Student-Centered Learning by Design by Jacquelyn Whiting

Chapter 1: "Introduction: What Is Human-Centered Design?"

1. How do you understand the phrase "human-centered design"?
2. What are some existing examples of human-centered design that you have noticed in your daily life?

Activity

How can you reframe your perception and see problems as opportunities? Choose one episode of the Netflix Documentary Abstract: The Art of Design. Each member of your group should watch a different episode then share how the person highlighted was a creative thinker who solved problems.

Chapter 2: "The Personas"

1. Think about your staff and the different personas presented in this chapter. How would you define the personas of your colleagues? What are their particular needs? How can you meet those needs through collaboration?

Activity

Select which persona in chapter 2 that you relate with most closely. We suggest you look into some sort of personality questionnaire: Myers Briggs, My Color, Love Languages, Enneagram, etc., to help your thinking.

Chapter 3: "A Design Process"

1. What is design thinking?
2. What are the key steps involved in the design-thinking process?

Activity

Reflect on the Design Process in figure 3.1. How can you tweak this to meet the needs of your staff?

Chapter 4: "Designing Curricula: A New Mindset for Curriculum Development"

1. How does your current curriculum meet the needs of your stakeholders?
2. What are the areas in your curriculum that need improvement?

Activity

Complete the figure 4.1 on page 22 for yourself. Then consider completing this activity for a stakeholder you would like to work with. Identify one of the ways the curriculum is not meeting the needs of your stakeholders. Use figures 4.3, 4.5, and 4.6 to work through the steps found in chapter 4.

Chapter 5: "Human-Centered Collaboration: Colleagues as Designers"

1. How might teacher collaboration enhance student learning?
2. How will you share this message with your stakeholders?

Activity

We need to approach collaboration with empathy. Develop questions that will start conversations so that when you meet with stakeholders, you come with a common understanding of the goals. For a sample of a collaboration Google form, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1riBPmxhjA95bA0INEwfTAAqBlL5oy_fok9r2u9kBfSM/copy.

Chapter 6: "Learning by Design: Putting Students at the Center as Design Thinkers"

1. Fill in the blank and then brainstorm answers to the question. How might we disrupt _____________________________?

Activity

Using the jigsaw method, divide the case studies among the book study participants. Share the design thinking process and takeaways from each sample.

Chapter 7: "Distance Learning by Design"

1. 1. How might we take student-centered learning by design and apply the concepts to distance learning?
2. 2. How might we make order of the disruption?

Activity

Using figure 7.2 on page 104, identify an upcoming learning target and complete the Evidence and Reflection chart. Next, use figure 7.3 on page 105 to identify an area of growth and complete the Single-Point Rubric chart.

Chapter 8: "Conclusions: Mindset Matters Most"

1. How has your mindset changed after reading Student-Centered Learning by Design?
2. What ideas will you implement in future curriculum planning and collaboration?

Activity

Look at the Technology Resources in Appendix C. Take a deeper look at the resources and choose one that you are not as familiar with. Consider how you might integrate this tool to increase collaboration and/or student engagement.