Design School Four Year Sequence

Sharing updated work for our Design School.  Starting to build out a four year sequence for the Academy.  The sequence is provided and a draft of descriptions for the individual course/experiences.  We are particular excited about the Designer Practicum and Designer Portal which empowers our capstone architects (still searching for a name) to build a design team from our 10th and 11th grade design school students.  We have to figure out how it will work so feedback is greatly appreciated.  Our school is moving to an A/B schedule with 4 80 minute blocks each day.  Sequence also reflect New Jersey graduation requirements.

Year 1

A Day (Design Day)                       

• American Experience I                   
• Intro to Technology and Design                
• Design Pathway                      

B Day (Traditional Day)

• World Language  
• Math
• Physics
• Gym

Year 2

A Day (Design Day)                     

• American Experience II                   
•  Design Theory and Practice I               
•  Design Pathway                      

                                 

B Day (Traditional Day)

• Math 
•  Chemistry 
• World Language  
•  Gym 

Year 3

A Day (Design Day)                       

• The Global Citizen                       
•  Design Theory and Practice II            
•  Design Pathway                   

                                  

B Day (Traditional Day)

• Math 
• Biology/Environmental 
• Gym 
• Elective (could continue with World Language) 

Year 4

A Day (Design Day)                    

• English Independent Study                   
• Designer Practicum                       
• Design Seminar                      

                                  

                       

 B Day (Traditional Day)

• Design School Portal  
• Elective #1
• Elective #2 
• Elective #3     

        *Design School TA experience 

Description of Courses

American Experience and Global Citizen

American Experience and Global Citizen are interdisciplinary humanities courses.  Through the design school students will be able to address core graduation requirements for Language Arts and Social Studies.  The course will be co-taught and generally follow the thread of transitioning from American to World History.  Both American Experience and Global Citizen will take a thematic approach and be influenced by the design process.  For example, students in American Experience could examine the theme of economic disparity.  Readings and a developing understanding of American History will support students as they engage in examining the the socio-economic divide in this country.  Students will research contemporary developments/scenarios and offer solutions to disrupt the debilitating cycle of poverty afflicting countless Americans.  Global Citizen would mirror American Experience.  A potential theme could be the exploitation of natural resources.  Again, the core subjects will support students investigate and pose solutions to current issues such as Global Warming, Deforestation, Pollution, Water Deficits, shrinking Biodiversity.

Design Pathway

Design Pathway is an elective option for students.  The goal is for students to “major” in a technical or performance arts content area during their tenure as a student in the design school. Additionally, the opportunity will exist for students to seek certification in the Design Pathway.   

Intro to Tech and Design

Introduction to Technology and Design furthers the current curriculum.  The current version introduces students to various technology systems such as structures, mechanics, electronics, transportation, and aeronautics. In Introduction to Technology and Design Students experiment with designing a problem solving process and using technological systems to address design challenges.  An updated version will further the materials/systems students are introduced to.  The revision builds off a premise that students coming to the high school have limited experience  with the content presented in our elective offerings. Introduction to Technology and Design would provide a place for our students to experiment with samples from our elective offerings and further shape the interests/passion of design school students.

Design Theory and Practice

Design Theory and Practice serves a dual purpose with both outlets connected to the design process.  Students would work on a series of mini-projects where they are investigating a community or school-based need.  Design Theory and Practice would allow students to experiment on a smaller more controlled scale gradually building the capacity of students to engage in the design thinking process and enhance their understanding of core beliefs expressed in the Design School Manifesto for Growth.  Additionally, the course will allow 10th and 11th graders to contribute towards a 12th grade capstone project (see Designer Practicum).  10th and 11th graders will be part of a team working to address a need defined in a capstone project.

Designer Practicum

12th grade students in the Design School will be required to develop a year long capstone project.  In conjunction with a mentor(s) a senior student will have to uncover a human need and work towards addressing that need.  The senior will be viewed as the architect of the capstone experience and initially, assume responsibility for interpreting and defining the problem.  Once a need has been uncovered, each senior must build a plan on how to address the problem.  A required part of of the plan is for each senior (lead architect, head designer, capstone CEO) to build a team which will assist in executing the plan.  10th and 11th grade design students will be recruited (have to define what this actually means) to join a capstone team(s).  

