Design Thinking for Innovation Assignment 

 Challenge   A group of 30 teachers from a K-12 school are working together to identify a core issue in their class that can be   addressed through design thinking , resulting in student improvement . This is professional learning time being used   to set goals for the next Semester of school . Teachers already know their students and have spent a Semester with   them . They now want to identify goals for students for the remainder of the year and plan actions they can take in   the classroom to meet those goals . During the WHAT IS process , teachers are required to think deeply about   students in their class , and reflect on their own teaching processes , in this way , they can then start to identify what   needs exist within their classroom , and through WHAT IF , WHAT WOWS and WHAT WORKS , develop innovative   classroom practices to engage students . 

 Selection   The tool for teachers to use is Mind Mapping , specifically a Root Cause Tree Diagram . 

 EFFECTS 

 CORE PROBLEM 

 ROOT CAUSES 

 This link explains a root cause analysis . 

 https://www.changemakers.com/youthventure/resources/rootcause 

 This tool was selected for the challenge as it will allow the teachers to explore what they already know , categorise   the information and challenge assumptions about what happens in their classroom more effectively than through   open discussion . The tool guides teachers to ask what is happening and why , starting with identifying a Core   Problem , the teachers are asked to explore why this is a problem through Root Causes , and then what are the Effects   of the problem , or what do they see happening as a result of the problem . As the tree can have endless roots and   endless branches , they can dig deep into the core problem and continue adding levels of detail through branching .   With teachers are working together , they can develop a broader set of insights into the classroom experience . 

 Application   Teachers were divided into smaller groups according to classes they share . 

 WHAT I DID   WHAT I OBSERVED 

 Before the Root Cause Tree Diagram they spent time   sharing stories about the students from first Semester ,   along with hopes or concerns for students with an   interviewer who does not teacher that group of   students . The interviewer recorded these stories and   helped the group to find a common thread in the   discussion . The group further discussed the common   threads before agreeing on a CORE PROBLEM to be   addressed . 

 I observed that this was very easy for those teachers   with more challenging classes as the problems to be   addressed were more obvious . However , there were   two groups who found it more difficult to find a core   problem as they had a very successful Semester of   learning and had no obvious issues to address , we   changed the language from PROBLEM to CHALLENGE ,   and the teachers thinking moved from what was the   problem with students , to what can teachers do to   make learning more exciting . 

 Once the Core Problem / Challenge was identified each   group wrote down the ROOT CAUSES , what is   happening that creates this problem . In this part of the   conversation they are encouraged to list everything   that comes to mind , and to branch the root causes   where appropriate i.e. to find where there are deeper   root causes with more than one action or behaviour   creating the problem . 

 This generates a lot of discussion , as the teachers were   able to clearly identify what is happening to cause   problems to arise . It was useful to encourage them to   look through different lenses : personally , socially ,   family , policy , governance , environment , community to   encourage broad thinking . 

 Finally , in the Root Cause Tree Diagram the teachers   were asked to look above the Core Problem / Challenge   and find the EFFECTS , meaning what is the result of this   problem , or what symptoms do we see in student   behaviour , engagement and results . Again , the tree   diagram allows the teachers to branch their ideas as   they see further into the possible consequences of not   addressing this problem . 

 At this step , teachers were able to really find what   matters to them and the students , and they spent more   time talking about key concerns about the effects on   student learning and understanding . 

 After completing the Root Cause Tree Diagram in the WHAT IS phase , they moved into WHAT IF , particularly   bouncing off the conversation around EFFECTS and imagining what their students might achieve in Semester 2 . 

 INSIGHT 

 INSIGHT   REFLECTION 

 The most insightful lesson I observed while working   with teachers was the importance of the language used   to introduce the Root Cause Tree Diagram as a tool and   to encourage deeper thinking about their classroom .   Initially , those teachers with more difficult classroom   behaviours or learning difficulties found it very easy to   discuss problems while those with students who were   ‘ easier ’ to teach had less to discuss in the initial stages . 

