My New "Office"

Over the past few months I've been diving into my new job. A small portion of this transition has centered on rethinking the role of learning spaces at my school and beyond. One of my goals has been to start conversations about the power of spaces in improving our teaching and learning.

I updated my working space and have used my "office" as a model: an opportunity to wonder/share/create/reimagine. It has already started some great conversations with students, faculty, and staff.

While I've been enjoying the space, I wanted to share the transition and hopefully it will start your own conversation about the learning spaces at your school. The space itself is meant to be communal. I'm not one for saying, "this is MINE". Students and faculty are welcome to use my space for brainstorming. I am a believer in the value of collaboration and being open to new voices/approaches and that only comes when you open your mind or in this case, "your door".

The Result

How It Happened

To create the space, we used Ideapaint Pro. I highly suggest either getting a professional to apply the paint or following IdeaPaint's instructions to the T. For example, if you spread the paint too thin the ink will stain the wall and not wipe off completely. The desk and bookshelf were made out of recycled wood by Amanda Kovattana.

Community Use

As I mentioned, I have offered this space to the faculty and students. They are able to reserve my office and use it as they see fit. This week my office is hosting a video "Photo Booth" for our Multi-Cultural Festival. Students are recording their thoughts based upon a prompt written on the wall.



I hope this has given you some food for thought and I look forward to seeing your take on how we can reimagine our learning spaces.

Photo Credits: Earthworm & davidbill

Beauty and Curiosity

I found these two videos today. They are interviews of Richard Feynman, the acclaimed physicist, and both really resonated with me.

As educators, we are expected to assist our students as they grow and define themselves. These two videos highlight a few principles that, in my mind, are some of the most important lessons we could ever teach our students.

be "madly" curious

explore the little things

beauty surrounds us in all things

it's ok not to know the answer

Hopefully these videos will inspire you as much as they did for me.

Beauty
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmbwczTC6E[/youtube]

Curiosity
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmTmGLzPVyM&feature=related[/youtube]

Photo and Video Credit: damewse

We Are All Designers

“We are all designers.”

Some may balk at this statement. Some may say that they don’t even actually know what that means.

I don’t make that statement lightly.  I taught history, am  a “techie”,  and  can’t draw very well (i’m trying though). In the past, I did not consider myself as the creative type.

With that in mind, design is not about making logos, building websites, or creating an inexpensive incubator for countries in the third world. Design is a mindset. It is an approach that addresses how we collaborate, how and what  we create.

Design is about creating interactions. Design is about understanding our users. Design is about developing something that will make a difference. As educators, we do this ALL the time. We create lessons and experiences that support our students’ learning. Design is at the core of what we do.

This past weekend at Next Chapter in Atlanta, GA, we heard this over and over again: “ design is a verb not a noun.” I know some people may say, “What does that even mean?” but it is at the core of how we can improve how we teach and learn. Design is about how we interact and create.

To understand and embrace this concept of design takes time. I’ll be the first to admit, seeing ourselves as designers does not come easily. You are not the expert. For some, this may be antithetical to how they were trained, how they have operated, how they have built their career. The outcomes, while undefined, may not be what they suggested or had in mind. It may not come easily. We were taught to have structure and a clearly defined outcome or argument.

Despite that, I ask you to try to let go. Try to embrace the uncertainty of the process. Many of our colleagues cry out for empowering our students, to create curriculum that is authentic. We talk about teacher as “facilitator” or as “guide on the side”. If we are truly to embrace the concept of authentic and student-centered learning, we must be open to letting go: to embrace a process that is messy and does not have a pre-defined outcome.

I am not suggesting that you upend your life to embrace the design process. Rather, find small ways that you can incorporate  the process into your life. Start by  addressing  a small challenge that your colleagues, students, or family is facing. For example:

1. Use the process with students and teachers to define how to recreate a space in the  library to best suit the needs of the community.


2. Build it into a unit for a class you teach.


3. Brainstorm exercise with a few of your colleagues during a faculty or department meeting.


4. With your family, reconsider how you use your backyard.

Give yourself the time and space to explore the process in a way that suits your personality and needs. Do not try to copy an approach. Think about who you are and what you need.

