Innovators v. Makers

Education has seen its share of people who would influence the machine. There are two basic types of influence that have been prevalent throughout the past. One type is the innovators. I feel that innovators are people who are steeped and vested in the system. These people are directly involved in the process of education. They are students, teachers, administrators, etc. An innovator is someone who is an active participant and strives to introduce something new or bring about a change. On the other hand, there are the makers who also have a role in the evolution of education. Makers tend to be like gears which act as a driving force for change. Makers orchestrate change. Historically, makers, to me, have been on the outside looking in, third parties if you will.

Linda Brown Thompson was an innovator, and she had a vested interest in change. Innovators must always be willing to bear the brunt of public opinion both positive and negative. In Linda's case, public opinion was more than negative; it was brutal. Because her last name simply started with a "B," Linda became the face for desegregation of schools in a hostile south when her name became part of the 1954 court case that ended legalized segregation in schools.

Andrew Carnegie occupies the other side of the coin. He was a maker. Andrew Carnegie was also a self-made man. Coming from humble beginnngs as an immigrant and then later as a worker in a cotton factory, Carnegie realized the importance of self improvement. He attended night school, and when he achieved success with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Carnegie continued to expand his knowledge by traveling to different countries to study the techniques and practices of other people and companies who enjoyed success stories. At the time of his death, Andrew Carnegie had established a trust fund worth millions of dollars; this fund was set aside for the sole purpose of improving mankind through self improvement and education. Mr. Carnegie was a hard worker, a millionaire, an employer, a benefactor, and a man, who in the end, made education part of his mission statement.

Linda Brown Thompson is an innovator because her personal and literal walk into a school forced the south to change. She had a vested interest as evidenced by the treatment that she was subjected to in order to achieve justice. Andrew Carnegie was a maker because, through his generosity, he ensured opportunities for others. He understood how success is "made." In his opinion, it was achieved through determination, self improvement, and hard work. Both innovators and makers play a vital role in the effectiveness of education.

References

Andrew Carnegie. Spartacus. Retrieved June 13, 2010,from
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcarnegie.htm

Stone Lantern Films (Producer). (2001, September 3-4). School [Television Broadcast]. Retrieved June 13, 2010, from http://video.pbs.org/