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Welcome to Design Thinking for Leading and Learning!

ABOUT THIS COURSE

How do we prepare K-12 students and learning communities to be as successful as possible? If future jobs require creativity, problem-solving and communication, how do we teach these skills in meaningful ways? How do we bring together passionate school leaders to create systemic solutions to educational challenges? 

The course is organized into three, two-week sections that combine design thinking content with real-world education examples and opportunities for participants to apply concepts in their own setting. In the first unit, we'll overview different approaches to design thinking, explore the potential for bringing design thinking into schools, and engage in a hands-on design challenge to practice the design process. In the second unit, we'll see real-world examples of how and why PK-12 classrooms use the design thinking process to enhance student learning. You'll experiment with the process in your own classroom or workplace. In the last unit, you'll explore how and why PK-12 institutions use the design thinking process to address systemic change. You'll consider using design thinking to solve a problem in your own school community.

After we've introduced the design process and other key concepts in Unit 1, Units 2 and 3 will release simultaneously to give you the space and flexibility to explore the content and tackle the design challenges in the way that works best for you.

  • Unit 1: Meet Design Thinking (March 14, 2019)

Assignment 1: Be a Designer (suggested due date: March 27, 2019)

- Welcome Live Event with Course Staff (March 18, 2019, 3:00 PM UTC)

- Virtual Hangout (April 10, 2019, 4:30 PM UTC)

  • Unit 2: Design Thinking for Students (March 28, 2019) 

Assignment 2: Design Thinking with Students Activity Plan Prototype- Step 5 (suggested due date: April 11, 2019)

Assignment 2: Design Thinking with Students Activity Plan and Reflection- Step 7 (suggested due date: April 22, 2019)

  • Unit 3: Design Thinking for Schools (March 28, 2019) 

Assignment 3: Design for Change Action Plan Prototype- Step 5 (suggested due date: April 11, 2019)

Assignment 3: Design for Change Action Plan and Reflection- Step 7 (suggested due date: April 22, 2019)

- Final Live Event with Course Staff (April 24, 2019, 6:00 PM UTC,)

Completion checklists are due by 11:00 pm UTC April 25, 2019. The course concludes at 11:30 pm UTC  April 25, 2019. Certificates will be generated shortly after the course ends. 

COURSE CALENDAR

The calendar below includes course events and suggested due dates. If you have questions, look at the list of dates above.