ADST: Design Thinking/Human Centred Design Thinking

The Revolt Project, an initiative started at King Middle School in Portland, Maine, uses Human Centred Design Thinking to solve an engaging, real-world problem - how to generate energy for the portion of the human population that goes without. Human Centred Design Thinking is a project-based inquiry strategy where students break down a problem using the design process. This strategy is compelling because it humanizes the task by requiring students to think of the needs and wants of others to solve the problem. 

King Middle School's project took a holistic approach, where students continued to work on their projects during many different subjects. They used science class to learn about how windmills generated power, a maker's space to create and fine-tune their creations, and social studies to locate the perfect spot for wind turbines. Students learned about the positive impact of their project through William Kamkwamba's book, the Boy Who Harnassed the Wind.

These types of projects would be a great fit for my school, as we have been focusing on introducing more hands-on activities and creating opportunities for students of all ages to work together. At the moment our grade 4 and 5 classes are doing an entrepreneurship class where they create and sell merchandise to raise money for a charity. Picking the right charity would help students to emphasize a cause. Implementing the entire Human Centred Design Thinking process would help them to create a polished final product.

Works Cited

Averill, S. “Maine School Engages Kids With Problem-Solving Challenges.” Langley School District.

“Maine School Engages Kids With Problem-Solving Challenges.” YouTube, PBS News Hour, 6 May 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i17F-b5GG94. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.

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