During this phase, Team 3ST collaborated both synchronously during a Google hangout and asynchronously exchanging texts and writing on our shared Google document. It has been wonderful to have quite a bit of forward momentum as we are quickly heading to the finish line of our course, EDL655.
We have continually been spurred on by each other and by the feedback from a variety of sources. In this phase, not all feedback came from educators. In fact, most of our feedback was from people outside of K-12 education. The feedback revealed that the 3ST Program could extend beyond educators as end users. All people could benefit from the experience our program can and will be able to provide. With growing ideas and no closure in sight, we are aware that our process will not be complete when this course ends. Instead, it will be taking an extended pause as we finish up our coursework for our SDSU/SDCOE Masters Program. Then, we hope to resume plans and continue working piece by piece on this ever evolving project.
I sound like a repeating chorus of a song week after week as I talk about organizing the Google Doc and starting the Google Hangouts. However, I know that organizing Team 3ST’s document and adding in the directions and checklist keep me focused and on task. I also hope that it has helped my team to navigate our collaborative process and delegate responsibilities. During our Google Hangout this week, I typed out Team 3ST’s verbalized thoughts. Then, when I was reading our document and adding more of my own ideas, I sent out an email when I noticed we had a gap in our information.
Our team faced several challenges this week. With just a few days to do so, we had to send our prototype idea to others and receive feedback. We also faced the challenge of feeling symptoms of burnout from the time consuming nature of the overall process. Finally, one ongoing challenge is and will be that we have and continue to have so many ideas about this project and yet right now we have little time to document and implement our ideas.
If Team 3ST was able to do this process over again, I would make sure we had several scheduled times to meet in person and time to meet for several synchronous Google Hangout video sessions. We would have more than one week to complete the evolution phase because the ideas in this particular phase should have been thoroughly looked at, categorized by common themes, and visually displayed on a platform such as Popplet or Mural.ly.
Reflecting helps remind an individual to take a look back at a process to notice achievement, growth, and changes in what she knows and who she has become. Reflecting can be a pause, or rest, in the middle of a journey or a stopping point at the end of one. Reflecting takes time, and for my students it often includes looking at concrete artifacts they have created. I often ask them: what would you want to do again and what would you do differently? I love hearing their thoughts as they look back at a week long lab activity or at a semester’s set of completed tasks. I love hearing their thoughts because I know that the reflection process can include enlightening moments for the learner as well as the educator.
Communicating with my team during the design thinking process has been a mix of e-mails, spur of the moment texts, Google Hangouts, and typing together or individually on our Google document. To collaborate effectively with each other, we had to communicate directly and consistently. We did not have many bumps along the way. It was a blessing that we were able to do so, especially because we have never worked together in person and some members have only ever met once face to face. We were able to organize our week’s tasks, discuss ideas openly, and trust each other throughout the process. If communication had broken down, it can may have prevented true collaboration from taking place. It may have made people within the group uncomfortable and unable to freely share their thoughts. Without open communication and effective collaboration, the design thinking process cannot be fully explored, utilized, and carried out.
We have continually been spurred on by each other and by the feedback from a variety of sources. In this phase, not all feedback came from educators. In fact, most of our feedback was from people outside of K-12 education. The feedback revealed that the 3ST Program could extend beyond educators as end users. All people could benefit from the experience our program can and will be able to provide. With growing ideas and no closure in sight, we are aware that our process will not be complete when this course ends. Instead, it will be taking an extended pause as we finish up our coursework for our SDSU/SDCOE Masters Program. Then, we hope to resume plans and continue working piece by piece on this ever evolving project.
I sound like a repeating chorus of a song week after week as I talk about organizing the Google Doc and starting the Google Hangouts. However, I know that organizing Team 3ST’s document and adding in the directions and checklist keep me focused and on task. I also hope that it has helped my team to navigate our collaborative process and delegate responsibilities. During our Google Hangout this week, I typed out Team 3ST’s verbalized thoughts. Then, when I was reading our document and adding more of my own ideas, I sent out an email when I noticed we had a gap in our information.
Our team faced several challenges this week. With just a few days to do so, we had to send our prototype idea to others and receive feedback. We also faced the challenge of feeling symptoms of burnout from the time consuming nature of the overall process. Finally, one ongoing challenge is and will be that we have and continue to have so many ideas about this project and yet right now we have little time to document and implement our ideas.
If Team 3ST was able to do this process over again, I would make sure we had several scheduled times to meet in person and time to meet for several synchronous Google Hangout video sessions. We would have more than one week to complete the evolution phase because the ideas in this particular phase should have been thoroughly looked at, categorized by common themes, and visually displayed on a platform such as Popplet or Mural.ly.
Reflecting helps remind an individual to take a look back at a process to notice achievement, growth, and changes in what she knows and who she has become. Reflecting can be a pause, or rest, in the middle of a journey or a stopping point at the end of one. Reflecting takes time, and for my students it often includes looking at concrete artifacts they have created. I often ask them: what would you want to do again and what would you do differently? I love hearing their thoughts as they look back at a week long lab activity or at a semester’s set of completed tasks. I love hearing their thoughts because I know that the reflection process can include enlightening moments for the learner as well as the educator.
Communicating with my team during the design thinking process has been a mix of e-mails, spur of the moment texts, Google Hangouts, and typing together or individually on our Google document. To collaborate effectively with each other, we had to communicate directly and consistently. We did not have many bumps along the way. It was a blessing that we were able to do so, especially because we have never worked together in person and some members have only ever met once face to face. We were able to organize our week’s tasks, discuss ideas openly, and trust each other throughout the process. If communication had broken down, it can may have prevented true collaboration from taking place. It may have made people within the group uncomfortable and unable to freely share their thoughts. Without open communication and effective collaboration, the design thinking process cannot be fully explored, utilized, and carried out.