791 is coming to a close, so it is time to look back on these crazy weeks of summer. It was less than two months ago that we undertook a climb up the mountain of sensemaking. Several ironic and dense readings and a few prototype drafts later, here we are. I want to take some time to work through some reflections. First though, I want to discuss an update to my prototype.
My original Bubblemap prototype very closely matched the theoretical picture in my head. To me, the creator, my product is a three pronged approach to creating change in classroom. I would enact the purpose of the problem by (1) providing evidence, (2) offering training resources for teachers, and (3) providing learning resources for students. My initial prototype reflected that. Three branches grew off from my driving question to map out how I would support each prong. AS I was doing this, I would occasionally hit a specific item that belonged in multiple prongs, like a growth mindset assessment. It began to complicate the overall picture. Would I have repetition in my capstone? Or did I need to make a decision? Then, I had a revelation about the design. I had been thinking about the prototype backwards. I need to design a system that is useful for my audience. I designed it as a three branched flowchart because I, as the designer, imagine it like that. However, my audience does not care about the three pronged approach. Most of the audience will only engage two of the prongs at a time. It does not make sense to build a prototype like that. Instead, I should design in a way that will be audience friendly. Just because I strategized a three pronged approach does not mean my capstone actually needs to have 3 distinct sections. This really freed up my thinking and my ability to design. Now, instead of 3 sections I can have four or five and they can serve as audience friendly organization, I feel like my work on my prototype kind of exemplifies how this course has changed my thinking. As an educator and a planner, certain things make sense to me. I think in terms of standard, I want written out outlines. I want to record things in words, script certain things out. And I can plan like that. What I can’t do is give the information to my audience in that form. I need visuals. I need a presentation system that meets the needs of my audience. I have TPaCK, SITE, ARCs, and Pebbles in a Pond as additional lenses to evaluate my planning. This is at once the biggest challenge and biggest success. Aligning all of these lenses and theoretical models while shifting my perspective from a knowing teacher to an unknowing audience, translating my verbal thoughts and plans into impactful images for the students. Sometimes, it feels like trying to spin a dozen plates on six foot poles. Sometimes, it feels brilliant. I kind of feel like I have a foot in two camps, but I guess that’s where I should be in the middle of this transition from sense-making to making sense.
1 Comment
James
7/20/2017 05:36:23 pm
Patrick,
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