If you  need guidance, find someone who would be willing to explore this challenge with you. Do you need to research before you begin? See below for some resources. Find an approach that speaks to you and adapt it to suit your particular need.

The idea of design and design thinking is not to uproot  our core values but to heighten  our ability to create experiences that will extend how we teach and learn. It will empower our students and colleagues. It will create experiences and outcomes that we could never have imagined.

Release. Play. Make. Celebrate.

Resources

• IDEO - "Design Thinking for Educators"


• Stanford - "k12 Lab Wiki"


• Prototype - Design Thinking Resources

Photo credit: Hugh MacLeod

My iPhone, Google Voice, & AT&T

Backstory

So, I am in the process of starting a new job, which is SUPER exciting. While we are an extremely tech savvy school, because our building is built to withstand five earthquakes simultaneously, only kind of joking, we do not get the best cell reception with AT&T. This is a problem as I have an iPhone. I love my phone, it allows me to not only use my phone but also check up on my Google Reader, check in, tweet, capture my thoughts/images in Evernote, and many of those things I will need for my job.

But

Because of the lack of reception in our building, I can't use my wonderful device as a phone. This is a problem because I don't want to sit in my office. I want to be roaming the school, interacting with students & teachers. In order to do that, I need to make sure I can access my work and mobile phone numbers all on one device: my iPhone.

The Answer

I am going with Google Voice* but want to keep my mobile number. This is important because I don't want to inconvenience my friends and colleagues and have to switch my mobile number AGAIN. Google Voice will allow me to get reception on my mobile and work numbers on my iPhone via our WiFi network and the Talkatone app. This approach also allows me to use all of my mobile apps that, as I mentioned, are an important part of documenting my job.

The Problem

I wanted to have my mobile number completely connected to Google Voice. Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't allow you to port your mobile number to Google Voice without incurring an early termination fee. When I suggested that I would not be canceling AT&T, just simply adding a new number to my line and would forward that to Google Voice, I was given a flat response of NO. Funnily enough, other services allow it.

The Solution

After being shot down by a few AT&T customer service reps on the phone, I met Irene Drake, a customer rep at the AT&T store on Union St. in San Francisco. Irene was EXTREMELY helpful and wanted to ensure that I found a way to make this work but ultimately, our initial solution was not as successful as we had hoped.

After sleeping on it, I came up with the following approach this morning:

At Work

1. Forward mobile number to Google Voice by dialing **61*xxx-xxx-xxxx# on your mobile phone (the x's represent your GV #)


2. Forward work number to Google Voice by dialing **61*xxx-xxx-xxxx# on your work number (the x's represent your GV #)


3. Download the Talkatone app to your iPhone


4. In Google Voice>Click Settings>Click Phones>Scroll to Forwarding Options>Click "ring my other phones before going to voicemail"


5. Turn on "Airplane Mode"


6. Turn on Wifi


7. Receive calls from work and personal numbers via Talkatone


8. Make calls via your Google Voice number using Talkatone

After Work

1. Turn off "Airplane Mode"


2. Turn off Wifi


3. Make and receive personal calls via AT&T


4. Work phone still goes to Google Voice (this way I can screen calls after work hours)

The Catch

There always is one, isn't there?

When dialing out from work, I will have to use my Google Voice number**. I won't be making a lot of personal calls at work, so I will associate my Google Voice number with work and keep my personal mobile number exactly that.

Conclusion

Yes, it requires some extra steps but since I am in a building with nearly no mobile reception, this will allow me to be away from my desk and working with faculty and students while also having access to my work and mobile numbers on my iPhone.

Also, when it comes to team based communication, since each member of our tech department has an iPhone, I think i'm going to have us use Kik for group messaging since we are located all over our campus. (More to come on that later in the year)

Again, I want to thank Irene Drake, as she was SUPER helpful in spending the time with me to ensure we could find a solution without having to pay the early termination fee. While we didn't find a the right answer off the bat, she reminded me that there are a lot of good people at AT&T who do want the best for their customers.

