This Is What I Learned Today

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Educational Resources & Tech Tools 03/09/2016

Resources | FabLearn Fellows

Maker programming resources as well as documentation on newer tools like 3D printers, CNC milling machines and laser cutters.

tags: project based learning maker makerspace makered
Project Based Learning Science - Lesson Plans for PBL

PBL lesson plans for science broken down by subject area. Includes short summaries of each lesson.

tags: project project based learning pbl lesson plans science ips physical science life science earth science
Empathy is a Design Mindset – part 1 | Social Emotional Learning and the Common Core

This interview offers several methods for helping students and teachers build empathy. Strategies include interviews, observations and immersing oneself in the experience of another.

tags: design thinking empathy mindset SEL
- At the most basic level, design thinking is thought of as a 5-step process. The first step is to empathize, which is getting into other people’s shoes… literally! Interviewing people, observing them or immersing yourself in what they do. The second step is to define, which is when designers identify implicit needs that users have, or reframe a problem in a new way. The third step is to ideate, which is when designers brainstorm novel solutions to the problems or opportunities they have identified. The fourth step is to prototype, that is making ideas tangible, often with few resources. The last step is to test, which is inviting users to experience your solution and having them help you make it better.
- one principle is having an empathetic mindset, which means that you are always looking for multiple and diverse points of view before you make decisions about a problem. Another principle is to have a bias towards action, which is having an idea and doing something about it. Another principle is identifying and challenging assumptions, which is being aware that there are norms accepted as “truth” and challenging them.
- Using a process like design thinking helps designers to get into the lives and experiences of others. It helps them be less focused on their own emotions and more focused on what is actually needed.
- There are three meaningful ways to develop empathy for others. One way is through interviewing, where you have conversations with your end users.
- Another way to develop empathy is through observation;
- A third way to develop empathy is by immersing yourself in other people’s’ experiences.
- Observing, interviewing and immersing are only the first steps in the empathy work. The rest of the work includes interpreting what you see, hear, and experience, and making some leaps about what it all means.
- Design thinking creates this cycle of learning, where by immersing yourself into other people’s experiences, you learn to uncover more about yourself.
- The scientific method, the writing process and design thinking all require that you are intentional about what you do and why you do it.
- One example is a strategy called “why laddering”, where you ask the question “why” several times in a row.
- Once designers get to this important emotional information, they can start designing solutions to replicate these emotions.
- Designing for others is an act of kindness and fidelity;
a6EdTech Teacher Summer Workshops

@JillBergeron2 Thanks, Jill! Did you know that @askMsQ is doing #designthinking workshop in Menlo Park this summer? https://t.co/FbIyuPANrj

tags: designthinking

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Educational Resources & Tech Tools 03/08/2016

NCAIS: 2016 Divergent Thinking Summit

NC design thinking workshop for independent schools.

tags: design thinking PD professional development
DL2016: March 23-25

This is a PD opportunity centered on design thinking. It is held annually at the end of March at High Tech High GSE.

tags: design thinking PD professional development
How to Apply Design Thinking in Class, Step By Step | MindShift | KQED News
- For educators ready to try the idea of design thinking, you’ll be glad to know it does not require extensive transformation of your classroom.
- For students, the best classroom experience is a space of possibility.
- Kids love gym not just because they get to play and move, but because they are the actors, and they produce the entire experience. Time flies in a classroom that is a space of possibility.
- It can be challenging to transition a traditional classroom into a space of possibility. The traditional classroom is ordered, moves efficiently, and rules and expectations are clearly delineated. In the traditional classroom, kids are asked to adjust their learning styles and bodies and voice tones to the expectations of the teacher.
- in a classroom that is a space of possibility, the students have agency, and the products and processes can be moving targets.
- You can run a flexible studio space in your classroom for a certain part of the day. “Choice time” is a common example of a modified space of possibility in a traditional classroom.
- The first place to seek the curriculum is in your classroom’s daily activities.
- A good studio experience is about 5-15 minutes of presentation and discussion and then about a 45-60 minutes of hands-on work time, plus 10-15 minutes of peer critique. During studio time the teacher circulates, assists students, and helps keep them engaged.
- Most professional designers work with simple materials in the design process, and kids should too.
- You can best assist the students by answering their questions with questions. If a student asks, “What should I do?” you can answer with, “ If you wanted to improve the design of (insert a common object), what would you change?” This is higher-level inquiry, because you do not have the right answer.
D3.2-Toolkits — Commonstudio

These three toolkits provide teachers with resources to integrate design thinking into their classes.

tags: design thinking
NextLesson | Common Core Lessons, Projects & Worksheets

This site is a lot like Teachers Pay Teachers. There are some good looking lessons in here and they range in price from free to $5.

tags: lessons lesson plans pbl math innovation
MVPS Summer Plus 2015-16 Faculty Learning Pathfinder

This pathfinder offers up another way to do all school summer reading.

tags: PD professional development in-service pathfinder