Design for Change: Independent project or integrated into the school curriculum?
Design for Change: how does it work best? As a standalone project or integrated into the school curriculum
These were some of the questions we asked ourselves at the beginning of our journey and tried to answer during the 9 months of implementing the Design for Change (DfC) Pilot.
To test these possibilities, we divided the group of 24 teachers into two: some applied the DfC methodology as an independent project, while others integrated it into the school curriculum, adapting it according to the subject and learning objectives.
How Design for Change looks when integrated into the school curriculum
Mihaela has 15 third-grade students who are involved and open to new challenges. She decided to use the methodology during Romanian Language and Literature classes, considering the annual planning, the learning unit, and specific competencies.
Thus, each new unit brought the children a different challenge from the process proposed by Design for Change.
“In the unit ‘Good Conduct’ during the lesson ‘Rules Are Rules’ by James Roy, I presented the project using a small game and the brainstorming method, following specific competencies.
For the first step, Feel, students received the exercise ‘Be a Good Cartographer!’ as homework. They identified some problems and needs within the school unit.
One of the problems was that students spoke rudely at school and some were bullied. ‘Can I change something?’ Certainly, YES, the students answered.”
When they imagined how their school universe could look different, the 15 students aged 8 and 9 proposed a lesson in the form of a role-play, which they would present to older and younger classmates, hoping to correct undesirable behaviors.
In step 3 – Do, “the children decided to prepare a poster and write a slogan, then present it to younger students through a role-play demonstrating undesirable behavior that later transforms into desirable behavior. They played the roles of bullies, victims, and bystanders.”
Then came the big day when they presented their work!
“The students’ involvement was maximum; they even composed a short song. After the presentation, a reflection took place. The audience students were asked how they would feel if they were in the situation of being bullied, bullies, or bystanders.
They answered the questions and gave positive examples regarding behavior, and we trust there will only be desirable behaviors. The impact was real on everyone, actors and spectators, so as they said at the beginning ‘I can!’ they said at the end as well.”
Another context, still third grade, but this time in English
Simona has 26 students she meets weekly for English class. She likes to spark her students’ curiosity and quickly saw how she could integrate the Design for Change methodology into what she was already doing in class.
“The first step, Feel, was a bit different for us. The unit we were covering had vocabulary elements related to clothing and weather.
They highlighted the vocabulary elements from the studied unit related to weather and clothing, then noted a series of problems they and their classmates face, deciding everyone needed to know how to dress according to the weather conditions.”
Weather can be a confusing factor even when you’re not 8 years old and learning how to say in another language that you want to wear shorts because it’s hot outside, or you need rubber boots because it’s raining.
When they began to imagine what they could do to better remember the language elements and always know what to wear according to the weather, the animal cards gave them an idea.
“They decided to create a game with images drawn by them on cards. They drew cards starting from the words they had previously written on the board, referring to weather and clothing items.
After creating the cards, in Do, they scanned and saved the images on the class laptop, and using the Wordwall platform, created their own game, which they sent to their third-grade classmates.”
Children’s game can be found here: Weather and Clothes
Two examples that brought us closer to the Wing of Change
Whether we’re talking about a small game that shows us how to behave better or another that always reminds us how to dress according to the weather, Design for Change created the necessary space in the classroom for the little ones to learn while actively contributing to the process, within the subject taught.
Both Romanian Language and Literature and English became more interesting and dynamic, with students’ creativity at their center.
Through the Wing of Change, we bring the school closer to students and their potential, encouraging small steps that can lead to big changes.
The Wing of Change needs support
This fall, we want to send a group of students along with a teacher to share their successes at the I CAN Global Summit organized by Design for Change and prepare a new generation of teachers ready to cultivate the courage of over 500 students.
The Wing of Change needs each of us. It needs you.