Photo Credit: hname

*If you want to know about the advantages of using Google Voice, check out this post.
**Unless my job will let me port my number over.

Mobile Learning is coming but...

I saw a tweet that included the poster shown below. As I scanned the poster I was in agreement with the overarching thesis:

YES

mobile technologies are here.

YES

they are transforming how our students learn/interact/think.

YES

we must be aware of this and think about how we can best incorporate mobile technologies in to our teaching.

BUT

before we do, let us take a step back and think long and hard about the approach. Is the technology allowing the curriculum to be something much more transformative? Is archiving our notes or being able to record your voice going to transform how our students learn in a world that is changing before our eyes or is it simply creating a shinier tool for an outdated model of learning?

As you examine how technology can be incorporated into your school, make sure you think through these questions:

1. How is [fill in the blank] creating a more engaging and dynamic learning experience?
2. Will this empower students to be self-directed learners?
3. Is it allowing students to create their own knowledge?
4. How is this extending the classroom?
5. Is it helping students realize that learning is not about getting to the next step?

YES

there will be some technologies that simply improve how we operate and effectively transfer information.

BUT

if we are able to answer these questions knowing that we are using the available technologies to transform our learning environments, then we will be headed in the right direction.


Via: Voxy Blog

Photo Credit: Yagan Kiely

How Space And Time Can Transform A School

I ran across two sites today.

One was about the phenomenon of co-working spaces:

"Office Party? Let's Tweet It"

In an era where more and more people are taking the entrepreneurial spirit and working in coffee shops or in their homes, the idea of a co-working space is something that is quite intriguing from an educational standpoint.

What if schools created spaces and opportunities that centered on the same principles mentioned in the article?

"the group lunches, the whiteboard brainstorming sessions, the Friday beer parties — that puts Studiomates at the forefront of an innovative new model for doing business."

What if our students were given the opportunity to learn in spaces like these? Ok, sans the beer, but still. What defines the success of co-working spaces, like Studiomates or the General Assembly, is the intersection, of play+creativity+productivity+community+inspiration.

We must be more thoughtful about how students worked together and create spaces and opportunities that lead to interactions and ideas like Creative Mornings, which in my opinion offer exactly what students need: a 20 minute break from the day and access to ideas that will broaden their horizons.

When we create spaces and opportunities that allow creativity and play to flow freely, you'd not only be surprised at the quality of what is produced but how much of it.

The other site I found was:

72 Hour Challenge by The Better Block

The team at The Better Block created a website that is

"a demonstration tool that acts as a living charrette so that communities can actively engage in the buildout process and provide feedback in real time"

In other words, they are working to improve city blocks around the country.

Their 72 Hour Challenge asks groups to create a new vision for a street block in 3 days and nights. This same challenge could be applied in schools.

Why can't we give our students a challenge, a deadline, and asked to "make" something? We could ask them questions like:

How could our students revise a playground?
How could you reconstruct a communal space to be more collaborative and fun?

These are challenges that our students would thrive on, it would create a culture of play, and help re-think the idea of school space from our users' point of view. If we can embrace challenges like these, we will breathe a breath of fresh air into our schools and you'd be surprised how much our students are learning.

What does this mean?

If we look at these ideas, they offer people to opportunity to connect, share, learn, play, and make a difference. These are all things that schools are meant to represent as well. While I am not advocating that schools need to be co-working spaces or have all learning happen through 72 hour challenges, I do believe the core ideas behind these initiatives can help improve our schools.

Photo credit: duncan

Collective Action

The video below is of Marshall Ganz, an community expert and a key player in developing the 2008 Obama campaign. In his talk, at the Berkman Center in 2008, he spoke about how to create collective action. While he may have been referring to the political world, the same principles apply now when we look at creating action in the world of education.

