NYSAIS Workshop Held in Browning’s New Technology Center

The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) held its recent workshop, “Design Thinking: A Methodology to Affect Change in Schools/ IMAGINE-DESIGN-CREATE,” in the new technology center at The Browning School on January 10. Browning’s Director of Technology Aaron Grill reports that he and four members of the Browning community attended, including faculty members and division technology representatives Stephanie Seto, Dan Ragsdale and Giurissa Grace, as well as Director of Academic Technology Jeremy Sambuca.

The session, according to its description, “provides teachers and administrators with an eye-opening experience so they might begin to think outside of the box and intertwine their knowledge to conceive innovative solutions for the future of education.”

Attendees learned the design thinking process with a focus on innovation in schools. This workshop challenged the current standards in schools today and the educational methods utilized. Attendees gained a greater understanding of design’s approach to creating innovative and everyday solutions in the educational environment. The workshop emphasized the methodology of design thinking and strategy, rather than the end solutions. Exploring and learning by doing helped ensure that each attendee understood and was able to implement the design thinking process.

Don Buckley, who directed the workshop, has transformed learning spaces so they work for teachers and students and not just architects. His biography notes, “He transformed textbooks so that they work for students and teachers and not just publishers, and transformed new media resources so that they work for students and teachers and not just programmers.” Mr. Buckley earned advanced degrees from leading European universities, is a former industrial chemist, published photographer and former consultant to the Museum of Modern Art’s Education Department.