stem in the classroom - design thinking

Design ThinkingRick Mushing - STEM Consultant at Kent ISD

Christopher Bruce - School Programs Senior Coordinator

at the Grand Rapids Art Museum

Design ThinkingIntroduction

Who we are…STEM Consultants, Kent ISD

◦ Rick Mushing, Engineering background

Grand Rapids Art Museum◦ Christopher Bruce

◦ School Programs Senior Coordinator

Objectives•Components of Design Thinking

•Applying the design thinking process in the classroom

Agenda

Design Thinking

Creativity

Creativity

What is creativity?

Who is creative?

How can we become creative?

Ideation

Ideation Rules

Defer Judgment

Encourage Wild Ideas

Build on Ideas of Others

Stay Focused on the Topic

One Conversation at a Time

Be Visual

Brain Writing

Object of PlaySome of the best ideas are compilations from multiple contributors. Brainwriting is a simple way to generate ideas, share them, and subsequently build on them within a group. Access to multiple hands, eyes, and minds can yield the most interesting results.

StrategyIn a typical group setting, extroverts tend to dominate the verbal contributions. And while their contributions are certainly important, it can be difficult to hear from quieter players who also have something valuable to offer. Let the players know that this play is intentionally silent. It affords the quiet people the opportunity to generate ideas without having to verbalize to the whole group, and it gives you certainty that you’ll hear from every player in the room.Brainwriting also allows ideas to emerge before being critiqued and creates a space for them to be co-created, with multiple owners, and therefore a greater chance of follow-through.

Anti Problem

Object of PlayThe Anti-Problem game helps people get unstuck when they are at their wit’s end. It is most useful when a team is already working on a problem, but they’re running out of ideas for solutions. By asking players to identify ways to solve the problem opposite to their current problem, it becomes easier to see where a current solution might be going astray or where an obvious solution isn’t being applied.

StrategyThis game’s purpose is to help teams evaluate a problem differently and break out of existing patterns, so make the anti-problem more extreme than it really is, just to get people thinking. And don’t worry if the players don’t generate many (or any) viable or actionable solutions. Obviously, those would be a boon to the game, but the intention is not to eliminate a complex problem in 30 minutes. The intention is to give people a new approach that can lead to a solution when they have time to think after the meeting is over. Or, since this game tends to naturally segue into a conversation about the real problem, you could use any extra time to start that conversation while the players’ ideas are ignited. Note: there may be some unexpected “aha moments” as people could discover that they’re applying a solution that’s actually contributing to the current problem. Whoops!

Reflection

Examples

Project Based Learning:

Technical – Science, Math, Engineering, Technology…

Social – Demographic Information, Human Factors, …

Legal – Decision Making Skills

GeoSpatial – Spatial Reasoning, Technology

ExampleSoftware Development / Coding

◦ K-12◦ Code.org, Kahn Academy, App Inventor

◦ 5-12◦ App Inventor, Python, JAVA, C++

◦ Embedded in a wide variety of projects◦ Robotics

◦ Every Industry, Medical, Manufacturing…

◦ Edify lessons

Example3D Modeling and PrintingSTEM Thinking: Engineering Design 3D Modeling

◦ Grades K-4◦ 3D Printing demonstration

◦ Grades 4-12◦ 123D Design Software

◦ Inventor Engineering Design Software

◦ Student Lessons

◦ Project Ideas

◦ Kent ISD PD◦ Participants will learn how to align using 3D engineering modeling software to solve engineering design problems.

Lesson are designed to meet State Standards requirements.

ExampleVisualizing Data - GISSTEM Thinking: Visualizing Data

◦ Geospatial Technology◦ GPS, Remote Sensing

◦ Autonomous Vehicle

◦ Robotics

◦ 8-12 Grades

◦ Edify Lessons

STEM Initiatives

2012

White House Announces ConnectED program◦ $1 Billion commitment from design software and technical companies

◦ ESRI / Autodesk

2015 March

President Obama Announces Over $240 Million in New STEM Commitments at the 2015 White House Science Fair◦ $150 Million philanthropic effort◦ $ 90 Million “Let Everyone Dream”◦ $25 Million Department of Education

More than 120 universities are committing to train more than 20,000 engineers to tackle the “Grand Challenges” of the 21st century.

Questions

Next Steps…

3D Modeling and Printing PD at the ISD, May 5

Consultation◦ Lesson Development

◦ Curriculum Planning

◦ Edify Lessons

◦ Contact◦ Rick Mushing, rickmushing@kentisd.org

◦ Ebiri Nkugba, ebirinkugba@kentisd.org

Thank You

Design ThinkingRick Mushing - STEM Consultant at Kent ISD

Christopher Bruce - School Programs Senior Coordinator

at the Grand Rapids Art Museum

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Digital Literacy for EducatorsCraig Steenstra – Educational Technology Consultant at Kent ISD

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