Design Thinking Approach Spreads to More CUSD Schools

<p>&ldquo;Design thinking is an approach to teaching core academics that will develop our students&rsquo; skills as collaborative, innovative, self-directed, empathetic critical thinkers who can be successful in their yet-to-be-defined future,&rdquo; says Shelly Viramontez, Superintendent of Campbell Union School District (CUSD).</p> <p><img style="float: left; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px;" alt="design thinking process steps" src="https://www.campbellusd.org/images/Design-thinking-process.jpg" width="393" height="195" />Design thinking, a process for empathy-based creative problem-solving, is spreading to classrooms across the district. While it is a primary focus of the district&rsquo;s new Campbell School of Innovation, more teachers in other schools also are using it. Over the past year, nearly 25% of the district&rsquo;s more than 380 teachers have experienced the design thinking process and how to incorporate it into their lessons.&nbsp; (<a href="https://www.campbellusd.org/news/elements-of-teaching">See related story about first-grade teacher Megan Delaye.</a>)</p> <p>&ldquo;Students are becoming more energized about owning their learning, and their teachers are seeing student achievement rise as they incorporate more of these relevant problem-solving projects into their instruction,&rdquo; says Kami Thordardson, CUSD&rsquo;s Director of Innovation &amp; Digital Learning. She says CUSD Equity Coaches have been working this year with teachers from several schools, both groups and individuals, and all teachers had the option to participate in a design project through the district wide library design project last year.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re preparing students for jobs that haven&rsquo;t even been imagined yet,&rdquo; says Viramontez. &ldquo;Design thinking is one of the ways we can educate students to their highest potential.&rdquo;</p>

The approach to teaching core academics is energizing students and teachers!

<p>“Design thinking is an approach to teaching core academics that will develop our students’ skills as collaborative, innovative, self-directed, empathetic critical thinkers who can be successful in their yet-to-be-defined future,” says Shelly Viramontez, Superintendent of Campbell Union School District (CUSD).</p> <p><img style="float:left" alt="design thinking process steps" src="https://www.campbellusd.org/images/Design-thinking-process.jpg" width="393" height="195">Design thinking, a process for empathy-based creative problem-solving, is spreading to classrooms across the district. While it is a primary focus of the district’s new Campbell School of Innovation, more teachers in other schools also are using it. Over the past year, nearly 25% of the district’s more than 380 teachers have experienced the design thinking process and how to incorporate it into their lessons.  (<a href="https://www.campbellusd.org/news/elements-of-teaching">See related story about first-grade teacher Megan Delaye.</a>)</p> <p>“Students are becoming more energized about owning their learning, and their teachers are seeing student achievement rise as they incorporate more of these relevant problem-solving projects into their instruction,” says Kami Thordardson, CUSD’s Director of Innovation &amp; Digital Learning. She says CUSD Equity Coaches have been working this year with teachers from several schools, both groups and individuals, and all teachers had the option to participate in a design project through the district wide library design project last year.</p> <p>“We’re preparing students for jobs that haven’t even been imagined yet,” says Viramontez. “Design thinking is one of the ways we can educate students to their highest potential.”</p>

<p>The approach to teaching core academics is energizing students and teachers!</p>