Kendall College of Art and Design Dialogue and Personality Spring 2017 April 11, 2017
Table of Contents
Project Team Project Statement/Problem Statement Focus Branding Grand Rapids Public Museum School and XQ Vision and Mission Survey Results Pop-Up Event Big Sheets Focus Groups Guest Speakers Gap Analysis Value Proposition Needs Cost Risk Benefits Next Steps Appendices
1-2 3-4 5-6 7-10 11-12 13-14 15-36 37-42 43-50 51-52 53-56 57-60 61-62 63-76 77-78 79-80 81-82 83-84 85-116
Project Team and Introduction
1
From left to right: Kelsey Ballast Pasma, Camellia Perreault, Joe Dunaske, Zoe Carmichael, Charity Atton, Katie Kalkman, Cori Kromrei, Sawyer Seide
2
3
Project Statement As a team we’ve distributed surveys, formed focus groups, and hosted pop-up events with a variety of current and past high school students in order to research the effectiveness of high school as it is currently and what it could be in the future.
Problem Statement We’ve found that students are not being asked for their opinion on their education,and this is creating a disconnect and dissatisfaction with their high school experience. 4
5
Focus Our goal is to better understand what the current issues are, and present that information along with our research and insights, so that the future of high school can ignite young minds by cultivating and preserving an engaging atmosphere for students to prosper.
6
Branding
7
Branding is the cornerstone of every project. It helps define your goals and the feeling of the product. The name “ignite” was chosen after much deliberation. We wanted something inspiring, yet fresh and new; something that would encapsulate our vision for a better high school experience. When we chose ignite, we knew right away that it would perfectly define our goals as a group. With this brand we hope to accomplish a feeling of success, rejuvenation, and excitement. We chose the font Avenir because we wanted a simple sans-serif that was serious, but also easy to read and friendly. We don’t want our group to come off as intimidating or pretentious, therefore Avenir seemed like the perfect fit. With the look of the logo, we were trying to capture the duality of concepting. While concepting ultimately comes out as a finished product through rigorous collaboration and changes, it can get a bit messy along the way. The idea of using contour drawings as the main image felt like the perfect way to execute the idea we were going for, with its abstract, yet somehow cohesive look. The colors blue, green, and orange were inspired by the freshness of spring. Accompanied by the brain logo, they support the vision of a new, modern high school experience that encourages creativity and educational freedom.
8
ignite.
#f79856 RGB: 247, 152, 86 CMYK: 0, 38, 65, 3 Pantone Solid Coated 157 C
9
#48c0b7 RGB: 72, 192, 183 CMYK: 63, 0, 5, 25 Pantone Solid Coated 3258 C
#7fc241 RGB: 127, 194, 65 CMYK: 35, 0, 66, 24 Pantone Solid Coated 360 C
avenir book abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ .,:;?!’” ignite.
ignite.
ignite young minds.
10
11
Grand Rapids Public Museum School and XQ
GRPS Mission Statement: “Our mission is to ensure that all students are educated, selfdirected and productive members of society!� XQ: The Super School Project awarded 10 out of 700 schools nationwide grants that directly go to improve technology and assist in renovations. With XQ teamed up with GRPMHS, they are able to create an effective learning environment that inspires students through place-based and design thinking.
12
3
Our Vision Develop a clear understanding of how high school students are best inspired to learn, by ensuring student voices are heard to help build the high schools of tomorrow.
Our Mission To support GRPMS by obtatining information from past and present high school students in order to discover the most conducive ways of learning for all high school students both now and in the future. 14
Survey Results
We distributed a survey to just under 100 current high school students in Grand Rapids. These students were from City HS, Innovation Central, and South Christian High School. The questions prompted students to think creatively about what they would change about high school. We also wanted to gauge how included these students feel in school now. We also asked students to pick from a list of words their ideal productive environment looks like. We also distributed a slightly modified survey to about 200 college students with the request that they reflect on their years in high school.
16
17
18
19
20
High School Results Are grades the best way to show how much you’ve learned in a class? Yes No
21
22.4%
77.6%
22
High School Results Choose 3 words to describe the environment you’re the most productive in (Top 5 Answers):
1. Comfortable 34 votes 2. Calm 27 votes 3. Music 22 votes 4. With friends 20 votes 5. Quiet/Silent 19 votes
23
On a scale of 1-5, how much do you feel included in high school?
1 (least)
2
3
4
5 (most) 24
High School Results If you had a high school genie who could grant you one wish, what would it be?
25
Less homework No Uniforms Time (More of it, school starting later, wanting high school to be less than four years) Basic needs (working bathrooms, elevators, and air conditioning) Grades (Better grades, grades not mattering as much, easier classes)
26
High School Results If you had an option to job shadow, would you?
Yes No
27
18.4%
81.6%
28
College Results Are grades the best way to show how much you’ve learned in a class? Yes No
29
21.2% 78.8%
30
College Results Choose 3 words to describe the environment you’re the most productive in (Top 5 Answers):
1. Comfortable 65 votes 2. Organized 43 votes 3. Calm 39 votes 4. Music 35 votes 5. Natural light 34 votes
31
On a scale of 1-5, how much did you feel included in high school?
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 (least)
2
3
4
5 (most) 32
College Results If you’d had a high school genie who could grant you one wish, what would it have been?
