Design Thinking Action Lab : Stanford University

Design Challenge: redefining school-to-work transition

Assignment #3: Ideate

Iman Kouvalis

August 14, 2013

Problem Statement Because there is so much competition in finding a teaching job in Ontario, Canada, graduates need

a way to set themselves apart to employers in how they make learning relevant and exciting for

students.

Solutions

1 Wow the practitioner teachers to get on the

teachers’ list.

26 Ask a retired teacher to help you do a mock

interview.

2 Wow the university teachers to get a good

word in to the teachers’ list.

27 Interview teachers and principals to find out

what is needed to get on the teachers’ list.

3 Link students to community challenges. 28 Talk to teachers on forums to get ideas on

how to stand out, engage students and get

a job.

4 Make a lesson plan that is super engaging

for the students.

29 Make a presentation at a teachers’

conference or Professional Development

day on the new technology the students are

interested in and how you can incorporate

that into the classroom.

5 Get parent testimonials of your work. 30 Volunteer to be a science fair judge.

6 Keep calling and bugging the principal. 31 Create a collage portfolio of your work.

7 Have case studies in your resume. 32 Go to a job fair.

8 Give examples of fun, exciting learning

environments that you were involved in like

camps etc. on your interview.

33 Make a creative video resume with footage

of your engaging lessons and funny clips on

how you dealt with “anything in the school”

and post it on your resume website.

9 Use technology in the classroom. 34 Volunteer to be a sports coach or for a

school play.

10 Use virtual reality in the classroom. 35 Design an online class for struggling

students.

11 Create learning by doing in the classroom. 36 Design a software for grade 3 Singapore

math.

12 Use educational software. 37 Instead of more practicums, graduates can

observe teachers in the classroom through

cameras.

13 Get the students to learn what they want to

learn.

38 Graduates can be assigned a robot teacher

mentor instead of a real one to teach them

practical skills.

14 The students will be the teacher today. 39 Help find a way to update the outdated

education structure and test it, report

findings.

15 Be charismatic with the principal in your 40 Create an engaging Sunday school class at

interview. your church or mosque.

16 Network, network, network! 41 Dress up in costumes while you teach.

17 Volunteer in a school to get exposure and

networks.

42 Have a class robot to make learning fun.

18 Move to another city/country to get a 1-2

year contract so you get your foot in the

door.

43 Find out what the ministry’s challenge in

education is and create a project to tackle it.

Create a pilot program and post findings on

your website.

19 Prepare yourself to be ready for any

situation in the school by interviewing

veteran teachers, volunteering in the school

etc.

44 Find out what the school’s weaknesses are

in the standard test scores and offer to

volunteer in that effort.

20 Informally interview or hang out with

students of that age and see what they are

interested in. Use that as a basis for your

lesson plan.

45 Become part of a teachers’ professional

association (at the student rate) and attend

their conferences, get ideas, networks and

creative engaging lesson ideas.

21 Attend a futurism or technology conference

and design a camp or lessons for kids using

this as a basis.

46 Create their own school/alternative school.

22 Be a kid for a day to understand what they

go through to make your lessons relevant.

47 Practice their resume and interview skills

very well and do many, many mock

interviews to prepare.

23 Take a vacation to Disneyland to get ideas

and inspiration for engaging lesson plans.

48 Show to the principal that they provide a

specialized talent that other teachers don’t

have, e.g. specialized guitar lessons for

students etc.

24 Ask all their friends what makes them

different and special and write out all their

strengths and highlight these in the

resume.

49 Hire a professional resume and interview

coach (especially for teaching jobs) to help

them prepare.

25 Make a series of YouTube videos on an

educational topic that is really interesting to

a principal.

50 Teach an online class (similar to Khan

Academy) and put it up on YouTube.

51 Do a TED Talk about a cutting-edge

educational topic.

i. Most Practical Idea Make a presentation at a teachers’ conference or Professional Development day at a school on the

new technology the students are interested in and how you can engage students by making new

lesson plans that will incorporate this technology.

ii. Most Disruptive Idea Find out what the ministry’s challenge in education is (or a particular school) and create a project to

tackle it. Run a pilot program and post findings on your website. Also, do a TED talk on your

findings and put this video on your resume.

iii. My Favorite Idea Make a creative video resume with footage of your engaging lessons and students, extraordinary

and original lessons and funny clips on how you dealt with “anything that came up in the school”

and post it on your resume website. Show case studies as well as testimonials from students,

parents and teachers.