Teachers have taken the next step as designers, moving from Observation to Empathy. After spending a few weeks with eyes wide open, the next step is to open our ears. One of my favorite days during this project was October 5th, when Tammy Brown brought her class over to RESA to test the pieces we have been borrowing. She let the students test out furniture, and it was fun to watch as students gravitated to the usual spots - the weird egg-shaped chair, the soft seating, and the height-adjustable tables. In a brilliant move, Tammy asked students to choose their favorite seat, and it was obvious the kids like a chair that is comfortable to sit in. Being able to spin and roll around is always especially fun, so those chairs were clear favorites.
After Tammy's class came by, a couple classes from TEC made their way over, and the response was similar. Students liked the option to stand, but also liked a chair that had enough give and enough structure all at the same time. I learned a lot by listening to the students that day, and I found I learned the most after I made assumptions and found I was completely wrong.
After Tammy's class came by, a couple classes from TEC made their way over, and the response was similar. Students liked the option to stand, but also liked a chair that had enough give and enough structure all at the same time. I learned a lot by listening to the students that day, and I found I learned the most after I made assumptions and found I was completely wrong.
You see, the young lady pictured (left) about taught me a lot that day. When she consistently gravitated toward the Node, I couldn't help but assume she felt it was a safe, normal choice, what she is used to sitting in most of the day at school. But that was not at all why she gravitated to it over and over. Instead, she said she likes it because she can put her feet somewhere. She was the first of many this day - short and tall - who expressed needing a place to put his or her feet. But the greater lesson I learned was the importance of casting aside my own assumptions and digging deeper with the Five Why's: Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Once I asked why she liked it, my understanding changed and I found out the feature she liked was not the tablet, not the arms, not even the give in the seat. No, it was a place to put her feet. Once she revealed that fact, I found out she would like pretty much any seat, as long as she has a place to rest her feet.
Fortunately I had this experience before seeing the teachers on October 6th, when they would be making the official move into the Empathy stage of the project. This is the vital time for trying to understand the learning experience from their students' eyes and ears and hands and brains and bodies, rather than their own. Teachers launched into this work by creating Empathy Maps about their students, based on their observations and what they know so far.
Fortunately I had this experience before seeing the teachers on October 6th, when they would be making the official move into the Empathy stage of the project. This is the vital time for trying to understand the learning experience from their students' eyes and ears and hands and brains and bodies, rather than their own. Teachers launched into this work by creating Empathy Maps about their students, based on their observations and what they know so far.
Teachers shared then sorted their ideas into facts vs. assumptions. This was a pretty challenging task because it is really difficult to judge whether seeing the same thing really means we see it the same way. Quickly teachers realized they make assumptions about the students, and set forth to ask students about their experience. Over the next couple weeks teachers are using various methods such as conducting interviews and asking students to create mood boards to best communicate their wants and needs. So far the teachers have assumed students need more opportunities for choice, for example. The Empathy activities are sure to either prove or disprove this assumption, and enlighten all of us even further. I can't wait to learn what they have to say!