33
Relationships (More friends, less cliques,people were nicer) Self-Confidence/Body Image College/career/future help Grades (Grades not mattering, better GPA, less homework) Time (More time, school starting later in the day, not having to attend high school at all) 34
College Results If you’d had an option to job shadow in high school, would you have? Yes No
35
15.7%
84.3%
36
Pop-Up Event
37
A pop up event is a seemingly unplanned event meant to bring brand, product, or service awareness. We hosted a pop up event at KCAD where we distributed more of those surveys and facilitated the Big Sheets activity, which had the intent of gathering research about how a high school environment could be improved. We asked participants to use sticky notes to label what needed to be created, reduced, enhanced or eliminated to create certain specific atmospheres the surveys revealed as being most popular.
38
39
40
41
42
43
What are Big Sheets? The Big Sheet surveys are an interactive way the ignite team gathered data from the pop up event held at Kendall College of Art and Design. Using sticky notes and large pieces of paper, we divided three sheets into four quadrants. Each sheet asked our participants different ways they could make their environments better. Using the sticky notes, the participants could fill in any of the 44 four areas of discussion.
In order to create an organized atmosphere we will:
45
Create
Reduce
• More whiteboards • Self-organization • Add more baskets so the eyes are at rest • Shelving • Add different ways of learning using the five senses
• Clutter • Lockers full of books/knicknacks
Enhance
Eliminate
• Understand that everyone learns and adapts in different ways • Projects that are relevant to careers • Hands on learning • Different management • Shop class • Collaboration
• Teachers favoring athletes • Boring lectures
46
In order to create a comfortable atmosphere we will:
47
Create • Comfortable seating in public area • More open spaces • Sleeping spaces • Moveable desks/able to sit or stand • Classrooms with earthy or neutral blues on the walls (no whitewash) • Helpful study areas • Chill out zones • Healthy food options • A coffee shop • A green area • Add an area of bean bags and comfort seats • Holistic teaching • A lounge area
Reduce • Dim lighting • Not accurate textbooks • Enclosed classrooms • Clutter (minimal and clean is key)
Enhance
Eliminate
• More student involvement • Food quality • Time between classes • Activities • Snacking • Daylighting • Outdoor exploring • Moving around (no sitting in one spot for an hour)
• Stiff hardwood desks • Underground schools • No windowed rooms
48
In order to create a calm atmosphere we will:
49
Create • Pleasant light • Comfortable shady areas • Comfortable collaborative spaces • Comfy seats • Create interesting immersive curriculum • Consistency for CI, ADHD etc. students • Connection building between teachers and students
Reduce
• Testing • Homework load • Strict ruling (ie dress codes) • Obsession with standardized test scores
Enhance
Eliminate
• More creative outlets • Emotional support for students • Cafeteria layout • Calm colors - blues and greens- plants and greenery • Encouragement among peers and teachers • Art classes • Hands on learning • Class discussions • Soft seating and color • Acoustics and color
• Group projects • Standardized testing
50
Focus Groups
51
We invited high school students from Innovation Central to KCAD to participate in focus groups with the intent of dialoguing about their current experience. This was a valuable exercise because it allowed students to speak freely and honestly about what mattered to them.
52
Guest Speakers
53
Sara Molina from Progressive A.E. visited our class and gave a presentation on effective presenting styles and tips. Her advice was very applicable and helped us format and frame our own presentation. She helped us to understand the importance of story telling and explaining our research. Sara also helped us organize our thoughts around research methods and strategies. She listened to our current research process and offered feedback and advice to get the best information by narrowing our focus.
Seth Galligan from The C2 Group took time out of his day to speak with us about the importance of having a clear and concise mission and vision statement. With his help brainstorming we were able to communicate our goals and create an effective statement that expressed the mission and vision of the Ignite team.
54
Laurel Stanley is a Kendall College of Art and Design graduate with a degree in Visual Communications. We met with her over Skype to discuss her transition from college into the professional world. The web seminar was focused on the importance of Human Centered Design, which we later applied to our project in our own way as Student Centered Design. Her wide variety of work experience encouraged our team to work towards authentic dialogue in order to communicate effectively amongst ourselves and our stakeholders. Phil Han from Visual Hero is a Kendall College of Art and Design graduate who spoke to our class about Human Centered Design and the human perspective. His insight in how to observe, evaluate and solve for people’s needs helped our team in the process of creating our survey questions.
55
Michael Kurley from Soletics visited with us on two occasions and shared with us his expertise on how to deliver a successful elevator pitch. His insight on how to grab the attention of your audience and leave them wanting more was valuable for our team. His feedback helped us create a persuasive pitch to spark interest at both our pop-up event and in our survey.
56
Gap Analysis
57
There is a disconnect between what high schools provide and what the students need because the student voices are not being heard. By conducting a Gap Analysis, we can identify what you need to do to “bridge the gap” and make your project a success. In order to carry out a Gap Analysis, we followed these three steps. 1. We identify your project’s objectives – this is our “future state.” 2. Then we analyzed the current situation, by gathering information from the right sources. 3. Finally, we begin to identify how you’ll bridge the gap between the current situation and the desired future state. 58
Present state of GRPHS Students: • Lack of communication between students and administration • Lack of inspiring learning environment • Lack of basic needs • No sense of community or feeling of inclusiveness
Gap:
• Budget constraints • Getting all stakeholders on board • Finding a way to create camradery • Lack of vision 59
Future State: • Learning environment in which students thrive • Basic needs are met • Strong communication between students, administration and stakeholders • Engaging environment that motivates students to learn • Actively staying vigilant with the ever-changing times • All students feel comradery within their school
60
61
Value Proposition
The value of the Ignite project in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Public Museum School, GRPS and XQ is to provide much needed data and analysis of student voices.The goal is to ensure the contribution of students voices into the on going conversation of how to create an environment that fosters a lifelong love of learning.