In particular, Ganz focuses on how to use organizing, collective action, and mobilization to initiate change. He mentions that change comes when individual preferences are turned into common focuses, which can lead to the capacity to act upon them. When we look at making changes in our schools, we must find a common thread among the teachers and administrators. This does not mean we must have mandates, rather it means we must find a common idea or belief and give individuals in this group the ability to take action as a group.

How do we make this happen?

Leadership

It is the "practices that enable others to achieve purpose in the face of uncertainty". In other words, leadership is comprised of practices that enable groups to work effectively. This could mean creating teams, or Personal Learning Communities, that bridge departments to enable this to happen. These groups could be run by seasoned facilitators to ensure success. This role of facilitator would rotate after others were trained on how to run the groups.

Community

In addition to strong leadership, a community rises from a stable entity capable of exercising collective agency. If this is the case, teachers will feel empowered and not isolated; they will be willing to make a change.

Power

The power of a community rests in its ability to use resources (time, energy, materials) purposeful to take change. We must evaluate how we, as schools, use these recourses to create change.

Key Factors

Along with the previous three factors, Ganz mentions that the following are necessary conditions for effective collective action.

Shared values

Values are broader than interests and sources of motivation. Values are communicated emotionally. To achieve this we need narrative and empathy not just metrics and data.

Shared interests

To build this collective capacity, we must create relational interests (1 on 1 meetings are key for this to develop). Is there a basis for working together? Are we able to commit to one another?

Shared structure

We must have common purpose and shared norms. There must be trained leaders and structures for our initiatives to succeed. Structure leads to ability to create change.

Shared strategy

"Turn what you have into what you need to get what you want." Adapt based upon real time information and needs. It is the purposeful and most creative part of organizing. Any strategy will shift but as long as the group buys into the common goal, it will happen.

Shared action

Resources are time, material items, and energy. The mobilization and deployment of resources are essential to make change. Resources can only be effective when "the outcomes are clear, ... specific and...can be learned from".

Finally

While technology can be at the center of making this all happen, Ganz reminds us about carpenters and tools. Investment in skilled carpenters allows the tools to be used in effectively. We must spend our time in developing the human capital in schools. We must understand the community and determine the human needs before we blindly invest our time or money in technology.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhCoz5hMhTI[/youtube]

Photo credit: mike.bendetti

Using Design to Make Life More Interesting

A really great talk from TEDxSanJose that speaks to the power of design. When we think about our students, we should see it as a similar opportunity to rethink where, how, when, and what we learn.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvqcS6-7tNc[/youtube]

Rives and the iPad

Rives is a man of many talents, he is a spoken word poet, emcee, pop-up book writer, and conversationalist. As one of the hosts of TEDxSMU this past October, he was given the chance to show off some of his skills and gave a powerful storytelling performance using an iPad.

His four minute "talk", seen below, is an example of the potential of the iPad, or any tablet for that matter. Far too often we see computers as a means to check email, write papers, or watch videos. In an age of, as Clay Shirky puts it, "cognitive surplus", we have the opportunity to use that technology and our time towards "doing something" and being "creative", two things that we must ensure our students embrace. The tools at our disposal, including the iPad, are extremely powerful, so let's make sure that our students are using the technology to do more than write five paragraph essays or create PowerPoints. Let's make sure they truly create.

In the end, as Rives points out, no matter the medium, it is about telling a "story". We need to let our students embrace the mediums that work for them (iPads/cellphones/whatever) and allow them to create stories that they care about. By giving them a voice, we will not only empower our students but allow them to develop their creative spirit all while maximizing that "cognitive surplus".

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNhdRvBfg7A&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Learning from Google's Creative Lab

Google's Creative Lab has been around for a few years but the concept has been a transformative one for the company and a model that schools should consider.

The Creative Lab

Google, which had been known more for their search than their advertising, has made a large impact in the digital media scene over the past few years. Their multi-disciplinary team in the Creative Lab has been responsible for some very critically acclaimed work including, their "Google Chrome Speed Tests", "Wilderness Downtown", and "Parisian Love".

