When I began this course, I did not foresee the path that I would take to learning new and exciting things about design for educational purposes. I have learned how to empathize with multiple stakeholders, analyze the root problem and approach problems old and new in different ways. This ability to overcome and adapt has helped tremendously in the monumental changes that are affecting how I teach during the pandemic.
Like many others I questioned the need for a class focused around design. I have designed lesson plans, teachable moments and many other tools for use in classrooms. While doing this I have never given much thought to the process of designing. Before taking CEP 817 my design was more based around the need to convey information, or reinterpret information for students to grasp. Rather than using the empathetic approach by placing myself in the position of the stakeholders, I would use my knowledge to create plans that best reach students’ needs.
When we were asked to find a problem we wanted to address I knew that I wanted to approach the lack of rapport between teachers and students at my school. At my school there has been an effort to bring the student body and the teachers closer together to form a more community atmosphere, while the changes made by the administration has helped, some students especially those in the special education realm still felt like they did not have strong connections with many teachers.
As a special education teacher I felt that this would be an important problem to address. I feel that if a teacher and a student have a positive rapport that the teacher can be a flashpoint for positive change. When starting to learn about the design process we learned about the Stanford Design Thinking Process. Over the course we focused on each aspect of the design process.
Unit one introduced the idea that we are all designers and that we often take part in the design process without even noticing. We engaged in some videos that showed the power of design when working with students and how students could work to address real-world problems. One of those problems was creating a unique bike for someone disabled through design thinking. It introduced the design thinking model and laid the framework for the days ahead. This unit started me thinking about how I could incorporate more design into my classroom. I was quickly interested in learning more about the process. I would love to create the passion and engagement in my classroom that was demonstrated in the videos.
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The first step in the design model was empathy. As a special education teacher I often have a lot of empathy and understanding for my students but I had never thought of using empathy as a strategy when addressing a problem. We learned that as you approach a problem you need to vest in the stakeholders’ feelings and experience. This is a critical part of the design process and drives the designer forward in creating ways to help the user. The process of empathy makes the designer step back and realize why the current model or idea is not working for the user. As I addressed my specific problem, I had to empathize with students and teachers. I needed to see both sides of the problem and try to understand why current trends and procedures at my school were not working. Before I learned about design, I did not realize the value and importance of this step. Empathy is truly at the heart of creating a solution that works for others and as I address future problems, I will ensure that I have taken the time to hear from all stakeholders.
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The next phase in the design process tested my thinking. I was asked to define my problem. At first I did not understand this phase. I felt that I already identified a problem that made sense. This part of the design process required me to take the information gathered during the empathy phase and redefine or rephrase. During this phase I struggled with some tasks such as using the five whys strategy. As I responded to each why questions, it ended up taking my problem down a different path. It took many attempts before I landed on a root cause for my problem. This module pushed my thinking and required input from people around me such as colleagues. This step in design stresses the importance of investigating and understanding the root cause before defining the problem. I learned that if you do not define your problem well, you can often end up addressing the wrong issue or make the problem worse. This unit stretched my thinking and I now could apply the defining strategies to another problem.
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Ideate was the next step in my design journey. In this phase, I was encouraged to try many ideas and to not throw out any possibilities. I spend lots of time brainstorming. This unit exposed me to unconventional ways to brainstorm such as using your five senses or taking a thought walk to notice random items along the way to help inspire ideas. When I first read the chapter called “Connecting Unconnected” I was skeptical and unsure of how these processes could help with brainstorming. I tried the technique called the five senses. I had to use the five senses to connect to my problem and help me stretch my ideas. This process helped me generate new ideas such as soft starters or writing letters to students and think about the problem in ways I would not have normally thought about it. As I encounter new problems, I will use this brainstorming process and other unconnected idea starters to address the problem.
Another new process that I learned during this unit was incubation. I had never heard of this process but quickly realized it is something we often do. It is a powerful strategy to use when trying to generate new ideas. Incubation is when you allow your brain a break. You can read a book, go for a walk or meditate. This is an important aspect of design and in our world can often get overlooked. Studying this strategy reminded me of the importance of taking time to incubate. While working on my problem I could think of new ideas after I took a break from my work.
Ideating was my favorite part of the design process because it allowed you to be creative and allowed you to create many solutions with no judgement. In the past when I have tried to solve a problem, I have not given the brainstorming phase enough effort. This is a critical part to finding the solution. Time in education is often very limited, it is hard to address a problem with a shorter time frame. Ideating requires time but the outcome will be well worth it. Another aspect of this step I enjoyed was the collaboration. I enjoyed sharing and working through my problem with other stakeholders such as students and colleagues. I found the ideas from my students specifically helpful especially since this problem directly affects them. I learned some new strategies for brainstorming and realized that in the past when I have addressed a problem I need to spend more time allowing the ideas to simmer in my brain.
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In unit five we learned about prototyping. This means taking some of your ideas and making them more concrete by doing something with them or making something. This phase requires taking the ideas off the paper and creating a specific plan or mock up idea. In this process you do not have to create a perfect polished end product. The goal of this design process is to create something that others could see and interact with. This step requires you to select a solution from the ideating process to move forward with. This step allows you to work through ideas before you officially test it with users. By creating a soft starter prototype I was ready for the testing phase. As I approach a problem, I will ensure that I take time to create a prototype that users can engage with.
The last step in the design process is testing. This is the phase where you get to put all your hard work into practice. This phrase in the design model allowed me to test my soft starter model with students. The testing phase allowed me to gather important data so I can improve my model before I present it to my students in the fall. By completing testing you can identify any areas you need to improve. Another important aspect of the testing phase is to gather feedback from people who took part in the test. Overall, my testing phase went well, and I was content with my final product. The structured design model enabled me to produce a solution to my problem that is manageable and could be used next fall. I am excited to take my solution into my classroom in the fall and hopefully to encourage colleagues to use it in their classroom.
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I have enjoyed this course and I feel that my final product will be beneficial to my future students. The work I completed during this class will help me build a stronger positive classroom culture. It will also influence how I solve problems in my classroom and in life. I can apply this design process to future problems, designing new instruction and reorganizing my classroom structure. I now have additional tools in my toolbox as I try to come up with solutions. One very important takeaway from this course is the importance of taking into account the stakeholders at all times during design. If you keep the stakeholders at the center of your problem, you are way more likely to design a solution that is successful. I feel that I could create a unit where I instruct my students to use the design process to solve a problem. The design process would teach the students I work with many valuable skills such as problem solving, collaborating, brainstorming, and clarifying information. Teaching my students this process would help them learn to solve their own problems and how to work through a problem so they can identify the best solution. With our world constantly changing it is important that we teach students how to solve problems using this process so they can become designers who help change our world. Design is even playing a major role in the current crisis because there are teams of people trying to design cures and medications that solve this health crisis. Design is important. It is human nature to create and change. Just like we learned about in the first unit we are all born designers we just need to unlock each other’s potential and allow time for brainstorming and creativity. I look forward to seeing how this new understanding will shape my future endeavors.
Source
Doorley, Scott, Sarah Holcomb, Perry Klebahn, Kathryn Segovia, and Jeremy Utley. “Design Thinking Bootleg.” 2018. PDF file.
My MAET Journey 