62
63
Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology that shows the hierarchy of human needs. The theory states that we we must have our needs fulfilled in order before we can move up to the next need.
64
65
Basic Needs and Safety Needs A majority of responses from our surveys indicated that the one of the biggest issues students are facing are the lack of basic needs at their school environment. Responses included examples of poor bathroom conditions where there were few working toilets. Other responses addressed the lack of airconditioning to the point where students would stay at home to work on school work because they couldn’t work as well in the heated environment at school. In Maslow’s theory of needs, the base of his theory is that everyone needs to have physiological needs met, such as basic needs, food, water, warmth, and rest. Safety needs deal with being protected from the elements and having a feeling of stability. In our surveys and focus groups students shared with us there concerns about their about their school environment and its need for repair. They also discussed when the media comes to school to report on problems that they say never get addressed.
66
67
Belonging Needs
The feeling of belonging and having meaningful relationships in high school is an important social need for students. There are many ways to help foster these relationships. Just under half of the students surveyed stated they didn’t feel included socially in high school.
68
69
Esteem Needs
One way to build self esteem in students is to give them more responsibility, independence and choice in classes. Self esteem grows in part, from being able to make and achieve small goals. Low self esteem can cause depression and keep students from reaching their full potential. High school is a difficult time for many and it is important to create an atmosphere where students self-esteem is a priority.
70
71
Cognitive Needs
Cognitive needs are important to foster creativity and meaning in a student’s education. The goal is to have students be passionate about learning and to love to explore and learn new things. This requires a meaningful dialogue between all parties. It is important to value the different ways students learn by incorporating how students want to tackle task accomplishments rather than always giving out standardized tests. I.e. Individual and group projects, presentations, grade heavier on participation, etc.
72
73
Aesthetic Needs
Working in an unkempt, dirty and overcrowded space is distracting and uninspirational. Students can’t be expected to produce exceptional and thorough work when they cannot even focus in their learning environment. Constructing a creative and stimulating workspace gives students clarity, allowing them to concentrate on tasks they need to accomplish. Instilling the idea of a balanced workspace at school will ultimately help students design a similar space at home to further their successes.
74
75
Self Actualization and Transcendance
Realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences is the ultimate goal. Students need a certain amount of freedom so they can explore for themselves to grow as a student and a person
76
77
Cost A cost is always involved when improvements are made. These costs could be both monetary and more abstract. We believe that continued research and development will always be necessary and that is in itself a cost. This cost is an investment. Public schools today are set up the same way that they were during the industrial revolution, when schools prepared students for factory work. By rethinking this outdated method of public schooling, and by investing time and money into a change, schools will be oriented in a way that reflects modern innovation. This will require patience and perseverance. The Grand Rapids Public Museum School was fortunate enough to receive the incredible XQ Grant. This funding provides the GRPMS with an opportunity to build something really great and pave the way for other schools to be inspired by their innovation. The cost for change will also be emotional. There will be individuals who do not see the value in this work. There are individuals who believe that the current system works and chose not to support change. So perhaps the cost then becomes the mere absorption of doubt and opposition.
78
79
Risks There are also many risks involved in change. The biggest risk is that in some way, the trial and error will end up harming some students, despite our best efforts. It must be acknowledged that this can be avoided by setting aside personal agendas and assumptions.
If we don’t change the comfort students feel at school, students will continue to not see the value in school or not want to be there. If students do not see the value in their education, the negative parts of society have a better chance of survival. It has been understood from the very start of our country, for citizens to be functioning members of society, and able to genuinely participate in democracy, citizens must be educated. If we don’t give students accessible opportunities for job shadowing for higher education or a career, students will continue to feel overwhelmed and uninformed by their options, like many of us have experienced. High school needs to be a useful and successful bridge to young adulthood. If it does not fulfill its purpose of education and forming the lives of students, the education gap will continue to spread.
80
81
Benefits
If students are treated with respect and given responsibility out of trust, they will rise to the occasion. If public schooling is rethought to accommodate the diverse array of skills needed, young citizens entering college or the career field will be better fit to incorporate critical thinking, creative processes and empathy into the world we live in. On a larger scale, better schools can affect local economies in positive ways. When a school is highly respected and ranked, property values of homes are increased and undesirable sections of society, like crime and gang activity is reduced.
82
83
Next Steps We found through our research that there is a real need to rethink how we go about creating the ideal high school. High school is an important time in life. It’s a time when students start to figure out who they are and what they want their contribution in society to be. There is a great opportunity here to help shape students love of learning, to discover their strengths, and to make lasting meaningful relationship
Through surveys and focus groups we were able to gather a large amount of information on how current and past students perceive their high school experience and what they feel needs to be changed or added for improvement. There is a gap between the current state and future state of high school. So the question then becomes how do we move forward?
