The goal of this thinking routine was to encourage the students to begin thinking about the design process for the classroom. As expected, many students were shocked to see the classroom not set up and organized on the first day. Through the See, Think, Wonder students were able to begin brainstorming ideas for the design process.
See:
Students were asked to describe what they saw around the room and provide as many examples as possible. Students created descriptive lists that identified items such as empty bookshelves, stacked chairs, bulletin boards on the floor, lamps, tables, and other school supplies in the room. By identifying what they students "see", they are able to move towards thinking about these items. Students wrote their responses on a post-it and added each note to the group board.
Think:
Next, students were posed with the following two questions: as a designer what do you think about the items in the room and what conclusions can you draw about the designing that will take place? Students' reflections led to both surface level and deeper questions (fat and skinny!). Many students began to think of themselves as designers and make conclusions such as "I think we will create the learning space", "I think this should be a space for teamwork," and "I think the chairs will be best for individual reading." And one student who didn't quite get the design thinking process and said "I think they forgot today was the first day of school!"
Wonder:
Third, students reflected on the question "what do you wonder about the designing process?" Many students wrote about their role in the designing process and wondered how the students could work together if problems arose. The wonder piece to this thinking routine encourages students to ask stronger questions and begin thinking about creating a design.
The Final Result:
This lesson was developed by Alice Parker, Kim Trefz, and Jillian Hinesley.