Ideate, Iterate, Collaborate!: Teaching Students to Think Like Designers in Our Makerspaces
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Design Thinking and the Design Process are frameworks used by designers in a variety of fields, and they are perfect for our student makers. In this session, we’ll look at the steps of design thinking and the design process and how they can be applied to student projects. I’ll share a variety of ways to incorporate design thinking into your library makerspace, including quick design challenges, longer-term projects, and collaborations with teachers that tie into curriculum. We’ll also look at suggested supplies, setting up your makerspace for success, and creating norms and guidelines for students. And I’ll share a bit about creating a design thinking elective for 7th and 8th graders that dives into the process for a whole semester. I’ll share the resources I’ve used to build this class that can help you to dive even deeper into the design thinking world. No matter what your experience with makerspaces and design, you’re sure to come away with ideas for inspiring creativity in your students.
Resources
Challenge Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace
My book that I co-wrote along with Colleen and Aaron Graves. Much of this presentation is based off of the content of this book, so if you find this presentation valuable, you’ll probably like the book too.
In this book, we go into depth about how to create a maker culture within your school, develop an interactive learning space and more. We discuss the logistics of hosting maker workshops, creating design challenge prompts and documenting the learning process.
While not specifically design thinking focused, we talk about many principals that overlap and how the design process can be incorporated into projects.
Recommended Books
- Design Thinking in the Classroom: Easy-to-Use Teaching Tools to Foster Creativity, Encourage Innovation, and Unleash Potential in Every Student
- Making Science: Reimagining STEM Education in Middle School and Beyond (My review) <<- Both the 6th grade science teacher and I read this book over the summer before our first collaboration, and it has excellent ideas and advice for bringing hands-on making into the science classroom.
- Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom <<– The classic Maker text and a must-read.
- <<– The framework in this book is a great take on design thinking, especially for younger grades.
Our 6th Grade Collaborations:
- How to Start a Classroom Makerspace from Scratch <<- This post includes a the process we took in creating a classroom makerspace for this project and what supplies we purchased.
- Science + Makerspace: Safety Device Challenge
- Science + Makerspace: Earthquake Design Challenge
IDEAlab and Makerspace:
- Starting a Makerspace from Scratch: Introducing the IDEAlab and Makerspace
- COVID Library Update: Our Makerspace in the Time of COVID
My Design Thinking Elective:
- 30 Circles Exercise: Teaching Rapid Brainstorming
- Cardboard Challenge Tips Part 1: The Tools << — We use a lot of these tools in our recycled materials projects
- Cardboard Challenge Tips Part 2: More Tips and Tricks
- How to Teach an Intro to 3D Printing Class
- How to Run a Tech Take Apart Workshop in Your Makerspace
Best Practices:
- How to Create Makerspace Organization that Actually Works
- How to Choose the Right Makerspace Cart
- 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning a Makerspace <<– If you’re just getting started, this post will help you brainstorm your makerspace collaboration.