Mulberry School

In June of 2012, several teachers from Mulberry School attended a Design Thinking Lab/Training. Energized by all the possibilities, the teachers took the information back to school and shared the Design Thinking process with their colleagues. As a staff, they took on the challenge of rethinking a shared learning space. This area was often disorganized and dysfunctional. At an inservice day, the group tackled this problem through interviewing users and studying the various activities and programs that utilize the space. It became clear that changes were desired by all. Using the design thinking model, all stakeholders generated prototypes and redesigned the area with clear goals and understandings. The outcome has been very positive. Our next quest was to incorporate Design Thinking within our elementary curriculum at Mulberry School. To further prepare us for this new endeavor, all teaching faculty participated in the d.school virtual crash course bootcamp video. This led us to develop a social studies unit focusing on family empathy and the gift giving experience. We are currently halfway through this fun and interactive school wide project. In the next few weeks, students will interview their family to gain empathy and assist in formulating a need statement. This project will conclude with a prototype that students will present to their families at our annual Thanksgiving Feast. More to come....