is such a fun city, that I’m combining my reflections into one super blog post. There is a lot to talk about, so stay tuned, but I’m not going to go in chronological order.   Total Fanboy Moments SXSWedu is one of […]

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SXSWedu Day 1: Reflections and Round-up

I want to document my experiences at SXSWedu for anyone interested in the conference or for my educator friends in the blogosphere or on twitter. First off, Austin is a super fun city, with a motto of “Keep Austin weird,” how could it not be cool. Second, this is a huge conference, and I mean […]

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The Global Importance of Openness to Education

We hear a lot these days about the word ‘open.’ Projects can be open; resources can be open; even processes that were once shrouded in secrecy can now be called open. Despite the deluge of this buzz word, I would venture to say that many of us haven’t stopped to evaluate what being ‘open’ really […]

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The Possibilities of Human Networks

Most professionals can understand the value of of networking, but little is said about how we as humans interact and why these interactions can be so valuable. With social networks like Facebook and professional networks like Linkedin quickly becoming daily staples, it is easy to see how these types of connections impact us both personally […]

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How to Create Awareness for Your Cause

People do amazing things everyday. The problem is that most people never see them or hear about them. Creating a buzz is essential to gaining active followers and supporters. Here are just a few tips to help in raising awareness for your cause or project: Create Open Information No one who wants to know about […]

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Leaders Let People Do, Not Follow

No one wants to be a back seat driver forever. That is a fact. There are many kinds of leaders with differing opinions on this simple fact: Those who gain their authority from the structure of an organization—a boss, a manager, a supervisor Others, however, seem to gain this type of authority almost organically. If […]

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The Challenge of Making It New

Most of the ideas that people have are not new. They may be new to that person, or new to the situation, but so often they are reproductions of other ideas, other situations, other solutions. There is nothing wrong with this. We are social creatures. We learn from each other, our successes, our failures. The […]

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Increasing Productivity with the Power of Observation

Over the last several centuries or so, humankind has undergone a radical shift that has redefined which biological traits determine success. For tens of thousands of years, success, both biological and societal, was determined, at least in part, by a person’s ability to produce physical work. However, for the first time in history, the average […]

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Understanding and Promoting Innovation in 21st Century Communities: Part 2

Ignoring Conventional Wisdom Communication has a large role in influencing how people make decisions. People develop opinions and sometimes these opinions become widely accepted, often disguised as facts. That is not to say that conventions are devoid of value entirely, but little new ground is ever struck by following old or worn paths. Great ideas […]

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Understanding and Promoting Innovation in 21st Century Communities: Part 1

I’ve been reading a lot lately on innovation, how to harness it, how to define it, and how to help other people get there. Although all of these scenarios require a fair amount of work to achieve, it is important to be honest with yourself so that you understand where you fit in currently so […]

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