Innovation, Visionaries, & The Henry Ford Museum.

After visiting the Winter Estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Fort Myers this June, I'm finding that I just can't get enough of them. Of course, upon doing doing some digging on their individual websites, I'm finding it's a little bit like like getting lost down the rabbit hole…there’s so much there, educationally speaking.

Especially when it comes to the concept of Innovation. 

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan is now officially on my bucket list of places I want to go dive in! 

In the meantime, I'm just going to have to spend hours pouring over their online resources!

If you too are in search of resources innovation, visionaries, and more, look no further!

Where to start--

Your "Must See TV" Innovation Video
from the Henry Ford Museum

A perfect introductory is the curriculum video on the Henry Ford Museum "Teaching Innovation" page. There you will learn some of the traits of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Buckminster Fuller, Rosa Park, and all innovators:

Revolutionary * driven * undaunted *
a dreamer * fierce * brave * & more

You see that they "questioned. Searched. Were unsuccessful. Succeeded magnificently."

You hear modern day visionaries speaking on the underlying traits of innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and change makers.  This video falls in the category (in my mind) of "Must See TV," and I'm thinking along the way as to how I can incorporate it at school!

Where to go next, getting lost along the way in the sea of excellent information--

• The Curriculum Video above naturally leads you to the "Innovation 101" curriculum. Five 45-minute lessons plans are designed to introduce students to innovation principles. The following modules highlight the topics:

                    1. What is Innovation?
                    2. Traits of an Innovator
                    3. Process of Innovation
                    4. Keys to Innovation
                    5. Innovation, Intellectual Property Rights, & More

• Other items on The Henry Ford Education portal include:

                    > Field Trips & Programs for the locals (man, to be local!)
                    > Educational Resources (searchable by topic)

                    > Education at the Henry Ford (including professional develop-
                             ment for educators, The Henry Ford Academy, &

                             Henry Ford Learning Institute 

                    > Competitions & Events

• Stories of Innovation Page--here you have 3 options to investigate--each a mecca on their own:

                    1.  What If?  

                            Investigate some of the questions inventors had
                               along the way.

                    2.  Choose 3

                            Find the connection between different combinations of 3
                              artifacts at the museum.

                    3. Visionaries on Innovation

                            Discover the "Personal Perspectives from Leading Innovators"
                              through videos, insights, and articles.

                            You can view by:

                                    > Trait: collaborate, break rules, learn from failure,
                                                  remix, be curious

                                    > Innovator: 25 modern visionaries

                                    > Topic:   agriculture, design & making, energy & power,
                                                 information & communication, social
                                                 transformation, transportation

• The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation –a weekly Saturday morning CBS show hosted by CBS Sunday Morning Show's own Mo Rocca. The show, now with archives of 3 seasons, showcases present day change makers, solving the problems of today. This video shows a sneak of what's inside the series.

• The Henry Ford YouTube Channel--here you will find some of the above mentioned videos, and a wealth of others too.

May these resources help you navigate those traits of innovation and inspire you to investigate the wealth of resources that are out there!

pics from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ad/9b/6f/ad9b6fc4b8e3d69fa65686236ba6e456.png and https://www.thehenryford.org/; video image from https://www.thehenryford.org/education/teaching-innovation; video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--t4IRv9HQ0; final quote from http://thelegacyproject.co.za/2015/07/quotes-from-henry-ford-founder-of-ford-motor-company/