Design Thinking and Innovation

Fiona holding her first prototype.  The inside of this wallet is quite intricate

Yesterday the kids were focused on meeting the brief but now some of the more creative thinkers are stepping up and reaching out beyond it.  It is amazing the way some children see the problems they encounter as opportunities to apply innovative solutions and embrace the challenge. Coin holders, security clasps, and clever compartments for hiding shopping lists and private 'stuff' are now being added by the creative and divergent thinkers  - all with the intention of making their wallet stand out. They were never told to do any of these things; the only expectation was that they meet the brief.  

      Tomorrow some of the kids will start off their final version.  Some kids are still playing with prototypes and responding to the 'competition' by continuing to innovate and improve, improve, improve.

            Some of the kids don't want their designs outed by an appearance in this blog.  Sounds like classic R&D behaviour to me! ;-)

Allie is exceeding the brief.  She is including additional features so hers stands out against the other design

Brayden has included a clever clasp in his design, delivering beyond the requirement

BaiLin is thinking outside the box with his second design 

Design, failing fast and focusing on the real reason we learn mathematics

How often does it seem that maths is taught in isolation and for seemingly little purpose? Probably more often than it should be. (As adults we might 'get it' but kids don't necessarily understand that maths exists out there in the real world and is all around us all of the time)   Maths is a beautiful language but sings most loudly and clearly when we breathe life into it by applying it to solve real life problems.  Today the maths was the real deal and everyone was excited.

           In Room 2 we have been applying our measurement knowledge through the design of a wallet that can carry an iPhone, cash and cards.   The kids have been given the dimensions of a smart-phone, a credit card and a ten dollar note in order to build prototype i of their wallets. Their final design should be user-friendly, show accurate measurement (in terms of functionality) and look good. 

              Today we discussed the concept of  'failing fast'.  So what does it mean to 'fail fast'? In short it is an acknowledgement that in the process of failing we are one step closer to achieving a more successful outcome; through innovation and improvement a better end product results; through risk taking and not being limited by a fear of failure we can uncover novel design solutions. In short you try something out, and if it doesn't work, you fix it.  We encourage this approach in writing - in fact good editing and reshaping is seen as essential, so by extension, why don't we encourage improvement in design (applied mathematics)?  

            Today some kids realised their first prototypes were too tight, too big or too ugly. Not one kid got upset.  With a positive mindset the kids only see the progress they are making and how much closer they are to achieving their aim.

             Tomorrow the children will continue to refine their designs and start prototype ii.  

Watch this space!

Allie has her measurements recorded and has decided on her initial design

Cailan carefully considers the design brief and ensures his measurements are accurate

Brayden has an innovative design.  The ability to think 'outside the box' is termed divergent thinking.  Divergent thinkers
are able to come up with multiple solutions to a problem with relative ease.

Ishika is working on prototype i.  Newsprint is used initially because it is inexpensive but gives an indication of how well the final product might meet the brief

Failing fast means that problems can be quickly identified and resolved

Brayden works methodically when approaching the brief.  He is careful to ensure all requirements are addressed in his design

Is the Big Orange Splot the best book ever written?

Prolly.

I was lucky, my dad loved books and I was raised in a home rich with reading material. Dad selected books carefully because he thought content mattered, and that books should provoke deeper thinking; I think he was right.  My dad bought me The Big Orange Splot.  Yesterday as part of our exploration of Narrative writing, I introduced Room 2 to The Big Orange Splot.

So here's a basic synopsis:

Mr Plumbean lives in a house where all the houses are the same.  Mr Plumbean lives in a neat street. After a stroke of bad luck, Mr Plumbean seizes the opportunity to reinvent his home and ends up with a house that he explains 'looks like all my dreams'.   The house is painted brightly, there's a clock tower on the roof and a crocodile in the yard.  Naturally, the neighbours go into an uproar, and send one of the strongest opponents over to Plumbean's house with the expectation that he'll talk some sense into him.  The next day this neighbour's house is transformed into a ship styled home...

Get the picture?

The author, Daniel Manus Pinkwater never tells us what is said during the conversation.  As readers we are only told that they stay up all night talking and drinking lemonade.  

SO AWESOME!!!!

The mystery of this conversation is a gift to budding writers. What was said that night?  How did Mr Plumbean convince his neighbour to change his house to look like his dreams?  This was clearly a watershed moment for the neighbour; what caused his enlightenment?

I just love this kind of learning opportunity.   It presents a chance for children to participate in deeper philosophical discussions, and is also an opportunity to explore the importance of dialogue in character development.

In terms of teaching moments, it also provides a moment to explore symbolism.  We talked about how young children might read the book as being about changing houses, but the kids in Room 2 (an insightful bunch) recognised immediately that the house is a really a symbol (or metaphor) for the people who live in the houses.  In terms of mental well-being, we talked about the true message in the book - being true to yourself and celebrating uniqueness.

The kids have now paired up, and are writing scripts that we will act out next week.  What I like about this activity is how broad the appeal is.  It is fantastic for my creative kids but also fabulous for those kids who enjoy experimenting with the intellectual art of argument. .  You know you're on to a good thing when the kids moan when you ask them to put their devices away. ;-)

Follow the link directly below to watch a reading of The Big Orange Splot

The Big Orange Splot

Kids transfixed

Kids are working together on shared documents

Daring to be different

Oh humble whiteboard... How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...

If there's a piece of learning equipment that is the most useful and most utilised in Room 2 it has to be the humble whiteboard.  

       They are used daily in Mathematics and are a brilliant tool.  The kids can write down their strategies without fear of having their 'mistakes' forever captured in their books.  A lot of kids don't want to see their 'nearly theres', and so whiteboards are brilliant for application and practise of new skills and learning.  They allow a kind of risk-taking that comes with knowing that mistakes can be erased quickly and that there will be no record.   Likewise the poster-like qualities of the board (large lettering, bold colour)  allow the kids to flash (the act of flicking their hidden board around to show me their answers) their successes proudly when working on the mat.   

                 Another great thing about whiteboards is that they give children permission to be messy - with a whiteboard they can focus on the important thinking stuff without being bogged down by the neatness (a potential constraint) that is generally expected in book work.  They allow a kind of freedom that often results in bolder and more creative thinking.

                The photos attached were taken over the last two days, and show work from Reading and Mathematics.  Whiteboards are also used during Spelling and also for doodling while I read to the class.  (I wonder how many people know that research shows that doodling improves listening comprehension?!)  

All hail the mighty whiteboard!

               

Yay Nessa.  You go girl!

Yup, that'll be the scenario where the mad cat woman decides to build an enclosure for her hundred cats.

Cailan writes a definition for the term 'seed bank'.  Rock on, Cailan

Unpacking tricky vocab proves no problem for Jared

Carol discovers that if you want to swim Cook Strait you've got to be committed.