NJEA - MS SDM Spring 2020 Studio

SCHOOLED Case Study

Integrative Studio 1 Spring 2020 Krista Brown Jiexin Shen Jenny, Xitong Zhong

1.

Introduction 1.1.

1.2.

2.

Research 2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

3.

Design Team Case Content

Research Methods Interviews Maps

Synthesis 3.1.

3.2.

Table of Contents 4.

Insights HMWS

Prototyping 4.1.

4.2.

4.3.

4.4.

5.

Ideation (ideas) Prototypes Final Idea Testing

Future Plan

01 INTRODUCTION WHO? WHAT? WHY?

1.1 Design Team

Krista Brown Krista Brown is a Project Manager and Producer from Canada with a 8+ years of progressive experience in advertising, events, and public relations. She serves as a mentor to start-ups in NYC and is interested in participatory design.

Jiexin Shen Jiexin is a Designer from China with a background in Motion Graphics. She has 3+ years of experience in post production, art and design in some startups in China.

Jenny, Xitong Zhong Xitong Zhong is a Marketing Specialist with a background in cross culture communication. She is interested in Fashion and is now working as a marketing specialist in Tencent, China.

1.1 Design Team

Jiexin Shen

Krista Brown ● ● ●

Synthesis Communication Assignment kick-offs

● ● ●

Prototyping Graphic Design Desk Research

Xitong (Jennifer) Zhong ● ● ●

Ideation Presentations In-Class Q&As

1.2 Case Content

The education system in the United States has taken a slow downwards turn for teachers. The lack of high paying jobs, long hours, and state evaluations have all come at a cost to the well-being of our educators.

Through our research we identiďŹ ed that the major point of intervention was not to change the culture of educational unions as the initial ask requested, but instead, a design to help build empathy and stronger relationships between teachers and parents.

02 RESEARCH HOW?

2.1 Methods

12+ Interviews Interviews with teachers, union reps, parents, and support staff.

Desk / Secondary Scholarly papers, news articles, social listening, online communities

Visual Ethnography Social channels Accessed proprietary imagery within schools

Surveys 350+ responses in Open ended surveys and purposefully non targeted surveys

2.2 Interviews

Union Staff

Educational Director

Teachers

“[teachers] are suffering with alcohol and mental health issues that’s related to the general lack of respect for educators right now.”

“Whether it's privatizing a public school district or charter schools for profit charter schools, but also I'm a little uncomfortable with a for profit testing services.”

“I wish I knew how exhausting it is and the disrespect/abuse you get from students that you love and give everything too with little to no support from their parents and everyone forgets.”

Maryanne Rodriguez

NJEA Field Rep, UniServ | East Cranford, NJ

“whatever it is that they need this is my job.”

“Members are suffering with alcohol and mental health issues that’s related to the general lack of respect for educators right now.”

Bio/Demographic:

Key Points

Behavior - Love her job. Always about

Universal service, 3500 members come to her, dealing with anything related to members’ job.

Keywords: 24/7；communication; principal; Bargaining

24/7: Advocacy is the lifestyle, latest bargaining 4:30 in the morning Change: president downward, expand base, start to organize, president in control of local Protect: not just the member, but also school and the principal Favorite is Bargaining Main bargaining not about salaries but health benefits and crisis The last 10 years in New Jersey specifically destroyed the morale of educators A black woman secretary, president of 1000 members, hard to work with, not doing things the way used to be done Issues members are facing: Evaluation system, Chapter 78

members - Worried about educators’ rights

Pain Points - Lots of crisis due to general lack of respect for educators and education -get people out of the embarrassment

Jennifer Cohn Marsh

Lead Designer, Design & Communication | Trenton, NJ

“A lot of our locals have leaders that have been in power for years and years and years” “whether it's privatizing a public school district or charter schools for profit charter schools, but also I'm a little uncomfortable with a for profit testing services.”

Bio/Demographic: the lead designer in Communications, only get to see members once in a while.