 At this point , the language got in the way . CORE   PROBLEM sounded like there was something wrong ,   however , it was intended to point to what was   happening in the classroom that made learning for   understanding difficult . 

 Teachers liked talking about problems . Conversation   started to become about other people and less about   the classroom . 

 I also had to put some framework around the   discussion for the Root Causes , so that rather than   assigning blame , teachers were able to think more   deeply about why problems exist , taking the idea of   local , national and global as a framework for thinking   about why problems exist . 

 I found this tool helped extensively in guiding   discussion and recording of information . Previously   when using brainstorming and mind mapping exercises   I have seen that discussion quickly and easily goes off   on a tangent , with initial and obvious points discussed   before dissolving into storytelling and conversation . 

 By giving teachers a chance to tell their stories to a   neutral person first , the rest of the mind mapping   exercise was more productive . The tool kept teachers   focused on key concepts and resulted in a richer and   deeper discussion about their own understanding of   the learning process and the students they teach . 

 Approach   I would use the Root Cause Tree Diagram again as it was so successful in guiding discussion and bring out about   more insightful discussion and observations from teachers . In the future , I will look at the language used , and either   change it on the printed diagram , or provide some definition around the language used so that there is less initial   confusion about the tool . 

 If I were to do a similar activity with the same group of teachers I would use a different tool to help provide the data   around WHAT IS , as I believe that little new knowledge would be gained by repeating this particular tool . The Root   Cause Tree Diagram had potential to become an increasingly negative conversation with blame and frustration of   the teachers being discussed , rather than the needs of students for advancing learning . I would try something like   the “ Well Being North Star ” ( explained here : http://gamestorming.com/uncategorized/wellbeing-north-star/ ) as it   would focus on positive outcomes and is good for analysing any situation . Briefly , the Well Being North Star   identifies a main topic for conversation in the centre , then the points of the star have sub - topics to guide the   conversation . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Design Thinking for Innovation Assignment 

 Challenge   A group of 30 teachers from a K-12 school are working together to identify a core issue in their class that can be   addressed through design thinking , resulting in student improvement . This is professional learning time being used   to set goals for the next Semester of school . Teachers already know their students and have spent a Semester with   them . They now want to identify goals for students for the remainder of the year and plan actions they can take in   the classroom to meet those goals . During the WHAT IS process , teachers are required to think deeply about   students in their class , and reflect on their own teaching processes , in this way , they can then start to identify what   needs exist within their classroom , and through WHAT IF , WHAT WOWS and WHAT WORKS , develop innovative   classroom practices to engage students . 

 Selection   The tool for teachers to use is Mind Mapping , specifically a Root Cause Tree Diagram . 

 EFFECTS 

 CORE PROBLEM 

 ROOT CAUSES 

 This link explains a root cause analysis . 

 https://www.changemakers.com/youthventure/resources/rootcause 

 This tool was selected for the challenge as it will allow the teachers to explore what they already know , categorise   the information and challenge assumptions about what happens in their classroom more effectively than through   open discussion . The tool guides teachers to ask what is happening and why , starting with identifying a Core   Problem , the teachers are asked to explore why this is a problem through Root Causes , and then what are the Effects   of the problem , or what do they see happening as a result of the problem . As the tree can have endless roots and   endless branches , they can dig deep into the core problem and continue adding levels of detail through branching .   With teachers are working together , they can develop a broader set of insights into the classroom experience . 

 Application   Teachers were divided into smaller groups according to classes they share . 

 WHAT I DID   WHAT I OBSERVED 

 Before the Root Cause Tree Diagram they spent time   sharing stories about the students from first Semester ,   along with hopes or concerns for students with an   interviewer who does not teacher that group of   students . The interviewer recorded these stories and   helped the group to find a common thread in the   discussion . The group further discussed the common   threads before agreeing on a CORE PROBLEM to be   addressed . 

