San Diego Met

Overview: Students sought community partners and conducted need-finding interviews to determine how they could help create a solution using the design thinking process.

Project Initiation: Students were asked to reach out to community partners that they wanted to work with to help overcome an obstacle. Once connected, students conducted need-finding interviews to determine who their partner was and what obstacles they face by asking broad questions to prevent the partners from leading the students towards a specific need/solution. After the interview was conducted, the students worked as a group to come up with a specific obstacle they wanted to tackle by creating an invention.

Project Exploration and Development: The students learned to work as a cohesive team. They focused on their communication skills, critical thinking, and teamwork. The students had to work together throughout the year to meet specific deadlines that were set. They produced pitch videos and prototypes. They presented and re-presented their work multiple times throughout the year. Each time, the teams peer reviewed each other, giving (and practicing) usable feedback. They worked with their community partners to refine their ideas. They also worked with UCSD Computer Science students to learn the basics of arduino coding to figure out how to implement a technological component within their invention. 

Project Revision and Exhibition: Through out the process, students were able to refine their ideas and pitches. They had multiple revisions where they had to justify why their team pivoted in different directions through out the project. Students learned to navigate the project management process, they took on specific roles, and executed all components of the learning independently throughout the year. Finally, students created video pitches of their inventions that they will be showcasing at the CCTE Showcase. 

Teachers and Subjects: Tabby Kohmescher & Gini Mann-Deibert

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