We do everything that requires a visual design. Work with 3 other designers. a little bit of the organizing work. 12 years. never taught in classroom

Keywords: Design; In Power

Key Points

Behavior

Design-solve problem When face to face with members, it’s an amazing bonus Meet members in convention and workshop sort of events chapter 78; members see no increase on salaries Christie(the former governor) disrespected the profession; “The good news is we have a governor now, that doesn't feel that way” “a little bit of respect that's coming back” “The best part of the job is to be able to offer assistance and help and do work for other people” Busy time: Summer till November Convention connected to popular culture, know it’s important to design for younger members Uncomfortable with for profit testing services social justice program-members of color “a lot of our locals have leaders that have been in power for years and years and years” Inside jokes: ppl who think what we do is not important, ppl rely on math think we are playing on computer

- Her job is amazing - Never taught in a classroom - Barely see members but love to see them - feel fortunate of being able to solve problems

Pain Points 10 jobs on Friday afternoon, last minute call before events

Jennifer Raike

Field Rep, UniServ | Toms River, NJ

“I always want to be a teacher and I always want to be in the classroom, I love math with the degree, they through me into middle school, as a math teacher for 20 years. Through the union work I found out the advocacy is my passion, ran to be president of my local, through that work, I’m both local president and field rep, learnt so much about advocacy.”

Bio/Demographic: provide resources, closely with local leadership and association, organizing, barging contract, representing and advocating members, 24/7 help line to all locals (taking her 7 years to do that), anything local need, available to president every time they need

Keywords: Advocacy, teacher

Key Points

Behavior

-Interesting & Unique thing: Lakewood Education Association, an unique community, and the needs, and the issues that come out of that local are nothing like anything across the state. Approach everything from a completely different perspective. Lakewood, never have the enough majority vote to overturn their board of that, and their board event, really is not working for the public schools it's working for the private you see the schools.

-Communication tools: email, 1-1 meeting, based on local’s need -How Requests Changed: more things are popping up, are members are needed, the stress being put on them make things different, people are reaching on a breaking point more quickly -Crisis time: holiday time, winter-spring, end of the year -Favorite part: interacting with members, helping organize, -Power: the more members I have the more power I gain

Always wanted to be a teacher really engaging with a conversation, letting them talk

Pain Points Stressful part: limited time meeting the demand

Michael Cohan

Bio/Demographic: every development deal with everything: learning and innovation, design and facilitate, county affiliated structure, part-time consultant (student/retired), full time program: 1. Priority school: support underperforming schools for student learning (16 consultant retired student-coaching and support) 2. Teacher leader academy: advocated for five year created new endorsement structure-to grow knowledge and skill for teachers leading in the school, in term of decision making, for folks to stay connected in the classroom (5 consultant) 3. Coordinator of NJEA: convention, trade show, organization for Annual convention

Keywords: Leader, Power, trend

Director, Professional Development and instructional issue | trenton, NJ “I always want to be a teacher and I always want to be in the classroom, I love math with the degree, they through me into middle school, as a math teacher for 20 years. Through the union work I found out the advocacy is my passion, ran to be president of my local, through that work, I’m both local president and field rep, learnt so much about advocacy.”

Key Points

Behavior

How staff get into NJEA: field operation (UniServe-bargain and advocacy)-being president of local union leaders, has to show they done bargains; commutation staff-english language teachers good at writing or graphic artists; research services-analysts, government relations “looking for the best teachers”, most of the staff was a classroom teacher Net work of attorney: field rep, 25 members-executive, representative groups by county Field rep, anybody above them: county association, local unions, school district by school district (political influence) Industry trends: relative to the event and meet planning, learning from co-workers Education trends: government policy decisions; capitalistic approach for school; charter schools are suppose to be alternative for traditional school, and implemented to public school but it became alternative to public school; working condition and economic impact change cause the crisis, significant drop off; steady drip impact Education profession: pulling data time to time, individual ppl and parents value their local public school, we have positive image, people are subjective

Working with the team is awesome, hiring 14 ppl, specific idea about roles

Pain Points Stressful part: meet the demand of members, Atlantic event-different groups; Concerns about the attitude, how they manage their staff, build their team (14 year)

Sam

NJEA Member English Teacher | Passaic middle school , NJ

“there's is a feeling that they're just that they're there. And that in terms of the benefits and opportunities. I have to actively seek out more.

