PROTOTYPE
WHICH IDEA WILL WE CHOOSE?
Protocols/Techniques/Strategies
DOT VOTING (Can be adapted for grades K - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; COLLABORATION & GLOBAL THINKING)
This is a simple and quick technique to use with students when there are lots and lots of good ideas and solutions to the driving question. Students receive a limited amount of sticky dots and then get to place their dots on whichever solution they think is the best. This results in a quick visual of which ideas or solutions students feel best address the driving question.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
POSTER SESSION (Can be adapted for grades K - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY)
Within this technique, each student creates a "poster" of what their proposed solution to the driving question would be. Afterward, the posters are displayed around the room and the educator leads a discussion with the students of what similarities and differences there are between the different solutions the students proposed.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
DESIGN THE BOX (Can adapted for grades 3 - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; COLLABORATION & GLOBAL THINKING)
Within this strategy students create the physical "box" that sells their idea or solution to the driving question. By imagining the package for their idea, students are forced to make decisions about important features and other aspects of their solution or idea.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
FIVE FINGERED CONSENSUS (Can be adapted for grades K - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; COLLABORATION AND GLOBAL THINKING)
While discussing ideas or solutions to the driving question, students show you how much consensus or agreement there is on something from no consensus (no fingers or a fist) to total and complete agreement (five fingers).
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
PRODUCT PINOCCHIO (Can be adapted for grades 3 - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY)
Within this technique, students imagine their idea or solution to the driving question as a living thing and as a result develop something that will be more useful and effective at addressing the driving question overall.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
START, STOP, CONTINUE (Can be adapted for grades K - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING)
In this protocol, students discuss what they should start, stop and continue doing related to the driving question.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)
SPEEDBOAT (Can be adapted for grades 3 - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY)
This is a quick and easy way for students to think about what would stop or get in the way of a particular idea or solution to the driving question.
(Click here for an overview of this protocol.)
FILTERS (Can be adapted for grades K - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY)
Within this technique, students brainstorm all of the potential solutions or ideas related to the driving question and then run those ideas or solutions against a set of filters. For example, if students were working to evaluate which idea would be the next best selling toy, they could evaluate each of their ideas based upon filters such as is the toy fun to play with, is the toy affordable, does the toy appeal to both boys and girls, etc. After going through each filter, there should only be a couple of ideas or solutions left (if many of the ideas/solutions made it through each of the filters, then you may want to think about adding a new filter). At that point, the educator can guide the students through the process of deciding which solutions/ideas will work the best to address the driving question.
$100 TEST (Can be adapted for grades 3 - 12)
(CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING; FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY)
Within this technique students are given a $100 to "spend" on different ideas or solutions to the driving question. How much money each solution/idea gets indicates how much students believe they effectively address the driving question.
(Click here for an overview of this method.)