This document outlines a design thinking process to increase student access to technology at a school. It discusses empathizing with students who rely on technology but have limited access. The goal is defined as facilitating learning through increased computer and internet access. Ideas are generated for obtaining more devices, sharing resources, and creating a dedicated space. A prototype would collect data on how students use provided technology. The project would be tested and improved through student and teacher feedback.

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Technology
Nina Collins

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STAGE 1: EMPATHY
 Audience
 Students
 Parents
 Administrators
 Empathize
 Preparation for adult life
 Increasingly reliant on technology
 Use technology to reach their goals
 Prioritize
 Students reliant on smart phones
 Access to other technology
 Discrimination to use technology critically

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STAGE 2: DEFINE
 Inquiry Question
 How might we increase access to
technology, in particular computers
and Internet, in order to facilitate the
learning and growth of our students?
 Audience
 Students
 Parents
 Administrators
 Prioritize
 21st century skills
 Metrics for Success
 Students access to technology at
least one time a week
 Curriculum with more technology
utilization
 Glossary
 Technology
 Access
 Facilitate
 Computers
 Internet
 3-D printers
 Software,
 Electronics
 Applications

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STAGE 3: IDEATION
 Challenge:
 Solve the issue of student access to technology, in particular computers and internet, in order
to facilitate the learning and growth of our students.
 Point of View:
 Lower SES Students have no consistent access to Internet or Internet-accessible devices.
 School has a limited amount of laptops and no working computer lab.
 Ideation
 HMW organize device sharing?
 HMW get more devices and a dedicated place and time to use them?
 HMW give non-technological lessons cachet and status?
 HMW put a device in each student’s hands?
 HMW underwrite the cost of devices and internet for families?
 HMW make students tech-savvy?
 HMW encourage students to design their own tech?
 HMW get community partners to share their resources with our students?
 HMW “gamify” technology access?
 HMW empower teachers to utilize the existing technology available at each school site?
 HMW encourage local business to provide the necessary technology training for their future
workforce?

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STAGE 4: PROTOTYPE
 Project
 How might we access additional technology for student use and design a space to put it?
 Timeline:
 Ongoing project
 Data to be collected
 How students are using the technology
 What students are using the technology for
 How often they use the technology
 Ease of use of the technology
 When the technology is needed (hours of operation)
 What technology is needed
 Needs
 Space to use with desks, ample power, Internet, laptop, desktop or tablet computers, up-to-date operating systems and
software.
 Local/Global Impact:
 Give lower SES students opportunity
 Entice neighborhood students
 IB MYP
 21st century skills
 Global information and connections

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STAGE 5: TEST & LEARN
 Collect Data & Analyze Product:
 Student / Parent/ Administrator Survey
 Kind of technology students currently have access to,
 What kinds of technology they would like to have access to, w
 Hat kind of computer lab or other resource would be most useful to them, and
 When they think they would use such a resource (before school, lunch,
afternoons, weekends, etc.)
 Feedback
 Log when students are using the technology and for how long
 Survey students as to what technology they find the most useful, and what
technology do they desire that is not currently available.
 Goal
 25% of the student population utilizes the technology offered
 25% of teachers are utilizing the additional technology

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NGSS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
 MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design
problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful
solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and
potential impacts on people and the natural environment that
may limit possible solutions.
 MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a
systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria
and constraints of the problem.
 MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative
testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process
such that an optimal design can be achieved.