So, there's a bit of a kind of a gap there” Bio/Demographic: First year new teacher, new NJEA member. Was part time teacher in Manhattan. Went from part time to full time teacher the past year in NJ. Bachelor: Stockton University Master: Montclair State?

Xx certified with Rutgers Uni

Keywords: Disconnect

Key Points Sign up/Join in: Confused, unsure, difficult.

Disconnect From local union rep to NJEA Local rep: around & there, helpful ( a teacher of his school) As a new teacher need help from njea not as much exposure to all the benefits Communication: Local union rep often(very close) Hear little from NJEA Teachers are encouraged to be members meeting/workshop: schedule conflict.

Feel about NJEA: Gap. They are just there. culturally, there's a bit of frustration Walk through things is good for new teacher, it is a resources

Behavior Did not went to convention, no enough time for workshops or meetings

Pain Points teach in a neighborhood in an area with issues that is very much struggling

2.3 Maps

NJ/Society

Government 2010-18 NJ governor not respect the profession

Teacher 2018-now NJ governor Low take home money work too close with a educational Teacher Morale destroyed organization

Segregation of students based on race, language, rich and poor

School privatization

NJ governor owns the most power than other states Less school funding chapter 78 relief

Teacher’s concern

2.3 Maps-Trends Matrix

Tech

People

Culture

Business

Formally

Current

Emerging

Phones only - Not as accessible to members

Emails, text, and phone calls to personal and NJEA cells - Available 24/7

Expectations are rising for types of communications and immediate access to people.

Members loved their profession

For older members, it no longer feels like teaching. They love the kids, but the requirements have become a burden and created a lot of tension.

With the high cost of post-secondary education, and relatively low salaries, there is little to no reason for one to become a teacher. The talent pool will go down.

A teacher was trusted and respected, a part of the community, and childhood development..

A teacher is based on evaluations which do not alway reflect their work. More work is being put on the teacher, the environment is more competitive, and the state doesn’t respect the profession anymore. (There is hope that this will change with new governor.)

Larger socio-cultural patterns could begin to emerge. Teachers require a lot of education and certifications, and have a lack of desire to do good work in the classroom that often goes unnoticed.

School was a place for everyone, and it was mostly public.

There is concern about the privatization of education. This ranged from charter schools and other private schools, to emerging organizations that are charging DOE and school boards for things.

Access to fundamental education could go down.

2.3 Maps-User Journey

TAYLOR 24 ENGLISH TEACHER

POSITIVE INFLUENCE

NEGATIVE INFLUENCE

03 SYNTHESIS HOW MIGHT WE...

3.1 Insights #1

#2

#3

Teachers are sometimes bullied by staff, admin, students, and parents.

Young people no longer want to pursue being a teacher, and teachers no longer want to be teachers.

Teaching is no longer a respected profession.

“I had a crisis situation where a teacher was being bullied at school because of an HIV rumor, I had to get them out of the class immediately.”

“A demographic bubble is coming, as many teachers will reach retirement age over the next two to three decades”

#4

#5

Teachers are work in solitude and competitively because of the evaluation system.

Teachers are in survival mode almost all the time.

“I wish I had learned how to work better with my colleagues. It always seemed so solitary.”

“It can be violent and abusive to workers... You struggle to get a position and then struggle to survive.”

“It feels like no one respects teachers anymore, it’s really sad and demoralizing”

100% OF TEACHERS WE SPOKE WITH FELT ANXIOUS ABOUT PARENTS.

“I wish I knew how exhausting it is and the disrespect/abuse you get from students that you love and give everything too with little to no support from their parents.”

“Seriously, got a text from a parent at 6am on Friday asking for help.”

3.2 How Might We‌ Get parents and students to build empathy for teachers?

04 PROTOTYPING OUR SOLUTION

4.1 Ideation

1.

Value Statement A product/service that brings parents closer to reduce workload and let people understand more about teachers.

Initial Ideas For teachers: Reduce workload Increase prep time Build connections between parents and teacher Get more respect For Parents: Parents into the class School open day Parents own a slot in the week Task list/To do list A game for parents and students

4.1 Ideation 2. ●

●

●

Design Constraints & Principles Must bring parents into a physical space with teachers. Increase the relationships between teachers and parents digitally and physically.