Designer Seminar

Designer Seminar is a space for 12th graders to meet to discuss their capstone experience.  Designer Seminar serves as an internal network where capstone architects share ideas and resources and seek feedback from peers.  Additionally, materials presented in Designer Seminar will stimulate discourse about leadership, conflict resolution and social entrepreneurship

English Independent Study

Senior year English will function as an independent study.  The contents of each independent study will be dictated by the Designer Practicum experience.  The idea of offering 12th grade English as an independent study stems from the belief that after three years as members of the Design School, students are capable of collaborating with a mentor to determine a personalized language arts experience.

Design School Portal

Once the program supports four grades the plan is to group freshman and seniors together on A Day and hold design school course for sophomores and juniors on B Day.  One reason for this arrangement is to allow seniors to work with sophomores and juniors on the capstone project.  

*Additionally, we envision an opportunity for design students to serve as teacher assistants.  As part of senior year, as one of their electives students will have the chance to spend the year int he classroom as a teacher’s assistant. 

Design School Presentation

Presented the other day about the potential of a Design School.  The presentation was anchored by a belief in the design process and structuring learning engagements around things that matter.  Also, the presentation was framed through the lens of a slide ripped from a presentation given by Chris Anderson.  In speaking about the New Industrial Revolution, Chris Anderson offered the following:

The History of 20 Years In 2 Sentences

The past decade was about finding new social and innovation models on the web

The next decade will be about applying them to the real world

  

A driving force behind the Design School is a focus on what students do and why they are doing it.  In structuring learning around real-problems or human-centered design challenges, students are pushed to think critically, conduct extensive research inquiries, embrace the concept of prototyping and even understand the importance of failure, work collaboratively, build meaningful social networks and realize unique talents and potential.  In a process of creative innovative problem-solving students are engaged in the New Industrial Revolution / Maker Movement and not bystanders waiting they get older to begin building, creating and making a difference.

Starting To Take Shape

Starting to provide a structure and vision for our design school.  Thanks to @ahab6633 and @mylatinteacher for their assistance.

MHS Design School

MHS intends to open a design school for the 2014-2015 school year.  The MHS Design School will exists as a school within a school and serve as a hub for innovators at MHS and the larger community.  At its core, the design school will focus on building student capacity to develop a process for producing creative solutions to any challenge.  The Design School will also be rooted in the premise that students learn best by doing.  Students will engage in self-directed inquiry and problem solving under the mentorship of faculty, staff, and community members.  

The curriculum will employ an interdisciplinary approach to learning that blurs the lines between subject areas to engage learners in the inherent nuances and complexity of real-life issues.  Our goal is to develop learners who refuse to narrowly define themselves according to a single subject area.  Reversing the traditional sequence of industrial model learning, which is dependent upon building students’ knowledge up to considering a problem, Design School students will begin with their curiosity and define their lines of inquiry through observation and experimentation, backing into those needed components and required skills to address the problem.  We will build relevance and meaning in learning from necessity.  Students need opportunities to try on different hats to see what fits.  

Consider an engineer, who needs to proficiency in Math and Science, but who also needs to be able to speak and write persuasively for their audience.  

Much of traditional school is concerned with the past, teaching individual subject matters with a sense of history that may or may not have anything to do with the students and their lives.  The MHS Design School is a school where the present and future are prized and celebrated.  

Students will employ cutting-edge technology and leverage the power of living in a connected world to uncover real human needs, to inform their exploration and to fashion the world around them.  Throughout the Design School experience, students will be free to experiment with their curiosity and imagination, ultimately, connecting their skills, gifts and passions to attend to something greater than themselves.  

Different Take?

Potential structure for our design school.  This is just a rough rough skeleton.  We do like the idea of changing the way we view/call students.  Again, just a rough sketch of what we are thinking.


