DILo Does It
As we approach our showcase event where our teams will present their designs, we’re naturally reflecting on what’s happened through the process. I find myself considering the ‘what-if’s’; however, I always stop myself short by remembering what the real goal of this project was. The DILo library re-design was first and foremost a project-based real-world learning experience, coupled with empowering student leadership and student voice. It’s given the students an opportunity to create positive change in the systems/structures that impact their learning. Yes, we’re working to transform the library space so that it better serves our students, fosters the 4 C’s, and serves as a model of innovative thinking with regards to teaching and learning. What’s more important, though, is the experience that these students have had through the design process, whether good, bad, or in between. That experience is the very experience we hope the new space will offer. For example:
We could have put the teams together, but then students wouldn’t have had the opportunity to evaluate their own strengths and that of their peers to put together a team that they thought would work.
We could have given them a strict timeline and held them to weekly production, but then they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to create their own goals, assess their own work, and reflect and revise their thinking.
We could have told them how to design it, but then the students wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience design thinking; understanding the “why” behind the need for a transformation and letting it guide their work.
We could have arranged all the team meetings and communications, but then students wouldn’t have had the opportunity to develop leadership within themselves, to experience the ins and outs of teamwork, and assess and develop their own communication style.
I could go on, but I hope our thinking is clear. The strength of this project is the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity that it fostered in students. It’s something greater than any worksheet could do, more impactful than seatwork, and lays a groundwork for the real life our students are facing as they enter college and career. Some teams may have more to “show” for these 12-15 weeks than others. However, I believe they all can take away an experience that will serve them a lifetime.
