Tech Tips: Personalized Learning Through Design Thinking
Taking control of their own learning, SAS students navigate the inquiry process to apply crucial knowledge and skills to solve and answer real-world problems. By D AV I D L E E E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l E d Te c h a n d S T E M C o a c h Singapore American School is well-known for its dedication to create a culture of possibilities for its students. SAS provides opportunities for students where they get to personalize their own learning. In programs like TRi Time, Catalyst, and Quest, students navigate through projects of interest using the inquiry process of questioning, investigating, creating, and reflecting. In the elementary school, our teachers plan and implement instruction that brings personalization to learning experiences. In the book, Make Learning Personal, personalization of learning is referred to as “instruction paced to learning needs, tailored to learning preferences, and adapted to specific interests of different learners.� Teachers provide students with instruction where content, pacing, and learning practices may differ between each student. This year, as the new STEM coach in the elementary school, I wanted to bring in an additional component to personalize learning through an inquiry method that provides opportunities for student voice and choice. What inquiry process could students use to navigate through openended performance tasks where they apply crucial knowledge and skills to solve and answer real-world problems and questions? How can we scaffold the inquiry process so that students can effectively make their own decisions, choose how they work and what they create, and get involved in self-directed learning? One approach is the design thinking method. A human-centered design process and set of mindsets that give people courage to become creative problem solvers bringing meaningful change to real world experiences and developing solutions to complex problems; a creative problem-solving toolkit that gives students the courage to take on complex problems.
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