Year I Students- Apprentices
Year I would be anchored by metacognitive studies, idea of detox and design theory.  Apprentices would engage in developmental design challenges such as the Sol LeWitt and Wikiseat Project.  Additionally, Apprentices would assist upperclassmen on their capstone endeavors.

Year II Students- Journeyman
Journeyman would begin to design their own projects and still assist on other projects.

Year III Students-Forman
Students would design and serve as a project leader on a community inspired design challenge.  Endeavors would be complex and take on an integrated approach. 

Year IV Students- Designer 
Designers would work on developing and following through on a capstone project.  The capstone project could build off previous challenges and each Designer could be required to build a team.  

Personally, I like the idea of using the following as a source of inspiration for our Designers:

“One of the most important things we can do is help young people find their way to be in service to something larger than themselves. Normally the only reason kids go to college or graduate school—and, in Wes Jackson’s words, the only real major offered—is upward mobility. But we fail to teach our children that service to something greater than themselves is far more likely to lead to a joyful and satisfying life, and one that is environmentally rich....  It all starts with the question: What’s the biggest and most important problem I can solve with my gifts and skills? Jensen, Derrick (2011-08-23). Walking On Water: Reading, Writing And Revolution (p. 45). Chelsea Green Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Design School Manifesto

Further refinements to our design school manifesto.  Feedback is welcomed....

Design School Manifesto

Process Over Product
Even though the finished product is important, it is crucial that builders/designers/innovators reflect on the creative process and self-assess their growth.

Learning is Natural
We should give ourselves and each other permissions to; pay attention, listen deeply, listen differently and notice the unlikely.

Experimentation and Failure
Do not be afraid to fail.  Embrace experimentations and the concept of prototyping.  Failure is not punitive but instead an opportunity to learn, make adjustments and grow.

Consciousness Over Conditioning
Begin anywhere- John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.

No End In Terms Of Growth

Love Your Experiments
Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.

Research Out Of Necessity
Research should be self-initiated

Everyone Is A Leader
Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.

Collaborate
The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.  Embrace conflict, paradox and ambiguity.

Synthesis From Within

Learning Occurs Everywhere
Live the wide-awake life.  Be mindful of your surroundings.  Take time to stop, reflect, think, observe and analyze.  

Nothing Is Ever Finished Or Permanent
Every movement leads to more questions.  Always seek competing perspectives or view through a different lens.  There are always questions to ask, improvements, places to go...

Go Deep
The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.

Work The Metaphor
Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for.

Work Is A Naturally Extension Of Your Life
Pursue happiness both in and outside of school.  Work to blur the boundary between school and not school

Collective Will
Embrace the responsibility for helping one another to grow.

Design School

Sharing a document worked on today during our design school development meeting.  We used today to get some ideas on paper in regards to a core philosophy and driving principles behind a potential Design School.  Most of the ideas were internal but a few came from Bruce Mau's Incomplete Manifesto for Growth and from the Thompson School District Innovation Lab. We view these bullets are core principles that would guide develop of the school.


Driving Principles

• process over product
• 
  
• action before analysis
• learn from doing
• value PLAY, live like a Kindergartner
• learning is natural if we give ourselves and each other permissions to:
• pay attention
• listen deeply
• listen differently
• notice the unlikely
• stakeholders embrace mistakes, experimentation and failure
• fail often
• cognition over content
• consciousness over conditioning
• mindfulness, stop and think, observe, analyze
• learner owns the learning, when respect for every voice is the soul of the learning community
• goal of instruction is to push and lift students
• no end in terms of growth
• Love your experiments
• Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.
• Everyone is a leader
• Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.
• Collaborate
• The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.
• embrace conflict, paradox and ambiguity
• it’s about asking questions
• consider perspectives, lenses
• every movement leads to more questions
• learning occurs everywhere
• live the wide-awake life
• learning is a collaborative process
• we are all responsible for helping one another grow
• nothing is ever finished or permanent
• there are always questions to ask, improvements, places to go...
• Go deep
• The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.
• Begin anywhere
• John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.
• Work the metaphor
• Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for
• work is a naturally extension of your life
• blurring boundary between school and not school
• Do what matters most
• grit, curiosity, flow, eudaimonia
• pursuit of happiness