Developing Hack Theoretical Framework

Beehive Professional Development from David Rothauser on Vimeo.

Similar to the Beehive Professional Development model created at New Design High School, we will be creating a Hack model for school transformation and radical transformative change.  The Beehive model created consisted:

1. Problem of Practice 
2. Refine the Problem
3. Divergent and Convergent Brainstorming 
4. Work, Work, Work:  Visit another classroom or school, interview questions, meet with coach and peers, join a professional group of educators, talk with an expert
5. Package It (aka Hackage).  Tell the story of the change process.  
6. Share, Repeat and Reflect.  

As the Hack Affinity group meets throughout the year we will develop our own hack framework of change that can be used for school change.  The model will be based on the following assumptions:

1. Schools are grounded in old traditional ways that often run counter to the intention, purposes and missions of these institutions.  School traditions have a large influence in the systems, structures, habits and cultures of schools.  These traditions force teachers and students into habits of being that often stunt, discourage and work against student and teacher growth and learning.  The old traditions are killers of innovation in schools ensuring the status quo.  
2. Schools can experience radical transformation through viewing problems and issues as design challenges.  
3. Approaching issues as design challenges instead of obstacles can actually provide for transformative insight into possible solutions.  
4. Powerful solutions can be found through the use of a design process as long as the process is human-centered, optimistic and free of bias.  
5. Vibrant design processes can lead to the unfolding of keystone habits that can provide radical transformation in school changing the way staff and student approach schools.   

Hack Design Framework:

Define the Challenge and Problem Stage

• Brainstorm the issue, problems and challenges that will be addressed in the design process.  Take the brainstorm and write a short design challenge paragraph.  
• Use protocols with a peer group to refine the challenge paragraph.    
• Evolve the paragraph into a one sentence design challenge.  

Discovery Stage

• Sketch a timeline of project including all important dates.  
• Assemble a design team who will be responsible for the process and product to address the challenge.  
• The design team will understand the challenge from data they have specifically gathered for this challenge.  The date must come from multiple perspectives including research, observation and investigation.  
• Design challenge/problem is revisited and understood in greater depth using interpretations from observations notes.   

Interpretation Stage

• Design team members share stories and insights from observations as they begin to search for meaning from observation notes.  
• Team members will listen to find meaning and patterns in the stories and insights.  
• Design methods are used to frame opportunities and brainstorm possible solutions with a focus on divergent and convergent insights. 
• Create visual representations of team's design insights.  

Ideation and Experimentation 

• Brainstorms are discussed, narrowed and integrated into the ideation process.   
• Quick prototypes are designed to visualize possible solutions.  
• Prototypes are examined for desirability, viability and feasibility.  Importantly, all school change is dependent on the school culture, resources and constituent buy in.   The most important question for assessment of the prototype:  Is this solution a keystone habit than can create transformative change.  
• Once an idea is selected it is important to understand, explore and develop the idea through playing with the idea. Visit another classroom or school, interview students, parents and teachers, discuss peers, discuss with an school expert and/or discuss with an expert from a completely different field to get feedback on prototype.  From feedback identify needs.  

Piloting

• Implement idea in a pilot stage with a small, voluntary group of committed people who will develop idea.
• Collect information from pilot to improve idea.
• Determine how to scale and engage more people in the project.  
• Create a hack that tells the story of the design process for ultimate audience.   
• Piloters will revise the idea before it is applied to the school community.  

Evolution 

• Pilot participants will become integral part of the leadership of the roll out and evolution of idea over the early years.  
• Pilot is expanded within school community to include more participants.  
• Idea is institutionalized as a key habit at the school.