The Museum School is on the way to shortening this gap by partnering with XQ. This is an incredible opportunity to empower students. Ignite has brought a sample of students voices into the conversation in hopes that their ideas and opinions will be included moving forward. It is important to set aside assumptions and have a genuine dialogue to be able to begin to fix the problems facing high school students today. It is our hope that with this presentation that students continue to be included in the dialogue.. Their input is invaluable and together we can create an environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity and a lifelong love of learning. We don’t expect a revolution tomorrow, but let’s continue the dialogue today!
84
Appendices
85
Pop-Up Event Poster
86
Concept Sketches
87
88
Branding Ideas Final Logo(s)
Color Palette
Font Systems
Headers Avenir Black Body Avenir Light 89
Patterns
Button Designs
90
Group Notes and Team Meetings
91
92
Presentation Slides 1
2
Kendall College of Art and Design Dialogue and Personality Spring 2017 April 11, 2017
3
4
Project Statement
Focus
As a team we’ve distributed surveys, formed focus groups, and hosted pop-up events with a variety of current and past high school students in order to research the effectiveness of high school as it is currently and what it could be in the future.
Our goal is to better understand what the current issues are, and present that information along with our research and insights, so that the future of high school can ignite young minds by cultivating and preserving an engaging atmosphere for students to prosper.
Problem Statement We’ve found that students are not being asked for their opinion on their education,and this is creating a disconnect and dissatisfaction with their high school experience.
5
6
Grand Rapids Public Museum School and XQ
Branding Logo and Variations
Font and Color System
Miscellaneous
GRPS Mission Statement:
avenir book
ignite.
abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz
#f79856
93
#48c0b7
#7fc241
ignite.
ignite.
ignite young minds.
“Our mission is to ensure that all students are educated, selfdirected and productive members of society!”
7
8
Our Vision Develop a clear understanding of how high school students are best inspired to learn, by ensuring student voices are heard to help build the high schools of tomorrow.
Survey Results
Our Mission To support GRPMS by obtatining information from past and present high school students in order to discover the most conducive ways of learning for all high school students both now and in the future.
9
10
High School Survey Results Are grades the best way to show how much you’ve learned in a class?
High School Survey Results Choose 3 words to describe the environment you’re the most productive in (Top 5 Answers):
22.4%
Yes
1. Comfortable 2. Calm 3. Music 4. With friends 5. Quiet/Silent
No
77.6%
11
34 votes 27 votes 22 votes 20 votes 19 votes
12 High School Survey Results
High School Survey Results
If you had a high school genie who could grant you one wish, what would it be?
On a scale of 1-5, how much do you feel included in high school?
Less homework Uniforms Time (More of it, school starting later, wanting high school to be less than four years) Basic needs (working bathrooms, elevators, and air conditioning) Grades (Better grades, grades not mattering as much, easier classes)
1 (least)
2
3
4
5 (most)
94
13
14
College Survey Results
High School Survey Results
Are grades the best way to show how much you’ve learned in a class?
If you had an option to job shadow, would you?
22.7%
18.4% Yes
Yes
No
No
81.6%
15
16
College Survey Results
College Survey Results
If you’d had a high school genie who could grant you one wish, what would it have been?
Choose 3 words to describe the environment you’re the most productive in (Top 5 Answers):
Relationships (More friends, less cliques,people were nicer) Self-Confidence/Body Image College/career/future help
1. Comfortable 2. Organized 3. Calm 4. Music 5. Natural light
65 votes 43 votes 39 votes 35 votes 34 votes
17
Grades (Grades not mattering, better GPA, less homework) Time (More time, school starting later in the day, not having to attend high school at all)
18
College Survey Results
College Survey Results
On a scale of 1-5, how much did you feel included in high school?
If you’d had an option to job shadow in high school, would you have?
15.7%
70
Yes
60 50
No
40 30
84.3%
20 10 0 1 (least)
95
78.8%
2
3
4
5 (most)
19
20
Pop-Up Event
21
22
What are Big Sheets? The Big Sheet surveys are an interactive way the ignite team gathered data from the pop up event held at Kendall College of Art and Design. Using sticky notes and large pieces of paper, we divided three sheets into four quadrents. Each sheet asked our participants different ways they could make their environments better. Using the sticky notes, the participants could fill in any of the four areas of discussion.
23
In order to create an organized atmosphere we will:
24 Create
Reduce
• More whiteboards • Self-organization • Add more baskets so the eyesare at rest • Shelving • Add different ways of learning using the five senses
• Clutter • Lockers full of books/knicknacks
Enhance
Eliminate
• Understand that everyone learns and adapts in different ways • Projects that are relevant to careers • Hands on learning • Different management • Shop class • Collaboration
• Teachers favoring athletes • Boring lectures
Create
In order to create a comfortable atmosphere we will:
• Comfortable seating in public area • More open spaces • Sleeping spaces • Moveable desks/able to sit or stand • Classrooms with earthy or neutral blues on the walls (no whitewash) • Helphful study areas • Chill out zones • Healthy food options • A coffee shop • A green area • Add an area of bean bags and comfort seats • Holistic teaching • A lounge area
Reduce • Dim lighting • Not accurate textbooks • Enclosed classrooms • Clutter (minimal and clean is key)
Enhance
Eliminate
• More student involvement • Food quality • Time between classes • Activities • Snacking • Daylighting • Outdoor exploring • Moving around (no sitting in one spot for an hour)
• Stiff hardwood desks • Underground schools • No windowed rooms
96
25
26 Create
In order to create a calm atmosphere we will:
Reduce
• Pleasant light • Comfortable shady areas • Comfortable collaborative spaces • Comfy seats • Create interesting immersive curriculum • Consistency for CI, ADHD etc. students • Connection building between teachers and students
• Testing • Homework load • Strict ruling (ie dress codes) • Obsession with standardized test scores
Enhance
Eliminate
• More creative outlets • Emotional support for students • Cafeteria layout • Calm colors - blues and greensplants and greenery • Encouragement among peers and teachers • Art classes • Hands on learning • Class discussions • Soft seating and color • Acoustics and color
• Group projects • Standardized testing
27
Focus Groups
28 Future PresentState: state
• Learning environment in which
Gap Analysis
A Gap Analysis seeks to compare the current situation to the future, desired situation. Conducting a gap analysis allows us to “bridge the gap” and find what we need to make the project a success.
