gabriel puerto
thesis project 2010 concept presentation 10.14.10
area of interest :
primary education children 6-12
Defining: topic opportunity needs users
Issues to problem(s)
Evidence of Problems, insights, and ideas
problems to concepts
grades kindergarden to 5th grade
area of interest :
primary education children 6-12
topic what about primary education ?
opportunity Why primary education?
needs What?
user
Who?
Improving the primary education / elementary school experience for teachers, parent, & students.
Primary education has much to improve in terms of how our schools are run, structured, and taught. Our education is at, and at some cases below that of other equally developed countries.
Improvement and enhancement of educational experience Improvement of the understanding of language Improvement of communication between parent, teacher, student, peers.
The audience being affected will be students ages 6-12, parents, and teachers. The primary consumers will potentially be schools, teachers, & parents
issues
( home ) parent-student parent-teacher
( school ) student-student student-teacher
(social)
Fitting in
Common ediquite
bullying
Motivation
proper values
confidence
Making friends
relevance
High expectations put on girls to be good at everything
parents approach school with a defensive or angry attitude
Failure to communicate regularly
Teachers have different thought process / method than parent Parents feel uncomfortable talking with teacher
Failure to follow-thru on actions
intimidation & shyness race & gender differences/ impact effectiveness of instructing student teacher ratio lack of interest
Not communication / talking early enough Failure to make the first move language / cultural barriers
Sources : “Key Issues for Primary Schools� by Michael Farrell Interview with Adina Davidson, Phd. on 9.14. 2010
Source: “Effective Parent-Teacher Communication” Center for Effective Parenting 2000 Mark C. Edwards, Ph.D.
insights
several key insights were discovered, that can lead me to further refine guidelines and direction.
Kids who’s parents talk to the teacher more, do better at school. Teachers are like second parents to child. Parents should approach teachers cooperatively.
Parent-school relationships: Expectations of both parties should be communicated Mutual communications of responsibilities School’s involvement in the community is very important
Tackle problems early! It is beneficial for the parent to be friends or in good standing with the teacher. Good student-teacher relationship= good parent-teacher relationship.
Parents should approach school and teacher(s) with the questions “ Whats the plan? What can I do at home?”
issue(s)
( relating to student experience )
children don’t always have the best social experience in school -schools do not accommodate for different childrens learning needs -students feel alot of anxiety due to high expectations -children encounter bullying
gender differences impact social and academic achievement -boys don’t achieve as well as girls because of lack of hands-on, faster paced learning -girls feel alot of anxiety due to high expectations to be good at everything
problem(s)
Lack of confidence, self-awareness of progress, understanding, and interaction between students.
Lack of differentiation of teaching styles for girls and boys, as well as communication of expectations.
issue(s) ( relating to parent-teacher communication)
parents and teachers don’t always communicate regularly with teacher - parents and teachers fail to make first move - parents feel uncomfortable talking with teacher - teacher and parent do not communicate early enough - school is often not a welcoming environment for parents, it can be alienating and punitive
problem(s)
Lack of the promotion and understanding of assembling, scheduling, planning parentteacher interaction, such as event, visits, and conversations, in a timely manner.
clear communication does not always happen successfully - teachers have different teaching - methods and strategies than parent. - failure to communicate regularly - language and cultural barriers
Lack of communication about teaching methods, strategies, and cultural context, as well as the communication of child progress and assignments on a regular basis
parents have trouble effectively helping their child with homework - students have a lack of motivation and drive to learn - teacher explains curriculum and knowledge in different ways than the parents know the material - requirements are not effectively communicated
Lack of effective communication of teaching methods, strategies, requirement, and relevance to both the student and parent.
problem 1
Lack of confidence, self-awareness of progress, understanding, and interaction between students.
problem 2
Lack of differentiation of teaching styles for girls and boys, as well as communication of expectations.
problem 3
Lack of communication about teaching methods, strategies, and cultural context, as well as the communication of child progress and assignments on a regular basis
problem 4
Lack of effective communication of teaching methods, strategies, requirement, and relevance to both the student and parent.
Lack of the promotion and understanding of assembling, scheduling, planning parentteacher interaction, such as event, visits, and conversations, in a timely manner.
concept maps
problem 1
problem 3
problem 2
problem 4
problems
what? mobile / electronic device
what? wearable / displayable accessory
what? tutor system
what? school desk redesign
why?
why?
why?
why?
-easier to trade info back and forth. -opportunity for multiple applications / function -adaptable -paper-less -bridges gap between home and school
-trend product- engaging with child -socially engaging -discretely informational
-encourages sharing -makes product accessible to low-income families -socially engaging -bridges gap between home and school.
