Challenge/	
  Selection	
  	
   Mind	
  mapping	
  plays	
  a	
  crucial	
  role	
  in	
  the	
  design	
  thinking	
  process.	
  According	
  to	
  Week	
  3’s	
  “Mind	
   Mapping”	
  video,	
  this	
  technique	
  allows	
  the	
  user	
  to	
  pinpoint	
  patterns	
  and	
  trends	
  from	
  data	
   collected	
  during	
  the	
  exploration	
  stage.	
  As	
  a	
  teacher,	
  I	
  have	
  used	
  this	
  tool	
  to	
  understand	
  the	
   needs	
  and	
  interests	
  of	
  my	
  students	
  with	
  varying	
  socioeconomic	
  and	
  educational	
  backgrounds.	
   Students	
  learn	
  in	
  different	
  ways.	
  For	
  that	
  reason,	
  mind	
  mapping	
  is	
  a	
  valuable	
  tool	
  that	
  teachers	
   can	
  use	
  to	
  pinpoint	
  educational	
  models/pedagogies	
  that	
  best	
  accommodate	
  to	
  the	
  unique	
  and	
   diverse	
  needs	
  of	
  students.	
  As	
  shown	
  in	
  the	
  “The	
  Idea	
  Generation	
  Process”	
  video,	
  receiving	
  and	
   sorting	
  suggestions	
  can	
  be	
  a	
  messy	
  process.	
  Thankfully,	
  mind	
  mapping	
  provides	
  a	
  clear	
  visual	
   resource	
  that	
  makes	
  connection	
  with	
  facts	
  and	
  ideas	
  very	
  clearly.	
  	
   	
   Application	
   I	
  start	
  the	
  mind	
  mapping	
  process	
  by	
  setting	
  up	
  stations	
  in	
  which	
  students	
  can	
  participate	
  in	
  a	
   variety	
  of	
  activities	
  ranging	
  from	
  e-­‐learning	
  to	
  collaborative	
  games	
  to	
  hands-­‐on	
  experiments.	
  At	
   any	
  time,	
  students	
  can	
  enter	
  and	
  leave	
  a	
  station.	
  They	
  have	
  the	
  option	
  to	
  move	
  to	
  another	
   station.	
  Each	
  station	
  has	
  a	
  post-­‐it	
  section,	
  where	
  students	
  can	
  leave	
  input	
  about	
  their	
   experiences.	
  Positive	
  post-­‐it	
  messages	
  formed	
  their	
  own	
  cluster	
  whereas	
  the	
  negative	
  ones	
  did	
   too.	
  In	
  the	
  end,	
  the	
  notes	
  provided	
  valuable	
  insights	
  identifying	
  which	
  instruction	
  modes	
   improved	
  student	
  learning	
  and	
  captured	
  the	
  students’	
  interest.	
  With	
  the	
  students’	
  feedback,	
  I	
   created	
  a	
  web	
  with	
  numerous	
  visual	
  pathways	
  that	
  organized	
  students’	
  feedback	
  into	
  a	
  visual	
   picture.	
  Mind	
  mapping	
  allowed	
  me	
  to	
  easily	
  see	
  different	
  details	
  and	
  recognize	
  connections	
   among	
  seemingly	
  unrelated	
  findings.   	
   Insight	
   After	
  students	
  went	
  around	
  each	
  station	
  and	
  provided	
  input	
  on	
  different	
  learning	
  stations,	
  I	
   collected	
  and	
  read	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  post-­‐it	
  notes.	
  My	
  students’	
  feedback	
  made	
  me	
  realize	
  the	
   importance	
  of	
  a	
  blended	
  classroom	
  in	
  order	
  for	
  students	
  to	
  engage	
  in	
  different	
  learning	
   environments.	
  In	
  a	
  blended	
  learning	
  setting,	
  students	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  receive	
  traditional	
  in-­‐person	
   classroom	
  instruction	
  and	
  self-­‐paced	
  online	
  learning.	
  This	
  learning	
  model	
  provides	
  an	
   interactive,	
  digital	
  environment	
  wherein	
  students	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  receive	
  one-­‐and-­‐one	
  supervision	
   while	
  working	
  with	
  digital	
  technology.	
  Students	
  were	
  tired	
  of	
  the	
  traditional	
  teaching	
   instruction,	
  and	
  wanted	
  to	
  incorporate	
  more	
  digital	
  technology	
  in	
  the	
  classroom.	
  In	
  recent	
   years,	
  the	
  proliferation	
  of	
  technology	
  has	
  changed	
  how	
  society	
  receives	
  and	
  absorbs	
   information.	
  If	
  used	
  correctly,	
  technology	
  can	
  provide	
  personalized	
  instruction	
  that	
  addresses	
   the	
  unique	
  needs	
  and	
  interests	
  of	
  every	
  student.	
  Furthermore,	
  as	
  society	
  becomes	
  more	
   intertwined	
  with	
  and	
  dependent	
  on	
  technology,	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  that	
  students	
  are	
  comfortable	
   with	
  digital	
  media.	
  Additionally,	
  given	
  that	
  a	
  significant	
  number	
  of	
  my	
  students	
  hail	
  from	
  low	
   socioeconomic	
  households	
  that	
  lack	
  advanced	
  technology	
  or	
  Internet	
  services,	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  to	
   provide	
  opportunities	
  for	
  students	
  to	
  develop	
  and	
  strengthen	
  their	
  technology	
  skillset.	
  Applying	
   design-­‐thinking	
  techniques	
  made	
  me	
  realize	
  how	
  the	
  users	
  can	
  connect	
  seemingly	
  unrelated	
   findings	
  to	
  find	
  a	
  product	
  that	
  serves	
  individuals	
  with	
  varying	
  interests.	
  If	
  the	
  designer	
  finds	
  a	
   common	
  problem	
  that	
  affects	
  people	
  with	
  varying	
  backgrounds,	
  it	
  is	
  likely	
  that	
  the	
  product	
  will

be	
  well	
  received.	
  For	
  that	
  reason,	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  to	
  receive	
  feedback	
  and	
  input	
  from	
  a	
  wide	
   variety	
  of	
  people	
  who	
  are	
  the	
  audience	
  of	
  the	
  product.	
  	
   	
   Approach	
  	
   Since	
  implementing	
  the	
  stations,	
  I	
  have	
  learned	
  that	
  mind	
  mapping	
  can	
  work	
  more	
  efficiently	
  if	
   I	
  come	
  to	
  the	
  exploration	
  stage	
  with	
  more	
  ideas.	
  It	
  could	
  be	
  possible	
  that	
  there	
  may	
  be	
  better	
   learning	
  instruction	
  that	
  matches	
  better	
  with	
  my	
  students.	
  I	
  could	
  also	
  receive	
  tips	
  from	
   educators	
  who	
  have	
  significant	
  experience	
  working	
  with	
  blended	
  classrooms.	
  Different	
  forms	
  of	
   the	
  blended	
  classroom	
  could	
  be	
  introduced,	
  thus	
  allowing	
  students	
  to	
  be	
  aware	
  of	
  the	
  different	
   ways	
  technology	
  that	
  could	
  be	
  incorporated	
  in	
  the	
  classroom.

