Design. Learn. Solve.

Using Design to Make Life More Interesting

A really great talk from TEDxSanJose that speaks to the power of design. When we think about our students, we should see it as a similar opportunity to rethink where, how, when, and what we learn.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvqcS6-7tNc[/youtube]

Education, Play and Design

I found this video by Plikums via @ethanbodnar.

It focuses on the intersection of education, play, and design. In my mind, it is a powerful video about real learning that we should all watch and take to heart.

”Education is not learning the system”

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20949186[/vimeo]

Weather? What weather?

From January 31st to February 2nd, Be Playful ran a “Prototype Design Camp” for students in Ohio. For 40 high school juniors and seniors, this was a three day introduction to the process of Design Thinking. The students would be asked to create a solution or “prototype” to a particular problem.

The three day design camp was held at an technology conference in Ohio as an example of the “future of learning” and rather than highlighting the latest technology, Prototype provided students the chance to explore “human centered problem solving”. As students went through this process, educators at the conference were given the opportunity to peer into what happens when students are given ownership of their learning and taught a process that enables them to create a solution. The process of design thinking offers students the opportunity to create and problem solve with sticky notes and collective intelligence rather than simply relying upon one piece of technology.

During our three day camp, students were asked  to solve the question “what is the future of learning?”

They were to go out and interview teachers, process the data, define their problem, brainstorm solutions, and create a prototype. We were asking them to re-imagine what learning could be. This was a challenge that was not about technology but student collaboration, This was a challenge centered on the power of group dynamics not a processor.

BUT…

The weather changed that to a certain degree. On Day One we had 40 students in attendance. Due to an ice storm that affected much of the Midwest, schools shut down on Day Two and Three. Students, in turn, were not expected to attend our event. So an event that was not meant to involve much technology all of a sudden had to become all about technology.

What we planned?

Knowing that the weather was coming, we scrambled to create a contingency plan that would allow the students to work virtually if we had to shut down. This is the plan we constructed if we had to work entirely virtually.

1. Google Docs. We created an open Google Doc for each student group. In the document housed images of all of the Post-it notes and outlines they had created.

2. Elluminate. We provided a virtual classroom through Elluminate that we scheduled for each group.

3. Today’s Meet. We created a group chat room through Today’s Meet to enable multi-user chat sessions for each group.

4. Email. We shared the email and phone numbers for each student. (just in case but none of the kids really wanted to use email)

What actually happened?

Schools did close, yet we had 27 of the 40 students show up on Day Two and even more on Day Three. This was not only encouraging, when was the last time you had kids show up to school on a snow day, but it allowed us the opportunity to do much of the work at the conference center.

Despite the fact that many of the students were able to make it, technology did play a roll. In order to ensure that their absent students could participate, students came up with their own solutions.

1. Skype conference call. Many of the groups set up a Skype conference call so that the missing students could participate in the discussions as their groups continued to define their prototype.

2. Facebook groups. Each student group created a private Facebook group for their prototype. The students used this to share ideas and connect as they continued to work on their projects each night after leaving the conference center.

3. Google Docs. The students did use the Google Doc that we created in order to share their ideas with their peers who could not attend, while also building upon the prototype after they had left the conference center each night.

What did we learn?

Prototype was not meant to be about technology. Rather, it was about creating a mindset that reminded students that they are problem solvers and that learning can be different. But we also learned that technology can play an ever vital role in ensuring this problem solving can happen.

Technology alone was not the answer but when coupled with a methodology that puts the students at the center of the learning, it ensured that the students could continue do engage and learn.  And honestly, that’s all we could EVER ask for from technology.

Links

Be Playful
Prototype Design Camp

Why didn’t I think of that?

When it comes to learning and design, the first hurdle is simply looking around and asking yourself, “how could this be better?”

For instance, someone applied the design process to a traditional watering can and came up with something much better.

So it stands, rather than asking ‘Why didn’t I think of that?”, we should frame the way we approach learning with this question, “How can we make this better?”

This idea comes from the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

Design as a mindset. Design as a methodology.

I recently joined the Be Playful team. After a year of transition, I have found an opportunity where I will help others understand the process of Design Thinking in order to engage our students and help them solve problems.

The concept of Design Thinking is something that is not necessarily new, rather it is a mindset that enable students to solve problems. When faced with a world where students, for the most part, are disconnected from school and are not engaged in the learning process, Design Thinking offers an alternative methodology that will transform any learning environment.

Below, David Kelly, the Founder and Chairman of IDEO, explains Design Thinking and how it can empower our students.



As an educator, I have seen students who came to school and went through the routine because it is what they are “required” to do in order to get to the next step in their lives. For those students, learning was not the goal, personal fulfillment was not the goal. A curriculum based around the principles of passion and problem solving changes that.

I am extremely excited about this next step in my career as it will enable me to help schools, and more importantly, students engage in their learning. This path will help students become active learners and problem solvers rather than passive recipients of information.

To learn more about Design Thinking, download this bootcamp provided by the Stanford d.school.

Photo credit: Think Public