Projects like these have transformed Google's image. The Creative Lab has been an opportunity to infuse creative talent into an Internet company while also training the "creatives" on the power of Google. Those who work in the Creative Lab stay for a year or two before being sent back into their respective industries. By following such a model, Google has been able not only train up and coming designers and writers on the power of Google but reap the benefits of their talent.

Bringing the Creative Lab to schools

The power of the Creative Lab has been in the fact that it has helped transform Google into a force in the digital media world.

Why can't the same be done in schools?

It could be a "Teach For America" for creatives. Innovators and designers will spend two years working within a school to help bring innovation and an understanding of design thinking into schools while in turn they are trained as educators. The schools benefit by having access to amazing creatives who can help transform the experience of learning in an academic institution while the creatives benefit by being trained as educators. After a stint in a school, the creatives return to their professional worlds with an understanding of education that many dedicated to helping lack.

Far too often I meet very creative people who want to make a difference in the world of education but do not understand schools. By developing a program like this, a school will give those passionate creatives an opportunity to make a difference the world of education and in turn become a much more informed public. This type of work would provide an opportunity to solve two problems:

1. The need for schools to truly embrace a different way of thinking when it comes to learning


2. Create more informed social entrepreneurs, innovators, and designers

The Google Creative Lab has transformed Google into a powerful player in the advertising and media space. Schools can benefit from the same approach. Design and innovation are becoming more important in our schools and this is a great opportunity to create more "teachers" while benefiting from the power of creativity and innovation.

If anyone is interested in such an idea, let me know and lets dream this up together.

Education, Play and Design

I found this video by Plikums via @ethanbodnar.

It focuses on the intersection of education, play, and design. In my mind, it is a powerful video about real learning that we should all watch and take to heart.

"Education is not learning the system"

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20949186[/vimeo]

Why we need a new conversation

Twitter is full of education hashtags. Those symbols of community bring educators from around the world together. One hashtag in particular is very powerful within the our community. #edchat has become a beacon for many educators. It has connected them, it has enabled them to share ideas, resources, and stories. I believe that hashtags like #edchat are critical to create a sense of community for educators, many whom feel isolated in their schools or districts.

I will not speak poorly of #edchat. As I mentioned, it has played an important role in connecting and enabling many educators. I value what the creators and curators of #edchat are doing to unite and support educators around the globe.

BUT

I believe we must move beyond #edchat.

While it plays an important role, I believe we need to hear new voices. Many educators are stuck in an echo chamber. Rather than learning about another web 2.0 tool or rehashing futile debates, I want us to be inspired. I want us to be challenged. I want to extend us to extend our thinking about what is possible in the world of education.

For the past few years I have been seeking inspiration and connections among my fellow educators but also reaching out to innovators, designers, and visionaries. This has led to some eye opening experiences and connections that are transforming the way I work and in turn helping others understand how to engage with educators.

For educators to move beyond the echo chamber, It is necessary for us to engage in conversations with people outside the world of education We should be reading more Fast Company and GOOD, just to name two, and fewer teacher blogs, including mine. Educators are not the only ones who want to improve the status of education. Very smart and creative people are looking to help. They are looking to make a difference. We should be engaging these innovators and designers to dream up ways to improve where, how, and when learning happens.

To make this happen, not only do we need to create conversations that kill the echo chamber but educators should attend events that have nothing to do with their specific discipline. True innovation comes when there are disruptors. For changes to be made at a national level, we must do a better job at engaging innovators in other industries. Those innovators can help us think differently about how our schools function, we can build partnerships, and in turn we can help educate a non educators about the real challenges we face.

Schools like the REALM Charter School in Berkeley, CA, or Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA are examples of how this can be done. They are being very particular and creating a close relationship with institutions and companies that provide educators and students an opportunity to connect the worlds between education and innovation.

Educators have the chance to change the conversation by reaching out to their communities and build relationships with individuals, companies, and organizations who want to make a difference.

We can learn from the amazing creatives who are rethinking so many different industries. If educators do not engage these people, if they do not join these conversations and build these relationships, a huge opportunity will be lost.

