TeachersFirst's Design Thinking
Design thinking focuses more on understanding problems and developing creative solutions for people than on implementing generic solutions. Design thinking goes through phases of collecting feedback and data, using the data to identify the problems to be solved, developing prototypes, and testing solutions. Feedback from key stakeholders should be used often. The above phases are iterative and cyclical, using feedback and changing the design to solve the problem. In design thinking, failure isn't an end, it's an opportunity to refine and create something better. Design thinking focuses on divergent thinking -- generating and exploring as many ideas as possible before narrowing down to a solution.
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Do Try This at Home: Invention at Play - Smithsonian Museum of National History
Grades
K to 6
tag(s): biographies (93), collaboration (86), creativity (92), design (83), inventors and inventions (71), problem solving (226)
In the Classroom
Create a link to the site on classroom computers for students to explore the games. Share the site with parents on your classroom website or blog as a resource for using play as a learning tool. Share the site at conferences or parent meetings as a resource for developing learning skills through play. Include the inventor biographies as a resource for students when researching inventors.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Homestyler - Autodesk
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): architecture (64), area (52), design (83), volume (34)
In the Classroom
Members click and drag design components onto the main layout page. The free draw tool is a bit trickier to control but is similar to drawing tools in other programs. The perimeter measurement scrolls alongside the line you are drawing. The interface for such a complicated concept is intuitive. Students will need explicit instructions on how to operate this program.Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share the tutorial presentation and demonstrate how to use the design tools. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Consider this resource to help math students visualize how to compute the surface area of three-dimensional shapes and understand how area and volume change with scale. Social Studies and History teachers can ask students to re-create the interior of an early American home, Greek Temple or even their own classroom. With guidance, this could be a wonderful tool to help younger students understand interior mapping skills. Classrooms focusing on "real-world learning" may find this a valuable resource tool to help students create design plans for an alternative environment.
Edge Features:
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be shared by URL
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Abduzeedo - Fabio Sasso
Grades
6 to 12General Tips and Reminders: There are ads along the top center that may interfere with the sites content. Be sure to thoroughly review the site before using it with students.
tag(s): design (83)
In the Classroom
Teachers of design tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator will want to take advantage of the site's free web tutorials. The systematic directions are perfect to use on an interactive whiteboard for whole class instruction. Create a resource library full of links to Abduzeedo's design tutorials for students to practice with both in and outside of class.To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, or Genially, reviewed here. Art teachers may want to take advantage of the sponsored ads on the right side of the page. These can lead to wonderful additional sites such as the "art house co-op" that is full of global art projects such as the "Sketch Book Project." Some of the other links contain valuable excursions, but could lead to inappropriate material.Obtain parent permission before posting any student work on this sharing site. There is also an accompanying app for Mac users available for free on iTunes.
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Structures - Around the World - The Exploratorium
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): design (83), structures (18)
In the Classroom
Teacher instructions are clearly presented in step-by-step fashion.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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