29
Value Proposition
students thrive of GRPHS • Basic needs are met • Strong communication Students: between students, administration and
• Lack communication between stakeholders students environment and administration • Engaging that motivates students learning to learn • Lack of inspiring • Actively staying vigilant with environment ever-changing • the Lack basic needstimes comradery or •• All Nostudents sense offeel community within their school feeling of inclusiveness
Gap:
Future State:
• Budget constraints • Getting all stakeholders on board • Finding a way to create camradery • Lack of vision
• Learning environment in which students thrive • Basic needs are met • Strong communication between students, administration and stakeholders • Engaging environment that motivates students to learn • Actively staying vigilant with the ever-changing times • All students feel comradery within their school
30
The goal is to ensure the contribution of student’s voices into the on-going conversation of how to create an environment that fosters a lifelong love of learning.
97
We invited high school students from Innovation Central to KCAD to participate in focus groups with the intent of dialoguing about their current experience. This was a valuable exercise because it allowed students to speak freely and honestly about what mattered to them.
Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology that shows the hierarchy of human needs.
31
32
Basic/Safety Needs
“More funding for technology that actually works such as working heat and air conditioning”
Belonging Needs
“Fully-functioning building”
“I would like to have all of the teachers want to be there. When teachers are passionate about their jobs it completely changes the feeling of a class.”
“Better access to emotional support”
“More helpful and understanding teachers to
“Having news teams come to the school is like
reduce stress and help struggling students more.”
an invasion of privacy. They’re there to report “More inclusive attitude”
problems that occur at school but no one ever fixes the issues.”
33
34
Esteem Needs
Cognitive Needs “I would make high school more real, real world application, applying what we learn to how society and the world functions”
“No sense of recognition for accomplishments” “I’m taking a course I don’t need to graduate. I wish I could use that time to job shadow or work rather than waste my time and potentially have these useless courses lower my GPA.”
35
36
Aesthetic Needs “Courtyards/gardens/outdoor area to gather between classes; also, the comeback of “study hour” in which we could go to these outdoor courtyards/gardens.”
“...daylight, a green area, comfortable seating, lounge area, study areas,
Self Actualization Transcendance “Let me know that I could’ve been taking college credits while I was still in high school”
“Inclusion of people with different identifiers”
acoustic considerations, better colors” “Variation of teaching styles for various learning styles”
98
37
38 • Costs are inevitable • Continued research and development is necessary • This is an investment • Schools haven’t changed since the industrial revolution
Cost
• This model does not fit the reality of today’s careers • Invest time and money into orienting schools that reflect modern innovation • XQ Super School Grant provides GRPMS with an opportunity to build something great • Doubt and opposition from those who do not see the value in change
39
40 What could happen if there is change?
What could happen if nothing changes?
• Students rise to the occasion when given
• Causing harm to students, despite our best
respect and responsibility
intentions
• Students will be better fit to enter into the
• Students continue to not see the value in
career field
education
• Able to incorporate critical thinking, creative
• Students not wanting to be at school
Risks
• Students feeling overwhelmed and
Benefits
uninformed by their options • Negative parts of society will have a chance
processes and empathy into the world • Local economies are strengthened by good schools • Crime and gang activity is reduced
to survive • Students not able to participate fully in democracy as young citizens • Education gap will continue to spread
41
42 • Discussing our focus, which is to gather the thoughts of students regarding their high school experience. • Thought process behind our logo, ignite young minds, We found through our research that there is a real need to
and how it relates to our mission and vision statement
rethink how we go about creating the ideal high school. High
of helping the Grand Rapids Public School System in
Wrap Up
gathering information to learn the best way to inspire and support students. • Hosted the students from Innovation central for an afternoon. • This allowed us to better understand what the students need to thrive.
99
school is an important time in life. It’s a time when students
Take Away
start to figure out who they are and what they want their contribution in society to be. There is a great opportunity here to help shape students love of learning, to discover their strengths, and to make lasting meaningful relationships.