You should still continue to be a part of #edchat and the myriad of other education hashtags but all I ask is that you also join a conversation in a completely different field. Be madly curious. Go engage and by doing so you'll be able to transform your practice and open your students up to a world of new opportunities.

Links:
REALM Charter School
Science Leadership Academy
#edchat
Fast Company
GOOD

Serving Up PD

For the the past few years, I have been exploring the idea of professional development. While the mindset of helping educators has always been the same, the methodology has evolved.

There are a number of people out there who are doing the same thing. We are attempting to inspire and connect by using models that include edcamps and TEDx.

My first exploration started a few years ago when I ran across TEDx. In my mind, TEDxNYED and TEDxSFED were meant to be the answer, TED like events that brought inspiration to educators. These are powerful opportunities but these are once a year.

Over the past few months I have been thinking about the idea of community, learning, and innovation.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that TEDx as a one day event, while inspiring, does not bring the type of results I have been seeking. The real goal is to create opportunities for sustained interaction between educators, innovators, and designers.

What got me to this mind set was at first the TEDxNY salon. Then there was Detroit Soup. And finally, today I read Glen Lubbert's post on Jeffersonian dinners.

These events all have something in common: bringing people together to connect, share, and explore what is possible. They are not difficult to produce and they are not time consuming. They are simple methods to connect and create opportunities that can transform education.

As I move forward, my goals are to:

1. Provide a platform for educators to connect on a regular basis
2. Introduce the worlds of education and innovation to each other

That is possible by:

1. Following the TEDxNY and TEDx Tuesdays at SMU models and create a regularly scheduled salon that bringing educators and innovators together to inspire, learn, share, and create opportunites that will transform education.

2. Create regularly scheduled dinners like Detroit Soup or the Jeffersonian Dinners that provide opportunities to inspire, connect, and plan over a meal.

I know these ideas are not new but I do not see many opportunities that connect the worlds of education and innovation. My goal is to bridge the divide of education and innovation by creating opportunities for the two worlds to meet. Far too often educators are not included in these type of events.

Hopefully, by introducing these models, I will be able to help feed the conversation around how we can assist our educators, expand their network, and transform their teaching.

In order to give credit where credit is due, the ideas mentioned stemmed from the following models:

TEDxNY
Detroit Soup
Jeffersonian Dinners
edcamp

While TEDxSFED is on April 9th, I believe these goals are definitely ideas worth spreading and plan to move forward soon after our first iteration of TEDxSFED is over. I hope that you do the same and create your own Jeffersonian Dinners or something similar and help bring educators and innovators together in order to serve up better professional development.

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon

Weather? What weather?

From January 31st to February 2nd, Be Playful ran a "Prototype Design Camp" for students in Ohio. For 40 high school juniors and seniors, this was a three day introduction to the process of Design Thinking. The students would be asked to create a solution or "prototype" to a particular problem.

The three day design camp was held at an technology conference in Ohio as an example of the "future of learning" and rather than highlighting the latest technology, Prototype provided students the chance to explore "human centered problem solving". As students went through this process, educators at the conference were given the opportunity to peer into what happens when students are given ownership of their learning and taught a process that enables them to create a solution. The process of design thinking offers students the opportunity to create and problem solve with sticky notes and collective intelligence rather than simply relying upon one piece of technology.

During our three day camp, students were asked  to solve the question "what is the future of learning?"

They were to go out and interview teachers, process the data, define their problem, brainstorm solutions, and create a prototype. We were asking them to re-imagine what learning could be. This was a challenge that was not about technology but student collaboration, This was a challenge centered on the power of group dynamics not a processor.

BUT...

The weather changed that to a certain degree. On Day One we had 40 students in attendance. Due to an ice storm that affected much of the Midwest, schools shut down on Day Two and Three. Students, in turn, were not expected to attend our event. So an event that was not meant to involve much technology all of a sudden had to become all about technology.

What we planned?

Knowing that the weather was coming, we scrambled to create a contingency plan that would allow the students to work virtually if we had to shut down. This is the plan we constructed if we had to work entirely virtually.

