Unit 3 - Introduction - Change (Design thinking) in Schools

Change in schools is the focus of Unit 3.

Good case made for why design thinking should be taken up by schools and educators.
If we believe in the practice of "design thinking" then we really owe it to our students to practice and model its use.

How so? 

I've already set to work on doing so by engaging students in the design of my lesson plans - what works for them, what do they feel that they need more of, what obstacles get in the way of their learning?

.. but how to invite change across a school?
The video introduction suggests

• developing partnerships (with others; students, administrators) 
• engaging with diverse stakeholders (end users of our service; community, business) 
• building coalitions 

Best practices vs Our practices

The practice of identifying best practices elsewhere and then applying them "here" often ends in failure. Design Thinking may offer a better solution to change. It gets people involved in all phases of design to in effect "home grow" or incubate solutions (broader buy in) .

Key questions  (my take ... before exploring the Unit)

• What is the role of leadership in bringing design thinking to schools?
• Leadership needs to have vision and purpose .. and ideally needs to be shared with everyone so that the best chance of having suppport for realizing change can happen. If people are made aware of current issues, of what can and cannot be changed ... then they can be invited to take ownership of a problem to find answers that they think will work. The design thinking process also makes it clear that feelings are important, that such a change process is ongoing (not fixed) .. and thus invites ideas. 
• How can design be applied to complex systems and sticky educational problems?
• Good question.  I'm thinking that it needs to start with a clear idea of the purpose or role of such systems ... how these systems have evolved to address a purpose. It means examining how well such systems do work.. and then identifying how they don't work.
• What is the impact of using design thinking to guide change?
• I'm thinking that design thinking provides a step by step guide on how to tackle problems ... and to do so in a well grounded way .. which ensures that whatever solution do emerge that they are broadly supported and thus more highly effective.  It also encourages an iterative approach ... as in "we don't settle for just any approach".