What puppeteering taught the Koomals about Design Thinking

The Koomals (our grade 3-4 class) got creative with puppets recently — and it taught them a lot about Design Thinking. Thanks to a clear creative process, a great backdrop, and a healthy serve of creativity, our campus came alive with brown paper puppets.

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation. It works to integrate the needs of the community with the possibilities of technology. 

The five phases of Design Thinking:

The test

The Koomals brought their puppets to life by exploring some of the students’ favourite spots on campus. The puppets went down the slide, played on the oval, and had a go on the rope swing. Over the course of the term, the Koomals will create character portraits for their puppets, culminating in the storyboarding and filming of simple narratives.

The more, the merrier

When it comes to design, reflection is a key piece of the puzzle. The Koomals had a great chance to reflect on and hone their design process when they taught the Pygmy Possums to make their own puppets!

Collaboration nation

The process of ideating (coming up with ideas), prototyping, testing, and teaching required a lot from the Koomals. As a group, they practised critical thinking, creativity, spatial awareness, negotiation, and empathy. Not to mention prioritisation, clear communication, and emotional regulation.


Learning collaboratively is an important skill in the Koomals’ class — and in the rest of the school as well. If you’d like to learn more about what happens in the classroom at WBPS, like Inquiry-Based Learning or school-wide art projects, our blog has lots of articles on offer. And if you and your child would like to see the school in action, just book a tour. We’d be happy to show you around!

 

Recommended Reading

Woodbury Boston Primary School is a progressive independent school nestled in the bush between Denmark and Albany WA. We know that children learn best when they’re happy and having fun. With a strong focus on community, respect, independence and nature-based teaching, our students learn the Western Australian Curriculum and so much more. For more information or to book a personal tour, please ring 9845 1185.

Martha Barnard-Rae