On STEAM Day, students will develop creativity and maker skills to help with design thinking.
• Design Thinking: This way of thinking equips individuals with the ability to solve complex problems and build innovative solutions through developing revolutionary ways of thinking. Students begin by identifying problems, generate empathy and define problems, develop creative ideas, build prototypes, and test results.Along with the use of technological innovation and interdisciplinary skills, students will learn to identify and solve problems with the objective to help the community.
“Design Thinking, simply put, is learning to exercise agency and solve problems through empathy and creativity. For each subject, students can approach problems with the Design Thinking method, which is: questioning the problem, questioning the assumptions, and questioning the implications,” explains Mr. Adam Hill, the deputy principal at VPA. “We teach them to empathise with the end-user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems in order to generate alternative solutions that might not have been instantly apparent upon first glance. Ultimately, they are empowered to find and solve problems, which is key in thriving in the 21st century.”
When asked if the young students have difficulty in understanding the concept and terminology of Design Thinking, Mr. Hill explains that the benefit of introducing this method to students at an early age is so they are able to learn the process, understand the language, and apply the concepts quickly into their creative work.
When asked what kind of characteristics is mostly appreciated in nurturing “the inquirers”, Mr. Hill explains that design thinking has an exciting place in the inquiry classroom because, at its core, it is an inquiry process. It offers a framework for inquiring into problems, empathising with people who are impacted, and using creativity to design effective solutions. In Adam’s opinion, Inquiry relies on relentless curiosity, efficacy and agency. All learners - regardless of age - should be hungry to learn more and have a belief in their own potential. Effective inquirers are equipped with the skills and mindset of a successful lifelong learner.
Dr. Maggie Koong, the Head of VPA explains, “At VPA, technology has evolved beyond what we integrate into the curriculum in order to fully unleash students' potential in innovation. To achieve this, we invest significant resources in developing and training staff to deliver a comprehensive programme. Overall, it promotes deeper learning and equips students to be problem solvers, innovators, industry leaders on a global scale.”
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