The purpose of this research is to understand and describe the efficacy of how students using the concepts and methods of design thinking develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. I explored the concept of design thinking in my art classroom, through a parallel framework of studio thinking. As a result of my teaching experiences in an urban public education system for the last 15 years, I have witnessed a lack of art education in both elementary and secondary education. I agree with the ideas of Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner, presented in Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education, and believe art education develops creative habits and certain dispositions unique to art-making. Therefore, my research questions are as follows: what are the outcomes when students in an advanced honors art class explore the use of design thinking linked with eight studio habits of mind? How does this unique combination contribute to the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity? In what ways does this investigation inform my own thinking about designing and facilitating lessons that involve the concerns of both art and design? My primary research method was action research at a small charter high school where I taught for the last 11 years. My project took place over the course of two months. It focused specifically on one class period, Art II: Honors class, with an enrollment that consisted of fifteen senior students. Throughout this action research, the students created two projects with the framework of studio thinking and utilizing the design process to develop their projects through a step-by-step methodology. I collected data throughout this action research project in the following ways: pre- and post-assessment, student self-reflections, and two art projects. There was a collection of data at each step of the design process for both projects. I also collected data through journaling as a means to record self-reflections and observations in the classroom. As a result of this action research project, I recommend using the design process as a parallel pedagogical approach in art education classes. I discovered how it significantly contributes to the development of problem solving and critical thinking skills and also fosters creativity, skills desperately needed. I also discovered that if students are made aware and deliberately use the design process, they are more likely to use the process in the future.

EDUCATION / Arts in Education

A proven program for enhancing students' thinking and comprehension abilities Visible Thinking is a research-based approach to teaching thinking, begun at Harvard's Project Zero, that develops students' thinking dispositions, while at the same time deepening their understanding of the topics they study. Rather than a set of fixed lessons, Visible Thinking is a varied collection of practices, including thinking routines?small sets of questions or a short sequence of steps?as well as the documentation of student thinking. Using this process thinking becomes visible as the students' different viewpoints are expressed, documented, discussed and reflected upon. Helps direct student thinking and structure classroom discussion Can be applied with students at all grade levels and in all content areas Includes easy-to-implement classroom strategies The book also comes with a DVD of video clips featuring Visible Thinking in practice in different classrooms.

The Agency by Design guide to implementing maker-centered teaching and learning Maker-Centered Learning provides both a theoretical framework and practical resources for the educators, curriculum developers, librarians, administrators, and parents navigating this burgeoning field. Written by the expert team from the Agency by Design initiative at Harvard's Project Zero, this book Identifies a set of educational practices and ideas that define maker-centered learning, and introduces the focal concepts of maker empowerment and sensitivity to design. Shares cutting edge research that provides evidence of the benefits of maker-centered learning for students and education as a whole. Presents a clear Project Zero-based framework for maker-centered teaching and learning Includes valuable educator resources that can be applied in a variety of design and maker-centered learning environments Describes unique thinking routines that foster the primary maker capacities of looking closely, exploring complexity, and finding opportunity. A surge of voices from government, industry, and education have argued that, in order to equip the next generation for life and work in the decades ahead, it is vital to support maker-centered learning in various educational environments. Maker-Centered Learning provides insight into what that means, and offers tools and knowledge that can be applied anywhere that learning takes place.

Discover why and how schools must become places where thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted As educators, parents, and citizens, we must settle for nothing less than environments that bring out the best in people, take learning to the next level, allow for great discoveries, and propel both the individual and the group forward into a lifetime of learning. This is something all teachers want and all students deserve. In Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform Our Schools, Ron Ritchhart, author of Making Thinking Visible, explains how creating a culture of thinking is more important to learning than any particular curriculum and he outlines how any school or teacher can accomplish this by leveraging 8 cultural forces: expectations, language, time, modeling, opportunities, routines, interactions, and environment. With the techniques and rich classroom vignettes throughout this book, Ritchhart shows that creating a culture of thinking is not about just adhering to a particular set of practices or a general expectation that people should be involved in thinking. A culture of thinking produces the feelings, energy, and even joy that can propel learning forward and motivate us to do what at times can be hard and challenging mental work.

Students of all ages can learn to think like artists! Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education changed the conversation about quality arts education. Now, a decade later, this new publication shows how the eight Studio Habits of Mind and four Studio Structures can be used successfully with younger students in a range of socioeconomic contexts and school environments. Book Features: Habit-by-habit definitions, classroom examples, and related visual artist exemplars emphasizing contemporary artists. Full color mini-posters teachers can hang in their classrooms to illustrate each of the eight Studio Habits of Mind. Sample templates for students to use as they plan, reflect upon, and talk about works of art. Innovative approaches to assessment and strategies for implementation. Photos throughout the book of Studio Thinking signage and activities, students making art, and student artworks. Suggestions for using Studio Thinking for arts education advocacy. COMPANION VOLUME— Studio Thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education, Second Edition Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema, and Kimberly M. Sheridan

Education needs new ways to prepare individuals and societies for the multitude of changing challenges in the twenty-first century. In today's world—characterized by digitization, increasing speed, and complexity—design thinking has established itself as a powerful approach to human-centered innovation that can help address complicated problems and guide change in all areas of life. Design thinking formats not only teach skills that benefit people as they expand their "toolbox," but also create affective and cognitive outcomes. This book includes experiences, approaches, and reflections on design thinking in education from different perspectives of renowned design thinking experts from the network of the Hasso Plattner Institute and its School of Design Thinking. Using real-world examples, the book provides insights into requirements and protocols that design thinking practitioners can apply to transform their academic or professional ecosystem. It will be of interest for readers who work in or are interested in a wide variety of educational contexts.