Project 4:

Design Thinking

For this project, we will form groups of 2-4 individuals who will be challenged to construct a learning experience based on Design Thinking.

What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is a cousin to the traditional inquiry investigations that are typically assigned in K-12 schools and in academia. Instead of asking the learner to summarize what is known about a particular topic, design thinking liberates the learner to create or invent something that will benefit a need they have discovered. Individuals and small groups of learners will have the opportunity of a wide choice in what they explore and will be encouraged to think creatively, cooperate with their group, and develop collaborative intelligence to solve a problem, invent something new, and make a difference in their school, community, or beyond.

Where to Start?

Become familiar with the Design thinking Models out there. Read, view and listen to resources that describe this kind of learning experience. Below are three different visuals of the model followed by various resources you might use to understand the concept and compare it to traditional inquiry that often happens in libraries. Think about the idea of makerspaces as part of a library learning commons that is integral for teacher librarians to encourage design thinking.

Next, look at the Umbrella Creation Model Tutorial. This tutorial is useful in building a design thinking learning experience with the teacher librarian as a partner with a classroom teacher.

Finally, visit, study and use the Question to Create Model Tutorial to help your group get an idea of your project and how to proceed. You will create a KBC as you did for Projects 2 and 3.

The deadline for this project is by Workshop 6.

Design Thinking Media: