Don Buckley's presentation from edcampIS, March 2, 2013 , Philadelphia

1. INJECTING INNOVATION INTO EDUCATION
TEACHING DESIGN THINKING AS A TOOL FOR TODAY
NSTA 2013
don buckley
The School at Columbia University
Director of Innovation and Technology
dbuckley@theschool.columbia.edu

2. INJECTING INNOVATION INTO EDUCATION
TEACHING DESIGN THINKING AS A TOOL FOR TODAY
NSTA 2013
don buckley
The School at Columbia University
Director of Innovation and Technology
dbuckley@theschool.columbia.edu

4. DON BUCKLEY
DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION
Don Buckley has transformed learning spaces so they work for
teachers and students and not just architects, he has transformed
textbooks so that they work for students and teachers and not
just publishers, and transformed new media resources so that
they work for students and teachers and not just programmers.
He has advanced degrees from leading European universities, is a
former industrial chemist, published photographer, and consultant
to MOMA. As well as teaching a graduate course at Columbia
Teacher’s College in Educational Technology and directing the
Technology and Innovation at The School, he is an author for
Pearson’s Interactive Science Program (a K-8 Science series for 21st
century schools). Most recently Don has worked with aruliden on
multiple design thinking projects to rethink education.
Don is passionate about Travel, Architecture, Design, Change,The
Future and Innovation.
He is a scientist, technologist, educator, author, traveler, design
thinker, innovator and dual citizen of Ireland and the United States.
T HE MARYMO UNT SC HO O L

5. ?
T HE MARYMO UNT SC HO O L

6. Innovation is the ability to see the opportunity.
And exercising the opportunity to change mindsets.
T HE MARYMO UNT SC HO O L

7. It’s about bringing the right side of the brain together with the left
to create holistic solutions.
T HE MARYMO UNT SC HO O L

8. It all starts with a blue sky idea.

10. Then remembering that anything is possible.
We just have to think about it a little differently.

12. 06.26.12
USING THE DESIGN PROCESS TO RETHINK OUR EVERYDAY
Day 2

13. Innovation is the ability to see the opportunity.
And exercising the opportunity to change mindsets.
Innovators demonstrate some unique
characteristics for surprising stimuli.

15. Think about
how you got
here today.
1. Observing: Watching the world around
them for surprising stimuli.

16. And the objects needed to help
you along the way.

17. What are the items you
can’t live without?
3. Networking: Interacting with people from different
backgrounds who provide access to new ways of thinking.

18. 4. Experimenting:
Consciously complicating
their lives by trying new
things or going to new places.
Stepping out of line is a
And how have they changed your life?
good thing.
T HE MARYMO UNT SC HO O L

19. This is how innovation is achieved.
questioning, collaborating, iterating + communicating

20. Imagine it. Design it. Apply it.
The experience is today.
The learning is for life.
Tools at Schools is a partnership
between creative consultancy
aruliden and The School at
Columbia University, one of the
most diverse independent schools
in our nation, to introduce eighth
graders to the value of design as a
problem-solving tool in our
everyday world.

21. THE PROJECT
Forty-four eighth grade students were asked to
design the classroom of the future. Partnering
with American furniture manufacturer,
Bernhardt Design, the students merged math,
science and art to reimagine their everyday
school objects.
The students were asked to re-examine the
world around them, using their daily school
environment as a launching pad for their ideas.
From research and ideation to 3D, final
prototypes and ultimately launch, the students
immersed themselves in the entire design
process, utilizing their analytical and problem-
solving skills to ultimately create valuable and
functional classroom products.

22. DESK CHAIR LOCKER

23. DESIGN THINKING
THE PROCESS
1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM
2. RESEARCH THE PROBLEM
3. ANALYZE & REDEFINE THE PROBLEM
4. IDEATE SOLUTIONS [MANY SOLUTIONS!]
5. PROTOTYPE THE SOLUTIONS
6. REFINE THE SOLUTIONS
7. [REPEAT AS NEEDED]
8. CHOOSE THE SOLUTION
9. IMPLEMENT THE SOLUTION

25. RESEARCH + BIG IDEAS
FIRST THEY DID THEIR HOMEWORK

30. What other chairs are out there?
What are the needs of the customer? RESEARCH PROBLEM + SOLUTION
Who’s the competition? Who is using the classroom chair? What were the things that stood out in your research process? What things surprised you?
PROBLEM SOLUTION
List the problems you identified List design solutions for th e
through your research. problems you identified.
What are other classrooms like? 1 1
the chair the customer
What are the problems with the classroom chair? 2 2
Talk to your teachers, friends, siblings and parents.
What other chairs have been there?
Talk to people from other schools.
What are people saying about the chair? 3 3
What are the problems that you have had with chairs?
What does the chair need?
4 4
Think about your classroom toda y. What things will affect your design?
Take pictures of your classroom and chai r.
the observations 5 5
No one knows what it ’s like to be in a classroom better than you do!
Think about your past classrooms.
What would you change about your chair right now?
Here is everything we learned though all our RESEARCH.
Fill the space with keywords, pictures you took, images you found online, things you tore out of magazines, objects, or even th ings you dr ew. ANYTHING that will show us what you’ve learned.
BIG IDEA
You researched, you looked around, you dug deep and you dreamed big. You got inspired and we
want to hear all about it. Tell us your BIG IDEA.
Fill this space with images, words, materials - whatever got you thinking.
Here’s what got us INSPIRED, and influenced our big ideas.
Think about colors, keywords, materials, shapes, unique functions and details or even a mood. Think about anything interestin g or unexpected from ANYWHERE that can be applied to your designs.

32. “Our big idea is FLEXIBILITY.”

34. “Our big idea is COLLABORATION.”

35. IDEATION + MOCK UP
VIZUALIZING THE BIG IDEA

45. 3D + MANUFACTURING
BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE

55. THE FINAL PRODUCTS
DESIGNED BY KIDS FOR KIDS

60. LAUNCH
COMMUNICATING TO THE WORLD

63. Core 77 Design Awards - Design Education Initiatives

64. This program can be scaled up or down
FDM MODELS ARULIDEN OPEN HOUSE STUDENT SKETCH-UP RENDERINGS

65. The Future Phone

66. PUMA

68. Keys to Success – Tools at Schools Learnings
1. Create a competitive atmosphere
2. Diversify the topics
3. Prototyping
4. Realization
5. Bringing the outside in

69. Challenges – Tools at Schools Learnings
1. Schedule
2. Skills
3. Where does it fit into traditional curriculum?
4. Legacy vs. future content
5. Time
6. What is the measure of the success

70. NEXT STEPS