Should have a portal for conferencing, announcements, social networking, and educational instructions.

Could be connected to a union for messaging and requests

●

Won’t have (this time) Solutions for: Healthcare Bullying Pensions Funding Evaluation Testing *Giant issues that the unions are dealing with. There is a connection but we aren’t looking to solve those.

4.1 Ideation 3.

Methods

Service-scenario building Parents 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Would you be willing to teach your child's class on Thursday afternoon 2x per year?

Would you sign up to teach a short module in class for 2-4 hours per year?

Would you like to sign up for a school open day(sports day) per year?

Would you be willing to help your child's teacher plan activities and provide supplies for the classroom?

Would you like to spend an hour joining the school activities every week?

Would you like to spend a few hours joining the school activities twice a year?

Would you like to join a teachers-parents cocktail party every month?

Teachers 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Would you be willing to have a parent in your class teaching for 2-4 hours every week?

Would it be helpful to have parents provide ďŹ nancial support for classroom activities?

Would you be open to live streaming your physical classroom?

Do you think that making a live class can make parents know better about your job or it could be a pressure for you to do that?

Would you like to join a teachers-parents cocktail party every month?

4.1 Ideation

4.

4Fs

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Fit: Users: teachers, Parents, Students

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Form: Service/Game

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Fidelity: between low and medium

●

Functionality: Sketch and wireframe

4.2 Prototypes

Prototype 1 Service & Website ●

●

Site Wireframe

Physical Activity

School Open Day & Sports Day Every Semester Parents’ Talk Sign up for a module in class Every Thursday Afternoon: 2 Hours Siblings are also welcomed Cocktail Night Every Month

4.2 Prototypes

Prototype 2 Communication App Teacher

4.2 Prototypes

Prototype 2 Communication App Parents

4.2 Prototypes

Prototype 2 Communication App Students

4.2 Prototypes

Prototype 3 A board Game

â—?

Board game map

4.3

Final Idea Visual Design and Concept

Meet SCHOOLED Schooled is a game for parents and students that teaches decision making, empathy, and relationship building for the return to school this fall.

SCHOOLED AIMS TO:

Teach life skills

Build empathy for educators

Foster participation in learning

Build parent-teacher relationships

Create Joy

“Get rewarded when you read books-I think it is great way to let kids aware that study is a fun and great thing through game.�

Foster participation in learning

Teach life skills

Decision making, knowing what a union is, etc.

Build empathy for educators

Admin ① Two steps back The school get complaints from the parents because their children didn’t perform well on their finals.

Therefore, the admins decide to cut your pay.

Admin ② Go to “Join a Union” Unfortunately, you didn’t do well on the education evaluation.

So you decide to go to the union for consultation.

Online Play through Chatting Apps Online Board Game Platform

DIY Kit Download and Print at home

Feedback 1 Ashley, 31 Emma, 12 Jake, 8

“I always just assumed that my kids teachers were just happy all of the time, but they have a lot going on too.�

Feedback 2 Chris, 34 Shiloh, 7

“I thought teachers just showed up and made my kid happy, but I realize that it is a lot more complex than that and when Shiloh returns to school, I’ll be forever thankful to her teachers.”

04 GO TO MARKET! OUR FUTURE PLAN

Value Proposition

Customer Profile

Gain Creators

Parents Understand More on Teachers Job

Create Joy

Board Game

A Game for Both Parents and Students

Gains

Students Understand How Difficult it is to be a Teacher

Products & Services Online/DIY

Pain Relievers Better Understanding on teachers’ job

Less Bully

Bringing Empathy

Less Complaints from Parents

Customer Jobs

Pains Evaluation System

More Respect from Students

Students lack Parents respect to Complain teachers ts a Lot

Go-To-Market Plan

1 month Web development Online community building

4 months

6 months

10 months +

Customer acquisition targeting teachers and parents

Data collection to understand how we can develop more gaming methods to build empathy for other essential workers.

Start to build more open source games in the future.

Financial forecasting Est. Grants/ funding

Est. Costs

$10,000

$7692

Thank you, The Blenders Jenny, Jiexin, Krista