C87: Using Design Thinking with our Learners

​Learning transfer is our greatest gift.  It helps us to better understand ideas that we are toying with during our learning.  What better way to transfer all of these ideas in our design thinking challenge, but to teach them to our learners?  Agency at its finest.

Now, let’s circle back to the big ideas from Pop-Up Studio: Responsive Teaching for Today’s Learners that resonate and guide our thinking.  Think about how you will model them for your learners and make them a vital part of your planning process.  Remember, their purpose is to add depth and complexity to your learner’s thinking and understanding.  Isn’t this what we want for all of our learners? 

​The 4A’s

Let’s review the big ideas of the 4A’s and their roles within our thinking

• Abundance:  There are many ways to connect to ideas

• Authenticity:  Most ideas have a global significance

• Awareness:  Our goal is to have aha moments

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• Anew:  We look at the same ideas with new eyes

CME:  Concepts, Materials, Experiences

CME is more than using a combination of concepts, materials, and experiences together.  It considers how the learner with use the combination to show their thinking so you can truly "see" their level of understanding.  To accomplish this task, we consider: 

• Who is involved in the experience and the context
• The specific concepts, materials, and experiences to be used
• How to make connections through generalizations

POWR

Here are the overarching ideas from the POWR cycle that shape our thinking and questioning.

• The idea that sparks our learners

• Who might be interested in this idea

• The big idea of our exploration

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• How we have changed during our discovery and exploration

​Now, let’s pivot towards the design thinking process.  To make this come alive, I pose an abundance of questions to stretch your thinking during your planning sessions.  Remember, more is more.  We want to go beyond where we have been in the past, so true inquiry, agency, and conceptual understanding can thrive.  Now that we know better, we must act better.  At the same time, keep in mind that this is part of our journey.  Try to stretch yourself, but don’t take on everything at once.  Take it a bit at a time. 

​How will you connect Misty’s models with the questions from the design thinking process? 

Empathy

• What is empathy? 
• What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
• What does empathy look and feel like?
• Why should I care about empathy?
• How does empathy impact how we interact within the world?
• How can showing empathy build healthy relationships within our community?
• How might you use the learner profile attributes to build school culture? 
• How does international mindedness build relationships?

Define

• How do definitions shape our world?
• How have definitions changed over time?
• What ideas define who we are?
• How do we define problems/issues that impact our organization?
• Who decides which ideas take priority?
• How do we know we have defined the root issue?
• How can you use the Four Agreements to define our problem/issue?
• How can you break down the Four Agreements into bite-size pieces for your learners?

Ideate

• Why is change necessary for a healthy organization?
• How does change develop a stronger culture?
• What are some ideas you have already tried to solve the problem/issue?
• Why did they not work in your context and community?
• What strategies do you use to come up with out-of-the-box solutions?
• How can you use the 4A’s to come up with alternative ideas?
• How can learners drive the ideate process? 

Prototype

• What is a prototype?
• What are the different ways we can create a prototype? 
• How does our choice impact the outcome?
• How can creating a prototype lead to greater success?
• Why do we model processes?
• How can we increase modeling into our practice? 
• How do we develop a deeper unit of inquiry planner? 
• How can we use the CME model to make concepts more tangible for our learners?
• What is the relationship between concepts, materials, and experiences?

Evolve

• What does it mean to evolve?
• Why are we striving to continuously evolve our practice?
• How have our units of inquiry changed over time?
• What areas do you want to improve in your teaching practice?
• How can you make your units more dynamic and learner driven?
• Where are opportunities for our learners to evolve?
• How can we create regular opportunities for learners to reflect?
• What sparks the need to change?
• What tools can we use to help learners to evolve? 

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​All of these questions have sparked my curiosity within my own practice and I can’t wait to hear how they help to deepen your planning process.  Be sure to connect on social media at #thinkchat2020.  I’d love to learn from you!