1. Google Docs. We created an open Google Doc for each student group. In the document housed images of all of the Post-it notes and outlines they had created.

2. Elluminate. We provided a virtual classroom through Elluminate that we scheduled for each group.

3. Today's Meet. We created a group chat room through Today's Meet to enable multi-user chat sessions for each group.

4. Email. We shared the email and phone numbers for each student. (just in case but none of the kids really wanted to use email)

What actually happened?

Schools did close, yet we had 27 of the 40 students show up on Day Two and even more on Day Three. This was not only encouraging, when was the last time you had kids show up to school on a snow day, but it allowed us the opportunity to do much of the work at the conference center.

Despite the fact that many of the students were able to make it, technology did play a roll. In order to ensure that their absent students could participate, students came up with their own solutions.

1. Skype conference call. Many of the groups set up a Skype conference call so that the missing students could participate in the discussions as their groups continued to define their prototype.

2. Facebook groups. Each student group created a private Facebook group for their prototype. The students used this to share ideas and connect as they continued to work on their projects each night after leaving the conference center.

3. Google Docs. The students did use the Google Doc that we created in order to share their ideas with their peers who could not attend, while also building upon the prototype after they had left the conference center each night.

What did we learn?

Prototype was not meant to be about technology. Rather, it was about creating a mindset that reminded students that they are problem solvers and that learning can be different. But we also learned that technology can play an ever vital role in ensuring this problem solving can happen.

Technology alone was not the answer but when coupled with a methodology that puts the students at the center of the learning, it ensured that the students could continue do engage and learn.  And honestly, that's all we could EVER ask for from technology.

Links

Be Playful
Prototype Design Camp

I'm an educator, I mean designer, I mean...

I had the chance to attend CompostModern this past weekend. It is a conference for designers by designers.

As an educator, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I initially felt as though I would be the odd man out. I mean, I was no where near as fashionable as 99% of the attendees and at no point have I or will I pretend to be an artist. Just ask my old students, I was the master of the stick figure.

That being said, I do consider myself a designer. In my mind all educators are. The bonds that unite "designers" and "educators" are far deeper than you would expect.

Both are asked to solve problems. Both deal with clients who don't necessarily like their ideas. Both must find ways to sell their ideas and, if they are good, will use images to do so.

Far too often, I see teachers simply consider themselves to be content experts and get caught up in data and numbers. Rather than focusing purely on statistics, let us, as "educators", think as designers:

• How can you use a story to solve your problem? (i.e. help your students learn)


• How can you visualize the learning process?


• How can you ensure that you stay true to your vision (i.e. the content) while meeting your client (i.e. the student) where they are as well?

What really hit me while at CompostModern, a conference on sustainability and design, was the fact that so many designers want to make a difference. Many of those designers want to help or be educators. This became obvious when I offered an unconference session on education and design and it was attended by over 30 people. As educators, we cannot ignore this. We must look to designers for help as we have a lot to learn on how as Dan Meyer put it, "sell a product the consumer doesn't want to buy".

The power of design, story, and imagery have changed the world. Images and story have helped shape our culture. In an age of abundance and information overload it is becoming every more apparent that what we as educators need to do is think more like designers.

It doesn't matter how many gadgets or gizmos you throw at a classroom, they will not make a difference unless the story behind the material is compelling, unless the process is visual, and unless you engage your students differently.

So I ask you, from one educator to another, to think about the following:

• Are you presenting your students with a clear and relevant problem?


• Is the material clear and telling a story?


• Is your approach visual?

If you are answering yes to all three, then you are more of a designer than you think. If you did not answer yes to the questions, then think about how you could change reconstruct your approach.

What we teach must take design into consideration. The days of just buying a shoe are over. Consumers want a story (TOMS) they can believe in. Education is no different. Designers are itching to make a difference. If you are not comfortable with this transition, reach out to someone who can help.

In short, designers can be educators and educators can be designers.

