Design Thinking, PBL and Web 2.0 tools

The 2015-2016 Dragons Go Digital teacher representatives from each Carroll ISD campus participated in a full day workshop with Edtechteacher.org facilitator Sabba Quidwai (@AskMsQ). Ms.Quidwai presented strategies and tools for Project Based Learning (PBL) and the Design Thinking model utilizing Ipads and Web 2.0 tools.

What is Design Thinking? 

"Design Thinking is the confidence that everyone can be part of creating a more desirable future, and a process to take action when faced with a difficult challenge. Classrooms and schools across the world are facing design challenges every single day, from teacher feedback systems to daily schedules. Wherever they fall on the spectrum of scale—the challenges educators are confronted with are real, complex, and varied. And as such, they require new perspectives, new tools, and new approaches. Design Thinking is one of them" (edtechteacher.org, 2015).

Seth Godin, in his book Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?, puts into perspective why it is essential for us as teachers to redesign the curriculum.  He makes an excellent case for how the world after the recession has changed, how the rules of the game have changed and how schools need to prepare the next generation to be successful in this new game of life (Godin, 2011).

Tom Kelly reminds us in The Art to Innovation  'we all have a creative side, and it can flourish if you spawn a culture to encourage it, one that embraces risks and wild ideas and tolerates the occasional failure' (Kelly, 2010).

Tim Brown writes in his best selling book Change By Design,  'design thinking is all about exploring different possibilities...' (Brown, 2009, p6)

The role of the teacher has changed from 'that of 'answer-er' to that of facilitator of inquiry' (Wiggins & McTighe, 2013)

Phase one the Design Thinking Model is:
1) Design your objectives and
2) Design your driving or essential question.
All work for the project, including the culminating project and daily lessons and activities, should be trying to help students answer the driving/essential question.

Wiggins and McTighe help determine effective essential and guiding questions in their book
Essential Questions (2013).

Essential Questions are:

• Asked to stimulate ongoing thinking and inquiry
• Raise more questions
• Spark discussion and debate
• Asked and re-asked throughout the unit (and maybe the year)
• Demand justification and support
• "Answers" may change as understanding deepens

The morning session with edtechteacher Ms. Sabba Quidwai focused on:

• Introduction to the Design Thinking Process.

Teachers utilized Padlet for introductions and background information. Notability was used on Ipads to open excerpts from a book and annotate ideas / feedback. Google Docs and Drive to share and make copies of documents and resources. A teacher Nearpod session was utilized for an Introduction to Design Thinking and Empowering students facilitator presentation.

Resources from the morning session:

Web Tools:

• Goo.gl Shortner - quickly create short links and QR codes using Chrome
• TinyURL - Create short links
• ViewPure - display YouTube videos with out the mess

PBL Resources: 

• The Buck Institute
• Edutopia
• Daily Genius 

For additional resources from edtechteacher.com: https://goo.gl/zJ3guJ


This is the first of a series of Instructional Technology Blogs covering this special learning event in the Carroll ISD. Look for our upcoming blogs on the afternoon session of learning, covering the entry event, research phase, student assessment and reflection and the 60 second elevator pitch of learning.


Brown, T., Change by Design (2009)
Kelly, T., The Art to Innovation (2010)
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2011)
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-how-to-write-driving-questions-andrew-miller
http://bie.org/

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J., Essential Questions (2013)