Ellis hosts Design Thinking UnConference
On October 18, 2014, three dozen educators and educational advocates came to The Ellis School for an UnConference that explored the question: How might we use design thinking to remake learning? Teachers from Pittsburgh, Washington, PA, central Ohio and Atlanta, GA took part in the UnConference, which was the first Teach and Lead event hosted by The Ellis School’s Learning Innovation Institute.
Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, Director of the Learning Innovation Institute, led the session and was joined by expert facilitator Steve Potter from the LUMA Institute, an organization that equips organizations and people to accelerate innovation.
Participants formed small groups, developed and selected guiding questions derived from the Stanford University Design School’s K12Lab Mindsets. The group also delved into local education topics such as how to create a robust and connected learning ecosystem in Pittsburgh. UnConference participants engaged in seven LUMA Institute design thinking methods and learned about how The Ellis School integrates design thinking within and across its curricular program. Michelle King, from the Environmental Charter School provided an inspiring Ignite talk.
At the end of the day, groups had designed a new game to teach kids how to be empathetic, a prototype for an online app to alert parents to informal learning opportunities across the city, a "looking forward, looking back" glass and digital badging platform to assess students in alternative ways.
"I am so pleased our first Teach and Lead workshop brought together such a diverse and dynamic array of teachers, administrators, and informal learning partners from a variety of public, private, charter and learning organizations. I am excited to see how our participants use Design Thinking to create agency, build leadership skills in students and connect the disciplines in authentic learning,” said Dr. Abel-Palmieri.
The next Teach and Lead workshop takes place November 14, 2014 at The Ellis School. Learn more and register here: http://www.theellisschool.org/page/Event-Detail?pk=2839064&fromId=180091
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Participants formed small groups, developed and selected guiding questions derived from the Stanford University Design School’s K12Lab Mindsets. The group also delved into local education topics such as how to create a robust and connected learning ecosystem in Pittsburgh. UnConference participants engaged in seven LUMA Institute design thinking methods and learned about how The Ellis School integrates design thinking within and across its curricular program. Michelle King, from the Environmental Charter School provided an inspiring Ignite talk.
At the end of the day, groups had designed a new game to teach kids how to be empathetic, a prototype for an online app to alert parents to informal learning opportunities across the city, a "looking forward, looking back" glass and digital badging platform to assess students in alternative ways.
"I am so pleased our first Teach and Lead workshop brought together such a diverse and dynamic array of teachers, administrators, and informal learning partners from a variety of public, private, charter and learning organizations. I am excited to see how our participants use Design Thinking to create agency, build leadership skills in students and connect the disciplines in authentic learning,” said Dr. Abel-Palmieri.
The next Teach and Lead workshop takes place November 14, 2014 at The Ellis School. Learn more and register here: http://www.theellisschool.org/page/Event-Detail?pk=2839064&fromId=180091
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