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Thinking Like a Designer It is o u r jo b to p o in t o u t w h a t th e stu d e n ts h a v e d o n e a n d u se it la te r in o th e r su b je c ts. Ite ra tio n a n d re v isio n a re e sse n tia l p a r ts o f th e le a rn in g p ro c e ss (B e rg e r e t a l., 2 0 1 4 ; S c h le c h ty, 2 0 0 2 ).
D e s ig n -M in d e d T h in k in g A c r o s s C o n t e n t A r e a s There is academic value in the mess. The build phase is about as far away from largegroup direct instruction as you can get. Some of your teacher colleagues will not get what is happening in the room. I have had conversations with teachers where I sat down and explained all the thinking behind every step of what happens in my room (basically the nickel version of this book). One teacher replied, “Oh! I thought you all were just, you know, building stuff because it’s fun in there.” I worked next door to that teacher for years prior to this conversation. After the conversation, she was much more open to trying new stuff. Some people will not see the academic value in the mess. It is up to each person to decide how much the mess bothers them. The principal is the only person who needs to get the purpose as a whole and understand teachers are in control of their room, even when they’re not in control; principals can make or break the project time. The guardians around students need to understand what’s happening, so spend time during parent conferences having students show off what they are building. Most parents love nothing more than seeing their child excited to show off something they’ve done at school.
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
not need constant head pats. A designer moves forward with a well-thought-out plan, and when problems appear, a designer evolves the design to adjust to those problems. A designer still asks for help and works collaboratively. If anything, a designer might need a subtle nod and smile from the teacher at the start. Once you feel your students have embraced being design minded, you can start throwing curveballs at them in the middle of their build to see just how flexible they can be. If they have been building cardboard arcade games and you’ve noticed all the games seem fairly static (nothing on the games moves), add a new requirement like this: “All games must have some moving component.” Say nothing more and let them discover; unless you’re giving them robotics kits or something (which would be really cool), this means cutting slits in the cardboard and having someone hide behind or beneath the game to move a piece back and forth. These curveballs, or challenges, ensure students are always thinking flexibly and actively and, thus, learning.
