Design Thinking for School Leaders
Five Roles and Mindsets That Ignite Positive Change
What if there was a new way education leaders could approach their work? Kami Thordarson and Alyssa Gallagher widely recognized experts on Design Thinking, educational leadership, and innovative strategies to offer practical ways to reframe the role of school leader and explore the changing landscape of leadership using Design Thinking. The authors, Kami and Alyssa, did this by embodying the “traditional” school-leadership and design-inspired leadership. You’ll learn how viewing the world through a more empathetic lens–a critical first step on the path to becoming a design-inspired leader–can raise your awareness of the uniqueness of your teachers and students and prompt you to question the ways in which they experience your school.
Design Thinking for School Leaders can help you guide your school to the forefront of the new design and education movement, one that will move traditional education into the modern world and drive the future of learning.
“Leaders can shift from “accidental designers” to “design-inspired leaders,” acting with greater intention and achieving greater impact. You’ll learn how viewing the world through a more empathetic lens—a critical first step on the path to becoming a design-inspired leader—can raise your awareness of the uniqueness of your teachers and students and prompt you to question the ways in which they experience your school”
https://www.cobee.com.sg/design-thinking-for-school-leaders-five-roles-and-mindsets-that-ignite-positive-change-may2018 – Synopsis”
About the Authors:
Alyssa Gallagher is an experienced public-school educator, school and district administrator, facilitator, and educational consultant. She has successfully led districtwide blended learning initiatives, helped schools create integrated STEM programs, and launched strategic plans using Design Thinking. Having worked in a variety of roles—from school principal to assistant superintendent of schools—Gallagher understands firsthand the complexity of educational leadership and is passionate about improving the learning experiences created in schools. She is constantly exploring “What if . . .?” with school leaders and works to support radical change in education.
Kami Thordarson has worked in many roles as a public educator—from classroom teacher to professional development and curriculum designer. She enjoys engaging students and teachers with learning experiences that focus on authenticity and relevance. Thordarson is involved with the design thinking movement in K12 education and, in her current role as an administrator, works to lead a district in integrating technology into learning and innovating practices that fully move students into more personalized experiences. She values the challenge of helping school leaders develop real-world classrooms where teachers facilitate and lead students through work that empowers them to make an impact on the world.
