Ellis named a Design Thinking Leader

The Ellis School is officially on the map as national leader in integrating design thinking in the K-12 environment. Ellis was named to the Design Thinking in Schools K12 website on October 22, making it one of fewer than 50 schools in the country on the list.
The site was created by the K12 Lab Network of the Institute of Design at Stanford University to track the global design thinking movement in education and to help parents and teachers connect to outstanding K-12 design thinking programs. Design thinking challenges students to use their powers of creativity, innovation, invention, and empathy to solve real-world problems and is transforming the way that girls learn at Ellis.

Ellis came to the attention of Stanford’s “d.school” thanks to a weekly design-thinking online conversation co-founded by Ellis’ own Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, who is a national leader in technology innovation for educators.

“My goal is to engage teachers across the country in a conversation about the value of design thinking and how integrating it in the classroom can propel schools to more innovative ways of teaching and learning. It also allows me to share exciting projects like our Day of the Girl In Her Shoes project with other schools,” said Dr. Abel-Palmieri. Teachers, parents, and anyone interested in design thinking may join the conversation every Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. #dtk12chat. Stanford professor David Kelly, a world leader in design thinking, recently took part in one such conversation.

Dr. Abel-Palmieri and Ellis Dean of Faculty Dr. Norma Greco are working together to lead the new focus on innovation and excellence at Ellis. Together, they are finding ways to apply design thinking strategies to humanities, arts, and STEM disciplines alike. Dr. Greco is a champion of academic excellence and has presented nationally about the School’s Venture and Community Connections programs, which place girls in universities and community organizations where they gain hands-on experience in real world work settings.

Dr. Greco believes design thinking is a natural fit for a School long known for excellence in humanities and the arts. “Challenging students to delve deeper, ask questions, and revise their thinking are fundamental aspects of the creative process in many disciplines at Ellis. Design thinking brings the best aspects of the creative processes in the disciplines of arts and sciences together.”

“Ellis faculty and administrators have embraced design thinking across disciplines and grade levels because the process empowers girls to become agents of their own learning. It is an exciting learning strategy for bright and engaged girls like those at Ellis and aligns with our strategic planning goal of re-envisioning our academic program,” added Dr. Abel-Palmieri.

Design thinking processes at Ellis: Teachers at Ellis are using design thinking practices to encourage girls to engage in research and analysis about real problems that are affecting people’s lives. The students’ R&D process may include reading, conducting interviews, observation, and other processes that encourage creativity and critical thinking at much deeper level than listening to lectures and taking notes. The girls then interpret their findings and articulate problems, opportunities, or concerns that emerge from their research.

They then engage in ideation, where they prototype possible solutions. Prototypes might be objects made on the School’s 3D printer, architectural models like those made by the 2nd grade for the Metropolitan City project, and multimedia solutions such as videos or twitter feeds like those the 9th grade are creating for their Voice & Vision class exploring the politics and science of clean water. Prototypes are then exposed to experimentation and critique. Girls then evolve and change their designs to reflect the outcomes of experimentation. They are encouraged to understand that iteration is in no way failure but a process meant to bring the best solution forward.

“Teachers are shifting from acting as providers of information to mentors who help girls find brilliant solutions on their own. Classes are becoming more interdisciplinary thanks to team-teaching where arts and science teachers co-teach electives and mentor students. Hands-on and project-based learning, including partnerships that place girls in real-world settings throughout the school year, are also transforming the Ellis experience,” said Dr. Abel-Palmieri.

Creating space for innovation: Design thinking at Ellis is being facilitated through the new CoLaboratory and The Active Classroom for Girls learning spaces in the Upper School; programming robots as part of the Arts and Bots project and the FIRST Lego League robotic team in the Middle School; and hands-on project-based learning such as the 4th grade rocket launch and the 2nd grade Metropolitan Community project in the Lower School.

Studies show that girls are naturally skilled collaborators who learn best, particularly in STEM subjects, when creativity, communication and context are encouraged. The vision of The Ellis School is to be a leading school for girls, providing an excellent education for every student and continuing to innovate so each girl thrives in school and thrives in life.

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