42 Thank you
Thank you
100
References Throughout our research, much of our discussion was fueled and inspired by videos, articles and organizations around the world. Thank you to the following references! Articles Finland Will Become the First Country in the World to Get Rid of All School Subjects by Bright Side, Global Research GRPS: Graduation rates up nearly 50 percent over 5 years by 24 Hour News 8 web staff How to Bring Design Thinking to Your School for Free (Without Hiring a Fancy Consultant) by Mary Jo Madda (EdSurge News) Individuals Dr. Christopher Hanks Gayle DeBruyn Ken Krayer Laurel Stanley Philip Han Sara Molina Seth Galligan Zoe Carmichael
101
Organizations City High Students Edutopia Grand Rapids Public Museum School Grand Rapids Public Schools GRPMS Student Government Innovation Central High School staff Kendall College of Art and Design Project XQ South Christian High School Videos Emily Pilloton: Teaching design for change (TED Talks) https://youtu.be/aiIxdFBA0Sw?list=PLAD1F87125529A918 Why Design Thinking? from Design Thinking for Educators is a video created by IDEO to promote the launch of their “Design Thinking for Educators” workshop. This workshop was coproduced by Edutopia in 2012. (https://vimeo.com/22570825) Project-Based Learning at High-Tech High, presented by the Association for Learning Environments, 86th Annual World Conference & Expo. The Pearson Foundation and The Mobile Learning Institute with Larry Rosenstock, CEO, High Tech High. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rv_rmJYorE)
102
Other
103
104
105
106
Dialogue & Personality KCDC 216 April 20, 2017 Final Outline Team Proposal / Presentation Outline Format Introduction of the Team: (Zoe) The Ignite project team is: 1. Kelsey Ballast Pasma 2. Cori Kromrei 3. Sawyer Seide 4. Joe Dunaske 5. Katie Kalkman 6. Camellia Perreault 7. Charity Atton
Introduction: (Kelsey) Let’s take a minute to look back on those iconic four years of high school.**During presentation, ask audience members to shout out a few words that relate to their HS experience?** I’d imagine we all had very different experiences. Maybe they were the very best four years of your life, or the absolute worst. Were you the athlete, the criminal, the brain, the princess, or the basket case? I think we all can agree that they have had a large impact on who we are and how we got here. The amount of self discovery, and important decisions that need to be made shows just how important and life shaping these four years are to young students. We are a group of KCAD students who are a mix of interior design, industrial design, graphic design, and collaborative design majors. Together we make up IGNITE. Ignite is an initiative of research that has looked into the current state of high school, and what needs to happen in order to form the high school of the future. We especially have focused in on the student’s perspective. What are their thoughts? What is high school like now? What should high school be like? In this class, we have learned about the benefits of open dialogue and how it can transform our interactions and collaborations in order to truly listen and care for others. We’ve learned to put this into practice in our group work by treating others with equality, listening with empathy, and setting aside assumptions. Throughout the process of learning and practicing these skills, we’ve seen a correlation with how the assets of dialogue can transform the process of envisioning a new and forward thinking high school. We feel that a valuable stakeholder may not even have a seat at the table when discussing the future of high school.
Project Statement (Kelsey) As a team, we distributed surveys, formed focus groups and hosted pop up events with a variety of current and past high school students in order to research the effectiveness of high school as it is currently and what it could be in the future.
1
107
Problem Statement (Kelsey) We’ve found that students are not being asked for their opinion on their education,and this is creating a disconnect and dissatisfaction with their high school experience.
Focus: (Kelsey)
Our goal is to better understand what the current issues are, and present that information along with our research and insights, so that the future of high school can ignite young minds by cultivating and preserving an engaging atmosphere for students to prosper. By allowing students to have voice and choice, it will foster a sense of inclusion and support throughout the school community.
Branding: (Cori) Branding is the cornerstone of every project. It helps define your goals and the feeling of the product. The name "ignite" was chosen after much deliberation. We wanted something inspiring, yet fresh and new; something that would encapsulate our vision for a better high school experience. When we chose ignite, we knew right away that it would perfectly define our goals as a group. With this brand we hope to accomplish a feeling of success, rejuvenation, and excitement. We chose the font Avenir because we wanted a simple sans-serif that was serious, but also easy to read and friendly. We don't want our group to come off as intimidating or pretentious, therefore Avenir seemed like the perfect fit. With the look of the logo, we were trying to capture the duality of concepting. While concepting ultimately comes out as a finished product through rigorous collaboration and changes, it can get a bit messy along the way. The idea of using contour drawings as the main image felt like the perfect way to execute the idea we were going for, with its abstract, yet somehow cohesive look. The colors blue, green, and orange were inspired by the freshness of spring. Accompanied by the brain logo, they support the vision of a new, modern high school experience that encourages creativity and educational freedom.
GRPS / XQ Intro: (Sawyer) GRPS Mission Statement: “Our mission is to ensure that all students are educated, self-directed and productive members of society!” XQ: The Super School Project awarded 10 out of 700 schools nationwide grants that directly go to improve technology and assist in renovations. With XQ teamed up with GRPMHS, they are able to create an effective learning environment that inspires students through place-based and design thinking.
Vision Statement: (Sawyer) Develop a clear understanding of how high school students are best inspired to learn, by ensuring student voices are heard to help build the high schools of tomorrow.
2
108
Mission Statement: (Sawyer) To support GRPMS by obtaining information from past and present HS students in order to discover the most conducive ways of learning for all high school students both now and in the future.
