MakeSTEAM

Make way for ducklings and make way for MakingSTEAM.

Design Thinking, Making and STEM to STEAM are a glorious expression of the thinking that drives and undergirds the creative, collaborative traditions of PDS and our Strategic Plan for the future.

This is a page for resources and documentation as PDS steams ahead.

Design Thinking is a mindset and set of methodologies. It’s about problem finding, empathy, divergent thinking and creativity. It is not a formula although there are clearly defined steps and commonalities to the process.

It is a growing area of interest in education and many schools are taking up the challenge  including in areas like the Innovation Lab at Nueva School, the Idea Lab at Castilleja School,  the Center for Design Thinking at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School and Makerspaces in schools across the country. Closer to home, Riverdale School worked with IDEO to produce the Toolkit,  there’s the Fab Lab at Marymount School, and the design thinking at  The School at Columbia University.

We now have our own new and exciting spaces at Poughkeepsie Day School. The plan is to investigate and tinker with the concepts of Design Thinking and their expression and practice  in order to develop our own set of methodologies and definitions best suited to our own PDS Way.

To that end, we began the year with a design challenge that served as a (very) brief introduction to the MakeSTEAM approach. As we move forward we will take on other design thinking challenges as we identify our problems and seek solutions. This will mean naming the issues, re-framing the questions, digger deeper into the issue, iterating divergent solutions, sharing ideas and moving forward toward with choices.

Thomas Riddle’s LiveBinder

Click here to open this binder in a new window.

 

 

Goal 2: Program

Creativity and connection; Creative and critical thinking and expression; Learning by Doing.

• Advance our program to ensure alignment with student outcomes
• Affirm and promote the DNA of the PDS Way:  a focus on Mission and Core Values and our deep understanding that we learn through activity and interactivity, by doing and reflecting on doing. This means a renewed school-wide program commitment to activities that engage students as problem seekers and solution finders in authentic and meaningful learning.

Key elements and evolving specifics may include:

Learning by Doing, Active Engagement, Growth Mind-Set, STEAM, Project-Based Learning (PBL), Design Thinking, Learning to Make/Making to Learn, Transdisciplinary and experiential work, Arts at the Core, Service Learning, Wellness, Active partnerships and strategic alliances with colleges and other institutions and organizations.

Why the Maker Movement Matters to Educators. – Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager

Check this page for resources on Design Thinking