Design challenges have the power to encourage creativity in your students – by providing limitations and guidelines, students can actually become more creative. Learn strategies for creating design prompts, running challenges, and incorporating the design process into projects with your students. We’ll discuss several specific design challenges and offer examples of prompts that can work in these challenges. This presentation will help you find inspiration and feel equipped to lead your students through design challenges that will spark their creative genius.
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DIANA RENDINA, MLIS
• Media Specialist at Stewart
Middle Magnet School in
Tampa, FL since 2010
• Blogger @
RenovatedLearning & AASL
Knowledge Quest
• 2016 ISTE Outstanding
Young Educator
• Challenge-Based Learning in
the School Library
Makerspace - August 2017
• Reimagining Library Spaces:
Transform Your Space on Any
Budget - Fall 2017
Portrait by Kimberly Yau
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About Stewart
• Public STEM Magnet Middle School
• Hillsborough County Public Schools (8th largest
district in USA)
• Grades 6-8
• Urban location near downtown Tampa
• Title 1 - 75% of students on free or reduced
lunch
• 30% Black, 33% Hispanic, 30% White, 7%
Asian and Multiracial
• 65% Male, 35% Female
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“The Challenge of the Blank
Screen” Seymour Papert
“The Paradox of Choice”
Barry Schwartz, psychologist
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CREATING A DESIGN PROMPT
• What is the goal?
• Who do students work with?
• What are the materials?
• How much Cme do they have?
• How will they share it?
• Other creaCve constraints?
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RUBBER BAND LAUNCHER PROMPT
• Goal: Create something that
launches with a rubber band
• Who: Choose your own groups
• Materials: Anything! + rubber
bands
• Time: 3 weeks
• Share: Video conference
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CARDBOARD CHALLENGE PROMPT
• Goal: Make an arcade game with
cardboard
• Who: Choose your own groups
• Materials: At least 75% cardboard
• Time: 2 weeks
• Share: Global Cardboard
Challenge event
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PHONE/TABLET HOLDER PROMPT
Build a device that can hold your
phone steady to take a picture or
video. Work with your table group.
You can only use K’nex provided at
your table. You have 45 minutes,
then we’ll share “shark tank” pitches
to the group.
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BEST PRACTICES FOR CHALLENGES
• Don’t make it a compeCCon
• Provide a focus, but not too
many limitaCons
• Leave room for creaCvity
• Build in a sharing component
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DESIGN PROMPT
Build a model of a coral reef using
K’nex or LEGOs. You must cite at
least one piece of evidence from
the text. Work alone or in groups.
You have 15 minutes, then we’ll
present our projects to the class.
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COLLABORATION The Engineering Design Process
IdenVfy the PROBLEM
BRAINSTORM a soluVon
DESIGN & BUILD a prototype
TEST & EVALUATE
REDESIGN based on tests
SHARE your soluVon
REFLECT on process
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DESIGN PROMPT The Engineering Design Process
Build a device that can hold a
phone to take a picture.
Document your work on your
worksheet. Work in table groups.
You have 20 minutes, then we’ll
pitch our projects to the class.