Laura K Spencer, Ed.D.

Author: Laura Spencer

  • Words Matter: A short blog post in which I attempt to convince people that words have power and we should consider the complexities of messages before just taking things at face value…

    dylan-nolte-567174-unsplash
    Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

    Media literacy.

    We talk about how students need this skill.

    But it’s not just them.

    It’s adults, too. Educators even.

    Media literacy is defined by the Media Literacy Project as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media.

    “Complex messages.” Media literacy isn’t just about fake news. It’s about bias, and persuasion, and subtle manipulation. Understanding complex messages is hard. It’s exhausting to have to question everything you read. But like Doug tweeted, words matter. And not just the connotations and expressions like Doug explained, but also who speaks those words.

    Because words matter. They have power. So, so much power. And when spoken by those with power they matter a whole lot more.

    Not sure I’m right? Kim Kardashian convinced the President of the United States to pardon a woman in prison. I’m not sure what words she used, but I’m pretty sure those same words spoken by me would not have rendered the same outcome.

    We need to become better stewards of our words, and of the complex messages that may be heard by those receiving our words. And we need to be more critical of the words, and the messages, presented to us.

  • Design Thinking the Design Thinking Process

    Design Thinking the Design Thinking Process

    “Empathy should be used in every situation.
    We should think with empathy throughout life.”
    – 6th grade student

    Why are there so many design thinking framework graphics? Why do they have different shapes? Different elements? Different flow patterns?

    Those were the questions 6th graders asked when we looked at a variety of design thinking framework graphics, ranging from Stanford d.school to IBM to Intuit and the Henry Ford Institute. These students had spent this past year diving into the design thinking process through a variety of experiences ranging from creating a student chair to redesigning the school experience. Because they had spent so much time exploring the process, looking through other frameworks raised an important question:

    What does Design Thinking look like in Del Mar Union School District, and how might we develop a Design Thinking visual that represents what Design Thinking means for students and staff?

    We realized that we had a unique challenge – unlike corporations or colleges, we have to represent design thinking to five year olds who cannot read all the way up to 6th graders (who think they know everything!). How could we adapt our visual for our customers?

    Luckily for me, 6th graders were up to the task. A week later, and they had prototypes to present. And I must admit, WOWZA was the term that kept coming to mind during their presentations. I’m sharing their concepts here, but what you’re missing is the rich dialogue around WHY they made their concepts the way they did.

    Some key takeaways from the student dialogues:

    “The Design Thinking process adapts to how you’re using it.”

    “I thought it was linear at first, but now I know I can move around as I need to.”

    “The process restarts again and again, going broad and narrow at the same time.”

    “I didn’t understand the value of going back until I did it so many times on this project.”

    Beyond the graphic, we also talked about the design thinking process as a holistic entity. This is where the conversation really intrigued me. One student commented that the trouble with using the design thinking process in schools is that the non-linear cyclical process runs counter to traditional teaching and learning. Content standards and state tests require classes to keep moving in a forward momentum, even when the design thinking process would have us circle back around and around again to dig deeper into a complex problem. It can be frustrating having to move beyond an experience when students know there’s still so many layers to unravel. Finding balance, as a teacher, is critical to the learning.

    But the students all saw that the value of design thinking went beyond the process itself. Students realized that using design thinking taught them time management and backwards planning. They learned the power of constraints, like deadlines, to push creative thought into action.

    Most importantly, students discovered that empathy is the start of it all. It allows people to understand what others are going through. As the students explained, empathy has a use in every situation. If we all would think with empathy throughout our lives, many problems could be averted, or solved, in compassionate ways.

    If only we were all as smart as these 6th graders!

    So… which model strikes a chord with you? Why? What do you think propelled the students to create that version?

     

    Thanks Mrs. Tanner for letting me spend time with your students! I appreciated how you identified this process as an authentic assessment possibility.

  • Do What Scares You!

    Remember, observe the masses and do the opposite. Do what scares you… that’s when the exciting stuff happens.” — James Caan, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Hamilton Bradshaw

    The other day I jumped on a Twitter convo about HyperDocs which evolved into a conversation about the state of education… (come to think of it, many Twitter conversations seem to take that turn lately). One of the tweets really struck a chord with me:

    Screenshot of tweet, which is link-embedded in the photo

    James Caan says we need to do what scares us. But Aaron says that educators are scared to think and teach beyond the “borders” of traditionally accepted teaching practices. So it seems to me, then, that it is imperative that we all think and teach beyond those borders…because in doing so, then the exciting stuff will happen.

    And perhaps that exciting stuff is that the classroom reality changes and the “borders” become a distant memory. Wouldn’t that be grand?

  • Designing From The Heart

    I have been reading quite a few books on design, but none have actually been designed with the elegance of this human: how to be the person designing for other people by Melis Senova, PhD.  I did not want to finish reading it because I was enjoying the content and layout so much. Luckily, it’s the kind of book that serves as an ongoing reference, which means I will have the pleasure of rereading portions of it many times over the next few years.

    this human book page
    this human book spread. Photo from: https://this-human.com/book

    Senova has an interesting background. Not only is she a pioneer in human-centered design, but she is also educated in both neuroscience and engineering. Oh, and a PhD in design! How’s that for multi-faceted? It’s this diverse perspective, I believe, that equips her with the insight to dig into the HUMAN piece of human-centered design. In other words, how can you design for others if you don’t understand “what it takes to be the human who is doing the designing?” (p. viii).

