Design School

I am working with a few other educators to craft a school within a school.  The end product is to craft a Design School.  We held out first brainstorming session today.  I figured it would be beneficial to share our process with others.  Hopefully, this will generate constructive feedback as our progress is shared via various social networks.

Today was an initial meeting to pose questions and ponder a few ideas until our next formal sit down.  I copied below some of the ideas we are reflecting on.  We agree to use our next meeting time to put on paper or a white board a list of core principles in the hopes of crafting a mission statement and a Bruce Mau Manifesto inspired beliefs statement.  Regardless of how the program evolves, it needs to be anchored by a clear vision and core set of non-negotiable beliefs about education, teaching, and learning.

Feel free to comment and offer any suggestions as we move through this journey.


Ideas to Ponder

• developing entry level courses around design thinking, cognition, key learning outcomes
• year one Detox sessions

•  build an experience over four years- from introductory courses to the design of self-directed inquiries
• build towards students designing spaces and engagements

•  how to build relationships between students and experts outside of the building

•  explode the idea of time in the program, make room for internships, connections with the professional world
• time for exploration within the school day
• time for teams to meet, collaboration requires time beyond a scheduled block

•  incorporating authentic observation into the program- getting out of the building the observe for both teachers and students
• key component is observation and developing true sense of empathy

•    Create the following
•  3-5 year growth plan
•  mission statement
• Manifesto of guiding principles (Think Bruce Mau)

•    creating a common language (vocabulary of roles within the program)

•    Teachers as learners- involved in personal inquiry projects as well as the students (Rosenstock concept    of rigor)

•     shifting roles of how one views their role within the program 
• mentor
• apprentice
• designer
• architect
• craftsman
• head learner
• learning coordinator
• connector
• teammate

•     public exhibition as core tenet of the program, capstone projects, learning is transparent for all involved

•    team taught courses, leveraging expertise between multiple mentors