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:
- Video: IBM's Design thinking and agile thinking model
- Video: A quick overview of design thinking
- Video: More on design thinking with kids
- Interview: TedTalk by head of IDEO, David Kelley, that discusses design thinking, Guided Mastery, creative confidence, and self efficacy (short version)
- Interview: David Kelley on design thinking (the long version, but worth it)
Additional Resources:
- Genius Hour Tips and Tricks to Keep Kids on Track
- Apple Releases Apps for Augmented Reality
- Genius hour in elementary school
- Mitchel Resnick on Promoting Kid's Creativity
- Genius Hour - How To Build Community Leaders
- Combining Literature into a Maker Activity
- An amazing use of design thinking and real world learning
- Design thinking at work in an elementary charter school
- The Mouse convention where creativity reigns
- Richard Byrne's List of Site and Apps for Learning to Code
- Effective Group Work
- The Growth and Genius Mindset
- The ultimate in creative, the Zero Gravity musical group on how to be creative
- The Future of the Maker Movement and Mouse Squads in the School
- Two Rivers Public Charter School, Wash DC and their expeditions projects
- Measures Used to Judge Quality of Teaching and Learning
- And the report about Measures that Matter
- Guidebook for Implementing Personal Learning in Rural Schools
- Steve Hargadon on Self-Directed Learning
- Excellent student project with Styrofoam
- Design Thinking and Urban Planning
- Pam Moran, Making, and the Learning Commons
- This design teacher should be on the staff of a library learning commons
- Co-Design, a Process of Joint Inquiry and Imagination
- Design thinking with collaborating adults, no library inquiry included
- Design thinking for elementary kids doing inquiry
- Design Thinking in Schools
- An extremely creative teacher demonstrates engineering projects in a makerspace