    Senova’s book provides perspective and tangible exercises to help the designer understand the human experience through his/her own personal human experiences. It’s not about empathy mapping and ideating as much as it is about understanding personal biases, creating genuine human connections and designing from the heart.

    What’s really awesome is that you don’t even have to be a designer to appreciate this book. There are so many parallels to the work educators do designing experiences for students that I could easily purchase this book for all my teacher friends (except that I’m broke so can you all just go buy your own copy?).

    When designing lessons, it’s easy to assume that our view of reality is our students’ reality. The result of this assumption can be manifested in comments like, “I don’t know why they didn’t get it. I TAUGHT it!” or “Not doing homework is a sign of laziness.” However, if we are to design for positive impact, which is the ultimate goal of human-centered designers, than Senova reminds readers that “it is their truth that is important, not yours” (p.3).

    With this tenet in mind, it is important that we set aside biases, open communication channels, and truly design from the heart, regardless of whether we are designing temporary housing for flood victims, a can opener for people with arthritis, or a unit to teach students about the role of the Bill of Rights in today’s society. As educators, we should all be human-centered designers every day. This book will help you do so.

     

  • Compliant Geniuses? Think Again.

    Compliant Geniuses? Think Again.

    downloadOur district mission statement centers around our calling to  “ignite genius and empower students to advance the world.” That’s a pretty tall order!

    Especially when, as Seth Godin explains (“The Long Term” podcast), students typically spend 90-95% of their school day on either doing what they’re told, aka compliance, or finding the right answer, also compliance!

    If only 5-10% of the day is open for a student to think bigger thoughts, then how in the world can we ever expect students to find their genius?

    Looking for the right answer? It’s easy. You can’t.

    If we truly want students to find their genius, then we need to provide the opportunities for them to dig in to complex problems. Complex problems does not mean a calculus problem, or balancing scientific equations. What I’m talking about here are complex LIFE problems. Problems that, quite honestly, don’t have answers. Things like:

    • Overpopulation and resource scarcity (Although, if you watched the last Avengers movie, this problem does have a potential solution… No Spoilers allowed!)
    • Economic development of the global poor
    • Nuclear security

    When we allow students time, resources, and freedom to explore complex problems like these, and even more so, when we let them explore the world of no resolutely right answer, we are building their capacity for original thought. We are building their capacity for grit. We are building their capacity for learning from failure.

    And in doing so, we are building their capacity to ignite their own genius.

     

     

     

  • Why Don’t We Put the Bed in the Kitchen?

    Why Don’t We Put the Bed in the Kitchen?

    I grew up in an Italian family. That meant a lot of our family gatherings were centered around food. Lots and lots of food. And since most food preparation happens in the kitchen, it came to be that a lot of family gathering and conversations happened around the kitchen as well.

    Apparently this same phenomena has happened in many families because we are now seeing open-concept kitchens as a selling point for homes. Understanding that the kitchen is not just about cooking, but also about communicating, designers are rethinking the traditional kitchen to incorporate this additional user need.

    A single bed in a kitchen in Stoneybatter
    A Flat in Stoneybatter

    When spaces are designed, they are designed for a purpose. A home has many spaces, and each has its purposes. It would seem bizarre to place your bed in the kitchen. Even though we know that our day consists of both cooking and sleeping, those activities require separate spaces. Likewise, most of us forego the kitchen sink and use a separate sink space to brush our teeth and apply makeup.

    And yet, when looking at classroom spaces, I see spaces that are trying to be an all-in-one environment. It’s like having the bed, sink, patio furniture, and front lawn all crammed in the kitchen. (Granted, there are some super tiny apartments in NYC that attempt to do just that, but they are the exception!)

    What do you want students to do in the space?

    This is the question Rebecca Louise Hare, Design Specialist/Science Teacher/Learning Space Designer and overall awesome person challenged us with at CUE BOLD. A space, she explained, can’t be everything to everyone all the time. Prioritizing the function of the space is key.

    Is it meant for collaborating? Physical Making? Digital Making? Reflecting? Showcasing? Working independently? Presenting? Receiving? Other? And no, you can’t just say yes. Think of how much time does it serve those purposes… and is there another space that could serve that purpose better?

    Can we showcase student learning in the hallways? In the library? On a website or IG account? This frees our classroom walls for the process of learning instead of a museum for the product of learning.

    Can students work independently outside of their assigned seat? Does it work on the floor? Under a desk? In the quad? On a bean bag chair?

    We read our physical environment like we read a human face.

    When you prioritize the purpose of your space, the space can then support the purpose. If the kitchen is for cooking and socializing, then the inclusion of the island with bar stools and a large stove supports that purpose. The bed, the lawn, the makeup… the rest becomes clutter, distraction, barriers.

    As we head into summer break, challenge yourself by asking: What do you want students to do in the space? What do students want to do in the space? And then design it to reflect that purpose.

    Resources:

    The Space: A Guide for Educators by Rebecca Louise Hare & Dr. Robert Dillon

    Parts, Purpose, Complexities Thinking Routine