Design Thinking and the Chesapeake Bay

There is nothing more fulfilling for me as an administrator than to learn from my colleagues, teachers and students! 4^th grade has always done amazing things with their study of the Bay. What is so awesome is that each year they expand their unit making it more relevant to the students. This is not about transferring knowledge from adults to children; this is about igniting a fire within the students, which pushes them to solve the problems around them. After spending part of a morning in 4C and listening to the students speak confidently and passionately about how to improve or better control the water run off and pollution on our campus that could lead to the Bay, I truly believe these 4^th graders were young scientists working to solve common, local problems. They were not just completing a school project, they believed in the power and relevancy of their work. Following a similar process as the one noted in this article on project based learning students:

• Conducted a needs assessment - by walking around the campus to pinpoint the problems. 
• Brainstormed ideas about the problem and possible solutions.

• Completed a prototype.

• Presented solutions to an authentic audience - the Facilities Director and members of his team.

In reviewing the scale of authenticity of their products and prototypes, I certainly feel the majority were in the “somewhat” to “fully” authentic. However, it was the critical thinking, creativity in their solutions and their presentational skills that really did it for me.

Here is the project:

Each member of Mrs. Hinnant’s 4^th grade classroom followed a design thinking approach to conquer a real world, local problem: 

Problem: How might we improve the quality of water that is draining from the Flint Hill campus into the tributary of the Chesapeake Bay?

The following process was used:

•             Brainstorm prior knowledge of problem
•            What questions need researching to better understand problem?
•            What ideas do you have to solve the problem?
•            Create a prototype of your proposed solution
•             Present the prototype to a Flint Hill administrator.

The students proposed the following solutions:

•           Put screens and filters on all drains.
•            Plant more trees
•            Limit parking areas to avoid run off
•            Plant more moss to absorb the excess water
•            Control fertilizer used
•             Design more “green roofs” around campus
•            Install rain barrels to capture excess water; could also be used to water plants

Follow Up: The Design Thinking Tool

On a side note I was impressed by the design-thinking tool used by Mrs. Hinnant. First and foremost, it is an appropriate tool for one to approach a problem from multiple angles and delve into a variety of solutions. It is a “thinking tool.” It also confirmed for me once again the power of modeling. Every faculty member during the pre-planning period prior to the start of school used the design-thinking tool to delve into a community issue of interest. All 200 members of our faculty and staff spent one full day working in an affinity group, using the Design Thinking Model, to address a challenge within the community. This model, just introduced this academic year, has been accepted and is presently being used by our students, faculty and staff. I was so pleased to see Mrs. Hinnant quickly add it to her teaching repertoire. 

Just 3 Vanes of a Windmill Working to Make the World a Better Place

What do Margo, Hodan and William have in common? All three of us have extremely different backgrounds. Margo is an educator in Northern Virginia, originally from the Northeast, born in New York but raised in Connecticut. My Dream is to improve the lives of others and the world as a whole, through education. I believe that everyone with a positive outlook and open mind can make a difference in the world. Those whom through their struggles find it hard to be positive, need our encouragement and support. 

Hodan is am immigrant from Somalia. Hodan’s well off family fled the civil war; some went to Europe, some to the US, not all of them made it. Although her lavish lifestyle was left behind, she lives a comfortable middle class life in the U.S., is happy, and incredibly positive. She does not take life for granted. Her dream is to go to college and simply be the best that she can be.

William comes from a poor rural family of farmers in Malawi. He is now a student of engineering and environmental studies at Dartmouth University. He was denied education due to poverty, but refused to give up so he educated himself at a public library near his village. He self taught himself how to make a windmill in order to provide water and energy to his drought-ridden community. This windmill blew his story around the world. His present dream is to go back to his country to develop schools as well as to implement “simple tools” that will improve living conditions in his country.

On the evening of 10/24/2013, all three of us sat in the same room, a public space, a hometown library in Leesburg Virginia. It was there that I realized how much we had in common.  Each of us represents a vane in the windmill, working separately but with the same force to improve the lives of others.

• We all have a passion to educate and be educated.
• We realize the importance of learning from others, and the power of our stories to impact change around us.
• We adhere to Williams’s messages “Don’t allow challenges to stop you from (achieving) your goals.”
•  “When you encounter a problem, experiment, go back and investigate, find out what to do next.”
• Rely on simplicity to solve problems efficiently.

Following is Hodan’s viewpoint of the talk. Hodan and I have worked together for the past 8 months. Her goal is to improve her writing. She has indeed. In this essay I am very proud of her introspection and the connections she makes to William's journey. Same continent, different lives, unique challenges, but truly acknowledging the power of one’s story and the sacrifice one makes to make the world a better place. 

About William Kamkwam

William Kamkwam was born in Malawi, Africa. Malawi is a small country where people believed magic and science was unknown. Last week my teacher and I went to the book signing of William Kamkwam. There I saw the man who harnessed the wind.  He talked about his childhood and how he had vigorous dreams. He explained how his family was poor and his village had no light. However, for William, the darkness was the best time for his dreaming. He knew that with a windmill, he would finally release the darkness and hunger. He told us that a “windmill” meant more than just power, it was freedom of life. The best thing he shared with us was that we could do anything, if we try! I believe all things are possible, if they come from the heart.

While in the auditorium, I thought about how William and I come from the same continent but with a different concept of life. I was brought up in a rich life and ended up poor overnight. The overview of his life makes me wonder if I could come out and tell the world about my life story or at least write about it. The whole week, following William’s presentation, I was wondering how I could share the story of my life. But then, to think about it, brings back dreadful memories. Listening to William inspires me to even share my own story. One day I will be brave enough to share about my life journey from Somalia.  

By Hodan

Here is Williams Story:

http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/01/video-a-conversation-with-william-kamkwamba-14/

http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_on_building_a_windmill.html

I am grateful for the opportunity to touch people's lives through the Loudoun Literacy Council. People may not realize the reciprocal learning involved when working with and learning from the powerful stories of our neighbors.