-encourages sharing -teaches responsibility -forces interaction -encourages peer tutoring
Electronic mobile devices trade info back and forth. multiple applications / function adaptable paper-less bridges gap between home and school
teacher disperses information wireless to students devices, sharing the lesson of the day, helpful tips and hints for tackling homework, and child progress as a class.
school
home
students bring device to class for :
students bring device home for :
simple peer interactions (games) attendance
help with homework / assignments communication with peers rewards (games)
download updates and tutorials child progress
parent can track child progress receive information regarding curriculum learn how to help their child with certain assignments
Besides daily updates , charging, and attendance, students can interact with each other on a limited social level, enabling peer to peer interaction.
mobile mini laptop a slightly more advanced mobile device that enables interactive learning within the classroom, as well as outside. The teacher can assign work on the device, enabling it to help the student when they need it.
handheld assistant a handheld device that allows both information download, and auditory recording, for the student to go back through the sound clips of the day for help on homework.
micropal a small device with two docking stations (home & school) that allow for simple info to be exchanged, including tutorials, handouts, and child progress for the child. The students interaction is limited, perhaps just on an auditory (music) level, and attendance purposes.
infodrive a device thats purpose is to simply record information. Audio is taken in though the mic at the top, information from the teacher is also taken in and stored on flash memory, given manually by the teacher via USB.
student communicator a handheld device that combines auditory input with downloadable helpful hints, tips and suggestions that can access information from home via the internet.
wearable / displayable accessory trend product- engaging with child socially engaging discretely informational customizable two levels of information
Teachers device/computer updates the students devices with critical information such as grade reports, handouts, and homework assignments
Students receive information with minimal interaction. For them, the device is more of a fashion accessory or collectable item, then it is informational.
The device can be hidden or stowed in bag and carried with student to school. Using RFID, the chip can indicate child’s attendance.
While at school, the student would not have to take device out of their bag, it would update automatically.
When the child gets home, the parent would be able to access the information by plugging it into their home computer.
commtag a simple small tag that can be hung from a backpack. The tag is rugged enough to withstand the wear & tear of hanging outside and inside. The simple interface allows for simple indication of the device status.
watch my progress a simple watchband that takes information from online and changes colors based on the students progress and success in classes. The colors can also help the student realize what classes need to be paid more attention to and are at risk. Each class is color coded, so the information is discrete and understood only by the particular student.
This allows for interaction amongst peers as well. the more literal translation of the child’s progress in the classroom is accessible through a web page.
fundrive a key chain sized USB that is given to the child for there to be a more manual transfer of grade reports, helpful links and suggestions, child progress, and handouts. The small key chains may be fun animal or color themes for a collectable social aspect.
school desk redesign encourages sharing teaches responsibility forces interaction encourages peer tutoring
Classroom tables and desks are often used in a group configuration. These classroom desks and tables could be used to encourage collaboration, sharing of responsibility, and interaction amongst students.
dual diamond desk a simple student desk designed to allow for collaborative interaction amongst pairs of students. The diagonal configuration allows for more limited interaction then face to face interaction.
desk connector a connector piece for two desks to be attached together face to face or side by side. The pairing up on assignments and work in class is often times used as a reward for students. This is a non-permanent way of rewarding students, or for enabling peer tutoring at the teachers discretion.
side-by-side desk a two person desk that allows for collaboration between students in a horizontal orientation. This configuration makes it ideal for peer tutoring and sharing of materials. The storage of all of the students supplies is also shared, implementing a shared responsibility of maintaining cleanliness and organization between a pair of students.
tessellating desk two desks that nestle together and can be paired up in multiple configurations, making grouping students together easier and more efficient.
tutor system encourages sharing -makes product accessible to low-income families -socially engaging -bridges gap between home and school.
When a student is experiencing trouble with their understanding on an assignment, or feels lost, they can go over to the shelf and rent out a tutor kit, just like a book in the library.
they take the kit home with them, open it up, and it supplies everything the child needs to better understand the material being taught, and successfully accomplish their assignments.
help tree a tree-like structure that lies in the classroom. Each “branch� of the tree holds several small devices that are synched up to the main tree. The trunk is wireless synched to the teachers computer, were additional fun exercises, tutorial, and supplemental info can be exchanged.
tutor in a box a vertical book shelf that holds packages. Within each box is a kit that includes instructions, learning games, and a usb device that contains tutorials for learning the benchmarks taught in class.
e-book shelf a vertical book shelf that holds electronic interactive books. The e-books plug into the shelf, charging them, as well as synching them. The stuents can take the e-books home, and bring them back the next day, sharing the students homework performance with the teacher as well.
e-book a interactive book that incorporates analog and digital interface. A place for important documents, handouts to be exchanged, as well as virtual interactive software.
interactive notebook a digital notebook that allows for less paper usage and exchange, and instantaneous feedback. The notebook would allow students to receive help with homework instantly from tutorials built into the device, making doing outside assignments easier for the child.
zee end
mobile mini laptop
handheld assistant
micropal
infodrive
student communicator
Electronic mobile devices
wearable / displayable accessory
commtag
watch my progress
fundrive
school desk redesign
dual diamond desk
desk connector
side-by-side desk
tessellating desk
help tree
tutor in a box
e-book shelf
e-book
interactive notebook
tutor system
help tree
tutor in a box
e-book shelf
e-book
interactive notebook
tutor system
k, thanks