Every day, I ask my kids, “What did you make in school today?” Too often, they can’t give me an answer. But on the days that they do, their eyes light up and they passionately describe their projects. It’s in those moments that I am…
Helpful Links: makerspace checklist of supplies makerspace blog series Curious About the Design Thinking Master Course? If you’re not sure where to get started, check out the Design Thinking Course. It’s a self-paced, week-long course that you can do from anywhere at any time. If you…
A few months ago, my son came to me to pitch a story idea. “I want a story about a superhero taco.” “You mean, like a superhero that eats tacos?” “No, a superhero taco. Like a real taco, though. Not those fake hardshell tacos.” “Got…
In a recent post, I wrote about why I want to see students become innovators: Subscribe to YouTube Channel Unfortunately, the system isn’t designed for innovation. For years, schools have been stuck in a one-size-fits-all factory model, where students passively consume content. Some people will point…
Design thinking can seem bizarre to people who have not seen it in action. It can feel like a sharp departure from traditional pedagogy — because it is. This is why it’s important that you communicate your intentions with all stakeholders. Communicating with Your Leadership So…
Phase One: Look, Listen, and Learn Often in design thinking, you’ll see people start with empathy. While we included this in our LAUNCH Cycle framework, we chose to go broader. Sometimes it’s a problem or a process that sparks the design process. Sometimes it’s a great…
I still remember the day. I was in my first year of teaching and I sat there holding my printed lesson plan. This was supposed to be my greatest lesson of the school year. I had planned it for hours, revising various aspects of it…
The LAUNCH Cycle: A K-12 Design Thinking Framework The term “design thinking” is often attached to maker spaces and STEM labs. However, design thinking is bigger than STEM. It begins with the premise of tapping into student curiosity and allowing them to create, test and…
For the last 12 years, I’ve used design thinking as a teacher, an author, an educational technology startup founder and an artist. I’ve used in in the non-profit world in program development and I’m currently using it right now as I lead a team of…