Show Survey Findings/ Pop up / Focus Group Findings: (Katie) Surveys: We distributed a survey to just under 100 current high school students in Grand Rapids. These students were from City HS, Innovation Central, and South Christian High School. The questions prompted students to think creatively about what they would change about high school. We also wanted to gauge how included these students feel in school now. We also asked students to pick from a list of words their ideal productive environment looks like. We also distributed a slightly modified survey to about 200 college students with the request that they reflect on their years in high school. Pop Up: A pop up event is a seemingly unplanned event meant to bring brand, product or service awareness. We hosted a pop up event at KCAD where we distributed more of those surveys and facilitated the Big Sheets activity, which had the intent of gathering research about how a high school environment could be improved. We asked participants to use sticky notes to label what needed to be created, reduced, enhanced or eliminated to create certain specific atmospheres the surveys revealed as being most popular. Focus Groups: We invited high school students from Innovation Central to KCAD to participate in focus groups with the intent of dialoguing about their current experience. This was a valuable exercise because it allowed students to speak freely and honestly about what mattered to them.
Gap Analysis: (Kelsey & Cori) There is a disconnect between what high schools provide and what the students need because the student voices are not being heard. By conducting a Gap Analysis, we can identify what you need to do to "bridge the gap" and make your project a success. In order to carry out a Gap Analysis, we followed these three steps. 1. We identify your project's objectives – this is our "future state.� 2. Then we analyzed the current situation, by gathering information from the right sources. 3. Finally, we begin to identify how you'll bridge the gap between the current situation and the desired future state.
3
109
Future state: -Learning environment in which student thrive -Basic needs are met -Strong communication between students, administration and stakeholders -Engaging environment that motivates students to learn -Actively staying vigilant with the ever changing times -All students feel comradery within their school Present state (of GRPHS students): -Lack of communication between students and administration -Lack of inspiring learning environment -Lack of basic needs -No sense of community or feeling of inclusiveness
Gap: -Budget constraints -Getting all stakeholders on board -Finding a way to create camaraderie -Align future vision
Value Proposition: ( Kelsey & Cori)
The value of the Ignite project in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Public Museum School, GRPS and XQ is to provide much needed data and analysis of student voices.The goal is to ensure the contribution of students voices into the on-going conversation of how to create an environment that fosters a lifelong love of learning.
Needs (Shown through Survey Responses/Big Sheets Activity): (Joe & Charity) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology and sociology that shows the hierarchy of human needs. The theory states that we must have our basic needs fulfilled in order before we can have our higher level needs met.
1.) Basic Needs- food, drink, shelter, warmth
A majority of responses from our surveys indicated that the one of the biggest issues students are facing are the lack of basic needs at their school environment. Responses included examples of poor bathroom conditions where there were few working toilets. Other responses addressed the lack of air conditioning to the point where students would stay at home to work on school work because they couldn't work as well in the heated environment at school. In Maslow's theory of needs, the base of his theory is that everyone needs to have physiological needs met, such as basic needs, food, water, warmth, rest. Quoting a few students from our surveys they expressed what they were lacking:
4
110
Student Quotes: “More funding for technology that actually works such as working heat and air conditioning” “Fully-functioning building (heat, air conditioning working when needed, adequate technology, etc.)” “Better bathrooms” “Air conditioning” “Working air conditioning” 2.) Safety Needs Safety Needs deal with being protected from the elements and having a feeling of stability. In our surveys and focus groups students shared with us their concerns about their about their school environment and its need for repair. They also discussed when the media comes to school to report on problems that they say never get addressed. Student Quotes: “Having News teams/members come to the school is like an invasion of privacy. They’re there to report problems that occur at school but no one ever fixes the issues.” “Better access to emotional support” “A safe place where we can go to be alone on breaks so we can deal with stress” 3.) They also need Love and Belonging needs, meaning having relationships and feeling included. You need to get through the basic needs to achieve the feeling of belonging and having meaningful relationships in high school. This is an important social need for students. There are many ways to help foster these relationships. Just under half of the students surveyed stated they didn’t feel included socially in high school. Student Quotes: “Teachers were more engaged with their students” “Better and more passionate teachers” “That my school actually cared about the students' education” “I would like to have all of the teachers want to be there. When teachers are passionate about their jobs it completely changes the feeling of a class.” “More helpful and understanding teachers to reduce stress and help struggling students more.” “More inclusive attitude (everyone knows everyone)” 4.) Esteem-needs One way to build self esteem in students is to give them more responsibility, independence and choice in classes. Self esteem grows in part, from being able to make and achieve small goals. Low self esteem can cause depression and keep students from reaching their full potential. High school is a difficult time for many and it is important to create an atmosphere where students self-esteem is a priority. Student Quotes: “No sense of recognition for accomplishments”
111
5
5.) Cognitive Needs Knowledge understanding, curiosity, exploration, need for meaning Cognitive needs are important to foster creativity and meaning in a student's education. The goal is to have students be passionate about learning and to love to explore and learn new things. This requires a meaningful dialogue between all parties. It is important to value the different ways students learn by incorporating how students want to tackle task accomplishments rather than always giving out standardized tests. I.e. Individual and group projects, presentations, grade heavier on participation, etc. Student Quotes: “I'd wish we wouldn't have to take (and pass) classes that do not pertain to our careers” “To know my future plans for school and that I was making the right choices” “I would make high school more real, real world application, applying what we learn to how society and the world functions” “I’m taking course I don’t need to graduate. I wish I could use that time to job shadow or work rather than waste my time and potentially have these useless courses lower my gpa.” 6.) Aesthetic Needs- Appreciation and search for beauty, balance, and form. Working in an unkempt, dirty and overcrowded space is distracting and uninspirational. Students can’t be expected to produce exceptional and thorough work when they cannot even focus in their learning environment. Constructing a creative and stimulating workspace gives students clarity, allowing them to concentrate on tasks they need to accomplish. Instilling the idea of a balanced workspace at school will ultimately help students design a similar space at home to further their successes. Student Quotes: “courtyards/gardens/outdoor area to gather between classes; also, the comeback of "study hour" in which we could go to these outdoor courtyards/gardens.” “...daylight, a green area, comfortable seating, lounge area, study areas, acoustic considerations, better colors” 7.) Self-Actualization Needs- realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. The ultimate goal. Students need a certain amount of freedom so they can explore for themselves to grow as a student and a person Student Quotes: “Let me know that I could've been taking college credits while I was still in high school” 8.) Transcendence Needs- helping others achieve self actualization.
