INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN THINKINGFOR EDUCATORS

Hosted atHenry Ford Academy: Alameda School for Art + DesignSan Antonio, TX

August 7-9, 2017

Understanding design thinking and using it as a process

for teaching innovation and creativity

“CREATIVITY NOW IS AS IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION AS LITERACY, AND WE SHOULD TREAT IT WITH THE SAME STATUS.”

Sir Ken Robinson, Speaker and International Advisor on Innovation and Design Thinking in Education

THE DESIGN THINKING PROCESS

IDEO, one organization responsible for the growing popularity of “Design Thinking,” describes it as a “human-centered approach to problem solving that helps people and organizations become more innovative and creative.”

OVERVIEWOF GOALS

Henry Ford Learning Institute’s Introduction to Design Thinking for Educators workshop was designed to equip participants with a deeper understanding of Design Thinking and how to facilitate the design process to create engaging learning experiences for students, as well as use the process as an organizational problem-solving tool.

The central goal of the 3-day workshop was to provide participants with a strong, immersive introduction to Design Thinking, an opportunity to develop a personal action card for academic or cultural interventions using learned strategies and tools, and time with subject-matter experts to ask questions around implementing Design Thinking components in their own contexts.

Learning activities incorporated a balance of process introduction, active experience and implementation, and reflection on application. Times for reflection included a strong focus on the Design Thinking process as a unique way to engage students in meaningful, authentic problem-based case learning, consideration of challenges and opportunities the approach presents for teachers and students, and structural considerations for implementing new techniques, tools and structures within more traditional school settings.

In summary, participants:

Took part in daily warm up activities to create a readiness for creative problem solving and innovative thinking and learning;

Experienced a Rapid Cycle Design Thinking Challenge: Redesign my Partner’s Morning Experience;

Experienced an 8-hour Quick Dive Design Thinking Challenge: Design A Way To Be Healthy When You Eat Out.

Developed a Personal Action Card for implementing aspects of Design Thinking in their own contexts, shared and received feedback from others to help strengthen and extend those initial ideas;

Practiced facilitating a portion of a Design Thinking activity with a structured analysis and reflection session at the conclusion; and,

Talked to people using Design Thinking in HFA network schools on specific topics ranging from how to plan a design challenge to interacting with community partners to how to use Design Thinking as a principal.

OVERVIEWOF AGENDA

DAY 1 8:30

9:20

11:10

12:00

1:45

4:00

DAY 2

8:30

9:15

12:00

12:45

1:45

3:45

Welcome and Warm-up

IDEO Shopping Cart video reviewRapid Cycle Design Challenge: Redesign your Partner’s Morning ExperienceReflection on Design Challenge

Introduction to Deep Dive Challenge: Design A Way To Be Healthy When You Eat Out.

Lunch

Continue Deep Dive Challenge Empathy Define Reflection and close

Welcome and Warm-up

Deep Dive Design Thinking Challenge(Continued) Ideate Prototype Feedback/Iterate Sharing/Storytelling Reflection

Lunch

StorytellingReflection

Introduction to HFLI-designed resources Close and assign homework (read facil-itator guide and prepare for facilitation on Day 3)

DAY 38:30

8:45

11:15

11:50 12:30

1:10

Welcome and warm-up

Facilitation Plan Discussion

Table Talk 1

Lunch

Table Talk 2

What’s Next? Reflection + close

NEXT STEPS

HFLI recommends the following as possible next steps for participants:

Leverage the initial experience to build a strong professional learning community through social media channels, regular meetings and the support of coaches.

Share challenges, resources, and successes. -Ask and answer questions. -Develop collaborative projects. -Provide safe “space” for novices and master teachers alike to be learners.

Adapt or develop lessons, units and/or projects to include Design Thinking strategies, skills’ development, tools, materials and processes.

Facilitate a school-wide professional development session for other educators on Design Thinking.

Co-facilitate a Design Thinking-centered lesson or project with a colleague.

Plan and facilitate a professional meeting using Design Thinking tools and strategies.

Host a Rapid Cycle Design Thinking Challenge for members of your greater learning community – school board members, business partners, community organization liaisons, parents, non-instructional staff, alumni and the like.

Convene a small group of students to prototype an extended Design Thinking challenge as a possible major project, after-school club engagement or independent study opportunity.

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES

Case Study: IDEO Shopping Cart video, an example of a professional design firm engaging in Design Thinking to develop an innovative update on a common product.

Expert Source: The Art of Innovation, written by Tom Kelly (co-founder of IDEO) which introduces the approach to Design Thinking HFLI incorporates into its work.

Aligned Reading: Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World, by Tony Wagner, introduces what kids need from parents, teachers, and employers to be future innovators.

Aligned Reading: World Class Learners by Yong Zhao explains how students need to function as resourceful, flexible, and creative entrepreneurs to succeed in the global economy.

Implementation tool: Rapid Cycle Design Challenge Facilitator’s Guide, co-developed with Stanford’s d.school, which provides a detailed set of guidelines for facilitating a 90 minute Design Thinking exercise.

HFLI’s customized learningengagements use DesignThinking and other creativethinking tools and methods tosupport individuals and teams intheir professional growth.

1, 2 and 3-day workshopsintroduce and develop DesignThinking skills and strategiesthrough real-world challenges– participants leave with toolsand an action plan to begin usingtheir emerging competenciesimmediately.

Targeted 2 or 4-hour challengesessions address an identifiedopportunity through a sequenceof engaging activities –participants leave with a definedset of next steps and plannedtimeline for accomplishing thedesired change and identifiedgoals.

Customized coaching buildson emerging Design Thinkingskills and mindsets withinterventions that are “justin time,” “just enough,” and“just for me” – participantsengage in work-embeddedprofessional development thatpromotes continuous growth andimmediate application/benefit.

Learning is at the center ofeverything we do, and weprovide a quality experience atevery step. At the end of theday, our greatest achievementis measured by the successof our participants, partnersand colleagues to solveproblems creatively, innovatecollaboratively and improve ourworld through their unique andindividual efforts.

Redesigning how we learn.

HFLI’s hands-on Design Thinking workshops engage participants in a structured process to address organizational or community-centered challenges. Our immersion learning experiences help develop skills and mindsets for creative problem solving and collaborative innovation. In the 21st century, creativity and innovation can and should be an integral part of everyone’s professional experience – the growingvcomplexity of our world and workplace requires it.