My initial thought on watching this video was that there was no wonder that these kids seemed engaged and empowered by this process. They were, after all, disadvantaged children from a family homeless shelter, who probably don’t have many opportunities in life to feel involved or engaged in shaping their future. Yet here they had the opportunity to work with talented young designers, who were going to invest in improving the fabric of the shelter. All children like to feel that they are important, and here the team were going to listen to them and implement one of their suggestions.
However during the video it became clear that there was something else going on. They were learning skills that may not be taught in everyday classrooms; skills about how to make important decisions, after weighing up all the options rationally. They practised how to work collaboratively and listen to each other, and how to persuade others. They worked creatively, actively seeking solutions to a real problem. These are important skills for life, as the video points out.
How can we include more of these themes into our classrooms? Can we use technology to engage pupils in solving problems? In working collaboratively? In making presentations? In taking pride in their work, and incorporating good design skills? I hope so.
Digital Education 