Incorporate THINK Skills for Student-Centered Learning: Use Design Thinking as Your School’s Foundational Backbone

Inflexion January 16, 2021

0 Comments

Mature male auto-mechanics teacher answering questions about a machine from three diverse high school students, one is pointing at the machine.

Design thinking relies on the natural — and coachable — human ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, and to construct ideas that are emotionally meaningful as well as functional.

– Tom Kelley

INTRO

Identify a THINK framework, such as design thinking, to set up as a foundational backbone that can be embedded every period, every day throughout your school. Check out Waipahu High School in Hawaii for examples.

THINK skills and behaviors are often grounded in critical thinking and inquiry. Examples include: ideation, creativity, innovation, and design thinking. Ultimately, THINK is about approaching situations and ideas with versatile and intentional thinking patterns.

OBJECTIVES

Brainstorm and start planning for how your school can incorporate a THINK framework/Design Thinking for the benefit of all students

RESOURCE LINKS

INFLEXION BLOG: Waipahu – Defining Problem Solving Skills Needed for All Students Through Design Thinking

PDF: THINK

ACTIVITY

Review the provided resource that highlights how Waipahu High School is one of the most successful high schools in Hawaii.

KEY POINTS

How did they do it?

Students enroll in one of six career pathways (Arts and communications, Business Services, Health Services, Industrial Engineering Technology, Natural Resources, or Public and Human Services).

Committed to a project-based learning model and small learning communities.

Incorporates elements of Design Thinking.

YOUR TURN

Brainstorm ideas for how your school can incorporate a THINK framework/Design Thinking for the benefit of all students
- with your leadership team, teachers, and even students and community
  - the provided “THINK” PDF can help you get started.

Identify a THINK framework, such as design thinking, to set up as a foundational backbone that can be embedded every period, every day throughout your school.

(Re)design and commit to your schoolwide THINK/design thinking framework

TIPS

Big Plays are more substantial efforts that take 6-18 months to fully accomplish.
- Give yourself, your leadership team, and your school time to survey all stakeholders, brainstorm and plan for possible solutions, and check in with stakeholders along the way
  - Remember, this is not a quick fix: You’re establishing schoolwide changes that should better serve all students for years to come

Like this activity? Check out Inflexion’s full-page THINK document for more ideas.

Categories: Protocols, Rituals & Routines

Tags: 21st Century Readiness, Instructional Practices, Shared Vision for Readiness, Student Experience, Student Outcomes

Inflexion

Build Unity Through Change: Engage Staff in Continuous Improvement Processes

Continuous improvement should be embedded in day-to-day work, in a systemized, organic way. You can think of the cyclical process as a formative assessment of the ideas being tested.

Inflexion June 7, 2023

0 Comments

Case Study: Merced Union High School District

Through its work with Inflexion, MUHSD is seeing strong results in student outcomes and in closing the opportunity gap for underserved students. California School Dashboard data show College/Career Indicator scores for African American, Hispanic, English Learners, students with disabilities, students who are homeless, and students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged are 16 to 29 points higher than the state average.

Inflexion June 9, 2020

0 Comments

Resources We Love (And Hope You Will Too!)

During our May Counterpart meetings, we asked folks to share what they have been engaging with recently. Below is a list of all the resources shared by our incredible community, offering a taste of the diverse and inspiring content they’re currently exploring. This list has something for everyone: from thought-provoking articles to captivating podcasts to must-watch documentaries. So, take a peek, pick your poison, and get ready to dive into something fantastic!

Michelle Liebhardt June 5, 2024

0 Comments

Black female student with her head down while handwriting. Other students blurred in the background are also handwriting.

The Literacy Playbook: Integrate Literacy Into Every Period, Every Day

When students are struggling with literacy, consider teaching it schoolwide during every period of every day. This is what Valley High School implemented with outstanding results. This resource goes over the literacy playbook.

Inflexion April 5, 2023

0 Comments

Aloha High School: Operationalizing College and Career Readiness by Defining Student Outcomes

In order for schools to operationalize college and career readiness for all students, it is critical to identify the outcomes schools should be addressing and students should be expected to demonstrate to ensure they are ready to succeed in life beyond high school.

Inflexion November 30, 2016

0 Comments

Snapshot of What’s Working: Multi-Tiered System of Support

Few large-scale policy initiatives speak to the potential of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) more so than the California Scale-Up Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Statewide Initiative—simply referred to as California MTSS.

Inflexion February 15, 2019

0 Comments

Family And Community Engagement (FACE): How To Get Started with Community School Development

So you’re familiar with community schools. You’re interested. But getting started can feel like the hardest part. While your own school/district’s path may ultimately differ from Anaheim Union School District’s, their example can help you begin mapping out where to start.

Inflexion April 19, 2023

0 Comments

Passion. Pride. Promise. Two Leaders Help Pave the Way for Their Students & Communities

Tucked away in the hills of rural western Oregon, the Vernonia and Gaston school districts defy many of the stereotypes most of us hold when we think of rural schools. Their communities face both common and unique challenges. Vernonia Elementary Principal, Michelle Eagleson, and Gaston Superintendent, Summer Catino, share how their small schools and communities achieve greatness.

Vanessa Brazil October 25, 2022

0 Comments

Diverse group of smiling high school students sitting in front of a row of computers.

Portico Student Experience Survey: Measuring Belonging, Connection, Engagement

Let’s move away from an environment where kids are sorted, packaged, and labeled based on the perceptions of adults that barely knew them. Readiness and success should be defined by students’ engagement, adaptability, and what they can do with their knowledge. However, students need to feel a sense of belonging, connection, and engagement as well as demonstrate self-awareness, self-management, and well-being to achieve true readiness and success. This survey process is an important step in that direction.

Inflexion February 21, 2023

0 Comments

Professional with dark shoulder-length hair points to a computer screen with graphs on it. A second screen shows a calendar.

Rethinking Master Schedules: Build a School Day That Prioritizes People

An effective master schedule is so much more than making sure the bells ring on time. It not only sets the pace for the school and community, but it can directly impact students’ access to equitable learning, opportunities, and holistic well-being. It also impacts the well-being of your staff as well as their opportunities for meaningful collaboration, preparation, and professional development. An equitable and effective master schedule can lead to a healthier school community overall.

Inflexion March 20, 2023

0 Comments

Responses

You must be logged in to post a comment.

INTRO

OBJECTIVES

RESOURCE LINKS

ACTIVITY

KEY POINTS

YOUR TURN

TIPS

Related Articles

Responses