Student Quotes: “Inclusion of people with different identifiers” “Variation of teaching styles for various learning styles” “More options and chances to be a unique individual”
6
112
Cost: (Camellia)
A cost is always involved when improvements are made. These costs could be both monetary and more abstract. We believe that continued research and development will always be necessary and that is in itself a cost. But this cost is an investment. Public schools today are set up the same way that they were during the industrial revolution, when schools prepared students for factory work. By rethinking this outdated method of public schooling, and by investing time and money into a change, schools will be oriented in a way that reflects modern innovation. This will require patience and perseverance. The Grand Rapids Public Museum School was fortunate enough to receive the incredible XQ Grant. This funding provides the GRPMS with an opportunity to build something really great and pave the way for other schools to be inspired by their innovation. The cost for change will also be emotional. There are individuals who do not see the value in this work. There are also individuals who believe that the current system works and who chose not to support change. So perhaps the cost then becomes the mere absorption of doubt and opposition.
Risks/Benefits: (Camellia) Risks: There are also many risks involved in change. The biggest risk is that in some way, the trial and error will end up harming some students, despite our best efforts. It must be acknowledged that this can be avoided by setting aside personal agendas and assumptions. If we don’t change the comfort students feel at school, students will continue to not see the value in school or not want to be there. If students do not see the value in their education, the negative parts of society have a better chance of survival. It has been understood from the very start of our country, for citizens to be functioning members of society, and able to genuinely participate in democracy, citizens must be educated. If we don’t give students accessible opportunities for job shadowing for higher education or a career, students will continue to feel overwhelmed and uninformed by their options, like many of us have experienced. High school needs to be a useful and successful bridge to young adulthood. If it does not fulfill its purpose of education and forming the lives of students, the education gap will continue to spread. Benefits: If students are treated with respect and given responsibility out of trust, they will rise to the occasion. If public schooling is rethought to accommodate the diverse array of skills needed, young citizens entering college or the career field will be better fit to incorporate critical thinking, creative processes and empathy into the world we live in. On a larger scale, better schools can affect local economies in positive ways. Research shows that education and education-based initiatives can reduce crime rates, improve health, lower mortality rates, and increase political participation. (CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity at the University of Western Ontario). When a school is highly respected and ranked, property values of homes are increased and undesirable sections of society, like crime and gang activity is reduced.
7
113
Take Away/ Call for Action / Next Steps / Our Suggestions: (Charity) Wrap-up To quickly recap, We began by discussing our focus, which is to gather the thoughts of students regarding their high school experience. We covered the thought process behind our logo, ignite young minds, and how it relates to our mission and vision statement of helping the Grand Rapids Public School System in gathering information to learn the best way to inspire and support students. We did this by distributing surveys online and in person. We held a fantastic breakfast club style pop-up event here at Kendall to get even more feedback from college students on how they would improve their high school experience. We were lucky enough to be able to host the students from Innovation central for an afternoon of pizza and great dialogue. We took all this feedback went through it all and come up with the gap analysis. The gap analysis helped us determine what is needed to reach the desired state of our schools. We were able to take this information and apply it to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This allowed us to better understand what the students need to thrive. We discussed the risk of not doing anything and the benefit to both the students and the community if we are able to reach our desired future state.
Take-away / Call to Action We found through our research that there is a real need to rethink how we go about creating the ideal high school. High school is an important time in life. It’s a time when students start to figure out who they are and what they want their contribution in society to be. There is a great opportunity here to help shape students love of learning, to discover their strengths, and to make lasting meaningful relationships. The data presented here is the tip of the iceberg in a much larger discussion on the best way to create a learning environment. Through surveys and focus groups we were able to gather a large amount of information on how current and past students perceive their high school experience and what they feel needs to be changed or added for improvement. There is a gap between the current state and future state of high school. So the question then becomes how do we move forward? The Museum School is on the way to shortening this gap by partnering with XQ. This is an incredible opportunity to empower students. Ignite has brought a sample of students voices into the conversation in hopes that their ideas and opinions will be included moving forward. It is important to set aside assumptions and have a genuine dialogue to be able to begin to fix the problems facing high school students today. The young people of today are smart, thoughtful and a wealth of knowledge. It is our hope that with this presentation that students continue to be included in the dialogue.. Their input is invaluable and together we can create an environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity and a lifelong love of learning. We don’t expect a revolution tomorrow, but let’s continue the dialogue today!
8
114
Agenda Introduction Project Statement Problem Statement Focus Branding GRPMS + XQ Intro Vision Statement Mission Statement Research Gap Analysis Value Proposition Needs Assessment Cost Risk Benefit Call For Action Wrap Up
Kendall College of Art + Design Dialogue & Personality Spring 2017
115
Notes
116