I just returned from a wonderful professional development opportunity to explore the concept of Design Thinking. There is rich history around the development and implementation of Design Thinking, with many educators now turning to it as a framework to spark innovation in their classrooms (read more about the evolution of Design Thinking here and here and watch it in action here). I can't say enough wonderful things about the representatives from the Henry Ford Learning Institute, who facilitated the workshop, as well as the staff of Alameda School for Art + Design, who hosted us. I loved my time in San Antonio, as well, eating lots of good food, talking with the friendly locals, and soaking up the beautiful culture of the area. The whole experience was refreshing, reenergizing, and inspiring, and I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of it.
I couldn't possibly write a blog post about Design Thinking as a whole. It's an intense process filled with deep reflection, and I have just a tiny bit of experience with it. But I can share some of the ways I'm able to picture myself drawing on Design Thinking to improve my teaching practice, even with children as young as 2.5.
EMPATHIZING
This was probably my single biggest take-away. If we, adults and children alike, are going to set about the monumental challenge of designing a better world, we must begin by finding our common humanity. How might early childhood educators foster empathy when our students are, developmentally, still very much ego-centric? We can start by helping children name their feelings and encourage the healthy expression of those feelings. We can point out commonalities and connections among our students while celebrating their differences. We can embrace the range of our own emotions, explicitly modeling the ways in which we manage them. We can share freely and honestly of ourselves while maintaining professional boundaries, integrating our passions and interests into the fiber of the classroom experience.
IDENTIFYING NEEDS
To invent or improve, we must first identify a need. This gives us the focus necessary to drive our work. Young children can develop this skill by being given the time and space to make observations about the world around them. I believe that children are naturally perceptive, but that they are too often rushed through their daily experiences without the slower pace that would lend itself to more careful observations. As teachers, we can help students refine their observations with open-ended questions and offer a variety of materials for students to record their observations. We can model curiosity and observations of our own.
I couldn't possibly write a blog post about Design Thinking as a whole. It's an intense process filled with deep reflection, and I have just a tiny bit of experience with it. But I can share some of the ways I'm able to picture myself drawing on Design Thinking to improve my teaching practice, even with children as young as 2.5.
EMPATHIZING
This was probably my single biggest take-away. If we, adults and children alike, are going to set about the monumental challenge of designing a better world, we must begin by finding our common humanity. How might early childhood educators foster empathy when our students are, developmentally, still very much ego-centric? We can start by helping children name their feelings and encourage the healthy expression of those feelings. We can point out commonalities and connections among our students while celebrating their differences. We can embrace the range of our own emotions, explicitly modeling the ways in which we manage them. We can share freely and honestly of ourselves while maintaining professional boundaries, integrating our passions and interests into the fiber of the classroom experience.
IDENTIFYING NEEDS
To invent or improve, we must first identify a need. This gives us the focus necessary to drive our work. Young children can develop this skill by being given the time and space to make observations about the world around them. I believe that children are naturally perceptive, but that they are too often rushed through their daily experiences without the slower pace that would lend itself to more careful observations. As teachers, we can help students refine their observations with open-ended questions and offer a variety of materials for students to record their observations. We can model curiosity and observations of our own.
Yours truly hard at work, designing a "coffee parade" to improve my partner's morning routine.
GENERATING IDEAS
If we work with others to generate possible solutions, we increase the likelihood of creating something that makes a significant impact. Learning from the experiences of others allows us to consider possibilities that may not have been apparent on our own. How might we help our young students welcome differing perspectives? We can begin simply by supporting students as they share the classroom space and materials, We can guide students through the inevitable conflicts that will arise as we do so, modeling strategies like turn-taking. We can actively work towards an inclusive classroom culture, where all voices are heard and valued by encouraging families to share their traditions and beliefs. We can maintain a classroom library that reflects the diversity of humanity. We can highlight and honor all student work, regardless of the actual products produced.
CREATING
When a designer creates a prototype, they are essentially communicating their idea. We can nurture this stage of design by providing our young students with a wide array of materials to communicate their thoughts and plenty of time to explore them. We can refer to Malaguzzi's "hundred languages," opening ourselves to the possibility of languages we have not yet encountered or imagined. Teachers can celebrate mistakes and risk-taking, both their own and their students', as they also model flexibility and resilience. We can allow the messiness, noise, and chaos that so often comes with the work of creating, thereby teaching our students to embrace it, as well.
REFLECTING AND REFINING
Though it often feels uncomfortable and vulnerable, opening ourselves up to feedback about our designs can improve our work. This is yet another instance in which teachers can use modeling to help students grow in their ability to welcome feedback. We can ask our students, "What went well?" and "What could be better?" We can provide prompts for the children to give one another feedback, such as "I notice..." We can incorporate time for reflection into our daily schedule. We can give students the time, space, and materials to revisit their work and make adjustments. We can invite the community (school, families, local partners) into the classroom to share our work.
Design Thinking can be a powerful tool in our schools, although it is often associated with middle and high school students. As always, our youngest students can demonstrate their profound capabilities, given developmentally appropriate opportunities. Early childhood teachers can integrate elements of Design Thinking by highlighting the ways in which it connects to the playful best practices already happening in their classrooms.
If we work with others to generate possible solutions, we increase the likelihood of creating something that makes a significant impact. Learning from the experiences of others allows us to consider possibilities that may not have been apparent on our own. How might we help our young students welcome differing perspectives? We can begin simply by supporting students as they share the classroom space and materials, We can guide students through the inevitable conflicts that will arise as we do so, modeling strategies like turn-taking. We can actively work towards an inclusive classroom culture, where all voices are heard and valued by encouraging families to share their traditions and beliefs. We can maintain a classroom library that reflects the diversity of humanity. We can highlight and honor all student work, regardless of the actual products produced.
CREATING
When a designer creates a prototype, they are essentially communicating their idea. We can nurture this stage of design by providing our young students with a wide array of materials to communicate their thoughts and plenty of time to explore them. We can refer to Malaguzzi's "hundred languages," opening ourselves to the possibility of languages we have not yet encountered or imagined. Teachers can celebrate mistakes and risk-taking, both their own and their students', as they also model flexibility and resilience. We can allow the messiness, noise, and chaos that so often comes with the work of creating, thereby teaching our students to embrace it, as well.
REFLECTING AND REFINING
Though it often feels uncomfortable and vulnerable, opening ourselves up to feedback about our designs can improve our work. This is yet another instance in which teachers can use modeling to help students grow in their ability to welcome feedback. We can ask our students, "What went well?" and "What could be better?" We can provide prompts for the children to give one another feedback, such as "I notice..." We can incorporate time for reflection into our daily schedule. We can give students the time, space, and materials to revisit their work and make adjustments. We can invite the community (school, families, local partners) into the classroom to share our work.
Design Thinking can be a powerful tool in our schools, although it is often associated with middle and high school students. As always, our youngest students can demonstrate their profound capabilities, given developmentally appropriate opportunities. Early childhood teachers can integrate elements of Design Thinking by highlighting the ways in which it connects to the playful best practices already happening in their classrooms.