Photo credit: Active Free

Next Generation of Makers

This cartoon by @howtoons exemplifies the kind of curiosity and desire to create that can empower students and make them the "life-long learners" we always hear about. When students take ownership of their learning, the game changes. They become passionate about learning.

The image also speaks to the idea that students are learning more on YouTube and elsewhere than inside a classroom. As Diana Laufenberg mentions in her TED Talk, content we used to passs on to students can be obtained elsewhere. We must be curators and guides as we empower our students to create and use their knowledge to be solve problems that matter to them and their community.

If we provide our students the opportunity to be curious and create, we are giving them the best education they could ever receive from us.

P.S. If you're interested in buying a print of the cartoon, you can find it here.

Photo credit: Howtoons

Why didn't I think of that?

When it comes to learning and design, the first hurdle is simply looking around and asking yourself, "how could this be better?"

For instance, someone applied the design process to a traditional watering can and came up with something much better.

So it stands, rather than asking 'Why didn't I think of that?", we should frame the way we approach learning with this question, "How can we make this better?"

This idea comes from the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

New rules

When I was growing up there were simple rules I was to follow.

1. Be a good person

2. Brush your teeth after you eat

3. Don't hit your sister

In a world that has been forever altered by the age of the Interwebs, these rules are still very much relevant (especially the one about not hitting your sister) but there are some very important rules that we must also understand.

We are no longer dependent on media monopolies for our information and the ability to access information from a number of different sources has never been easier. In turn, we must learn a new set of rules when it comes to media.

On the website for his book, Mediactive, Dan Gilmor states these "principles":

We are now not only consumers but creators of media. With this, comes responsibility. More often than not the information we receive is not exactly accurate.

So, as you go out and become a consumer or creator of media, which we all do in one way or another, be careful and follow Dan Gilmor's rules:

For Media “Consumers”

Even those of us who are creating a variety of media are still–and always will be–more consumers than creators. For all of us in this category, the principles come mostly from common sense. They include skepticism, judgment, reporting, expanding one’s own vision and understanding how it all works. More specifically:

1. Be skeptical of absolutely everything.

2. Don’t be equally skeptical of everything.

3. Go outside your personal comfort zone.

4. Ask more questions.

5. Understand and learn media techniques.

For Media Creators

All of the principles for consumers are part of the toolkit of every responsible journalist or information provider. So are the following. The first four — thoroughness, accuracy, fairness and independence — are standard for journalists of all kinds, and are widely accepted inside of traditional news organizations. The fifth — transparency — is somewhat new and considerably more controversial, and even more critical in a distributed media age.

1. Do your homework, and then do some more.

2. Get it right, every time.

3. Be fair to everyone.

4. Think independently, especially of your own biases.

5. Practice and demand transparency.

Photo credit: Kevin Lim

Three Ways of Learning

Diana Laufenberg, a friend and teacher at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA, gave a great TED Talk that speaks directly to what learning is and what it is not.

Specifically, Diana mentions that schools should not be repositories of information but rather opportunities for students to learn in the three ways mentioned above.

Design as a mindset. Design as a methodology.

I recently joined the Be Playful team. After a year of transition, I have found an opportunity where I will help others understand the process of Design Thinking in order to engage our students and help them solve problems.

The concept of Design Thinking is something that is not necessarily new, rather it is a mindset that enable students to solve problems. When faced with a world where students, for the most part, are disconnected from school and are not engaged in the learning process, Design Thinking offers an alternative methodology that will transform any learning environment.

Below, David Kelly, the Founder and Chairman of IDEO, explains Design Thinking and how it can empower our students.



As an educator, I have seen students who came to school and went through the routine because it is what they are "required" to do in order to get to the next step in their lives. For those students, learning was not the goal, personal fulfillment was not the goal. A curriculum based around the principles of passion and problem solving changes that.

I am extremely excited about this next step in my career as it will enable me to help schools, and more importantly, students engage in their learning. This path will help students become active learners and problem solvers rather than passive recipients of information.

To learn more about Design Thinking, download this bootcamp provided by the Stanford d.school.

Photo credit: Think Public