 I observed that this was very easy for those teachers   with more challenging classes as the problems to be   addressed were more obvious . However , there were   two groups who found it more difficult to find a core   problem as they had a very successful Semester of   learning and had no obvious issues to address , we   changed the language from PROBLEM to CHALLENGE ,   and the teachers thinking moved from what was the   problem with students , to what can teachers do to   make learning more exciting . 

 Once the Core Problem / Challenge was identified each   group wrote down the ROOT CAUSES , what is   happening that creates this problem . In this part of the   conversation they are encouraged to list everything   that comes to mind , and to branch the root causes   where appropriate i.e. to find where there are deeper   root causes with more than one action or behaviour   creating the problem . 

 This generates a lot of discussion , as the teachers were   able to clearly identify what is happening to cause   problems to arise . It was useful to encourage them to   look through different lenses : personally , socially ,   family , policy , governance , environment , community to   encourage broad thinking . 

 Finally , in the Root Cause Tree Diagram the teachers   were asked to look above the Core Problem / Challenge   and find the EFFECTS , meaning what is the result of this   problem , or what symptoms do we see in student   behaviour , engagement and results . Again , the tree   diagram allows the teachers to branch their ideas as   they see further into the possible consequences of not   addressing this problem . 

 At this step , teachers were able to really find what   matters to them and the students , and they spent more   time talking about key concerns about the effects on   student learning and understanding . 

 After completing the Root Cause Tree Diagram in the WHAT IS phase , they moved into WHAT IF , particularly   bouncing off the conversation around EFFECTS and imagining what their students might achieve in Semester 2 . 

 INSIGHT 

 INSIGHT   REFLECTION 

 The most insightful lesson I observed while working   with teachers was the importance of the language used   to introduce the Root Cause Tree Diagram as a tool and   to encourage deeper thinking about their classroom .   Initially , those teachers with more difficult classroom   behaviours or learning difficulties found it very easy to   discuss problems while those with students who were   ‘ easier ’ to teach had less to discuss in the initial stages . 

 At this point , the language got in the way . CORE   PROBLEM sounded like there was something wrong ,   however , it was intended to point to what was   happening in the classroom that made learning for   understanding difficult . 

 Teachers liked talking about problems . Conversation   started to become about other people and less about   the classroom . 

 I also had to put some framework around the   discussion for the Root Causes , so that rather than   assigning blame , teachers were able to think more   deeply about why problems exist , taking the idea of   local , national and global as a framework for thinking   about why problems exist . 

 I found this tool helped extensively in guiding   discussion and recording of information . Previously   when using brainstorming and mind mapping exercises   I have seen that discussion quickly and easily goes off   on a tangent , with initial and obvious points discussed   before dissolving into storytelling and conversation . 

 By giving teachers a chance to tell their stories to a   neutral person first , the rest of the mind mapping   exercise was more productive . The tool kept teachers   focused on key concepts and resulted in a richer and   deeper discussion about their own understanding of   the learning process and the students they teach . 

 Approach   I would use the Root Cause Tree Diagram again as it was so successful in guiding discussion and bring out about   more insightful discussion and observations from teachers . In the future , I will look at the language used , and either   change it on the printed diagram , or provide some definition around the language used so that there is less initial   confusion about the tool . 

 If I were to do a similar activity with the same group of teachers I would use a different tool to help provide the data   around WHAT IS , as I believe that little new knowledge would be gained by repeating this particular tool . The Root   Cause Tree Diagram had potential to become an increasingly negative conversation with blame and frustration of   the teachers being discussed , rather than the needs of students for advancing learning . I would try something like   the “ Well Being North Star ” ( explained here : http://gamestorming.com/uncategorized/wellbeing-north-star/ ) as it   would focus on positive outcomes and is good for analysing any situation . Briefly , the Well Being North Star   identifies a main topic for conversation in the centre , then the points of the star have sub - topics to guide the   conversation .
### Output: 