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. 

Authentic Learning: Parade of Experts and Streams of Questions

When students are provided with numerous opportunities to consult with experts they are more apt to explore their curiosities and act upon their passions; it is the excitement of believing that someone can answer all of your questions, and the reality that with each answered question a new one arises. There is nothing more inspiring then a group of engaged students, a teacher facilitator who fosters a environment where students are curious and take risks, together with a parade of experts in a wide range of fields. In our interconnected world there are vast opportunities for students to interact directly with experts: in person, through field trips, twitter, blogging and through Skype. It is my hope that this academic year becomes a continuous parade of experts creating winding streams of questions....

The parade has begun, enabling our 4^th grade students to support their study of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by participating in a webinar with PhD student Brandon Conroy through VIMS, the Virginia Institute of Marine. Students first received an overview of Brandon’s research interest of Zooplankton, followed by information on his studies in Antarctica, the Amazon River and the Chesapeake Bay. Then came the stream of questions:

If the amount of zooplankton doubled would we get rid of nutrient pollution?

How long do zooplankton live?

Were zooplankton alive in the time of the dinosaurs?

How has the zooplankton population changed or affected the Chesapeake Bay?

Students were engaged, thoughtful learners involved in an authentic learning endeavor. Let’s keep the parade marching (and the plankton wandering…..).