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Name: Amazon.com: Design Thinking for School Leaders: Five Roles and Mindsets That Ignite Positive Change eBook : Gallagher, Alyssa, Thordarson, Kami: Kindle Store
Rating: 4.7 (85 reviews)

Design Thinking for School Leaders: Five Roles and Mindsets That Ignite Positive Change Kindle Edition

by Alyssa Gallagher (Author), Kami Thordarson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 85 ratings

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"Design is the rendering of intent." What if education leaders approached their work with the perspective of a designer? This new perspective of seeing the world differently is desperately needed in schools and begins with school leadership.

Alyssa Gallagher and Kami Thordarson, widely recognized experts on Design Thinking, educational leadership, and innovative strategies, call this new perspective design-inspired leadership—one of the most powerful ways to ignite positive change and address education challenges using the same design and innovation principles that have been so successful in private industry.
Design Thinking for School Leaders explores the changing landscape of leadership and offers practical ways to reframe the role of school leader using Design Thinking, one step at a time. 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.
Gallagher and Thordarson detail five specific roles to help you identify opportunities for positively impacting students, teachers, districts, parents, and the community:

Opportunity Seeker. Shifts from problem solving to problem finding.
Experience Architect. Designs and curates learning experiences.
Rule Breaker. Challenges the way things are "always" done.
Producer. Gets things done and creates rapid learning cycles for teams.
Storyteller. Captures the hearts and minds of a community.
Full of examples of Design Thinking in action in schools across the country, Design Thinking for School Leaders can help you guide your school to the forefront of the new design + education movement, one that will move traditional education into the modern world and drive the future of learning.

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From the Back Cover

"Design is the rendering of intent." What if education leaders approached their work with the perspective of a designer? This new perspective of seeing the world differently is desperately needed in schools and begins with school leadership.

Alyssa Gallagher and Kami Thordarson, widely recognized experts on Design Thinking, educational leadership, and innovative strategies, call this new perspective design-inspired leadership--one of the most powerful ways to ignite positive change and address education challenges using the same design and innovation principles that have been so successful in private industry. Design Thinking for School Leaders explores the changing landscape of leadership and offers practical ways to reframe the role of school leader using Design Thinking, one step at a time. 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. Gallagher and Thordarson detail five specific roles to help you identify opportunities for positively impacting students, teachers, districts, parents, and the community:

Opportunity Seeker. Shifts from problem solving to problem finding.
Experience Architect. Designs and curates learning experiences.
Rule Breaker. Challenges the way things are "always" done.
Producer. Gets things done and creates rapid learning cycles for teams.
Storyteller. Captures the hearts and minds of a community.
Full of examples of Design Thinking in action in schools across the country, Design Thinking for School Leaders can help you guide your school to the forefront of the new design + education move

About the Author

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.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07D6GMJJ8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ ASCD (May 23, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 23, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1416625941

Best Sellers Rank: #1,380,161 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #658 in Education Leadership
- #666 in Education Administration (Kindle Store)
- #3,505 in Education Administration (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 85 ratings

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Kami Thordarson
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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 authentic and relevant learning experiences. Kami 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 and innovating practices that fully move students into more personalized experiences through design thinking. She values the challenge of helping school leaders develop classrooms where teachers facilitate and lead students through work that empowers them to make an impact on the world.
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Alyssa Gallagher
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Alyssa Gallagher is the Co-Head of BTS Spark, North America, and an education author, leader, and speaker. She has twenty years of experience in the public education sector serving as a teacher, principal, and most recently an assistant superintendent. In addition to co-authoring Embracing MESSY Leadership, Alyssa has also co-authored two books on Design Thinking for leaders aimed at helping them reimagine student learning experiences. She has worked with a wide spectrum of leaders, ranging from early career leaders in schools to seasoned executives in Fortune 500 Companies. Alyssa enjoys working with leaders to design strategies that leverage everyone on their team's capability, creativity, and intelligence.
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Customers find the book inspiring and insightful. They say it explores design thinking elements and provides practical tools for teachers and administrators. The text is described as readable and compelling.

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Inspiration Design thinking Readability

6 customers mention "Inspiration"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and informative. It provides practical tools for teachers and administrators to create and sustain a culture of learning. Readers appreciate the tips and strategies shared across each role, as well as real-world examples and practical guides to help apply those principles.

"...which of the roles I take on and when, and appreciated the tips and strategies shared across each role; readers will find the relationships between..." Read more

"...Design Thinking for School Leaders provides ideas for leaders to create, support and sustain a culture of learning that will be essential to..." Read more

"...This book was an inspiration for the work I do in education! It's a must read for any educational leader today!" Read more

"...of effective leadership and design thinking while incorporating real-world examples and practical guides to help you apply those principles...." Read more

5 customers mention "Design thinking"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for exploring design thinking elements and focusing on a design-thinking lens. They appreciate the innovative, tried-and-true approaches presented in the book.

"...The book explores elements of design thinking and sets the stage for a variety of necessary roles that members of a district community must take on..." Read more

"...system for decades and only with this type of thinking, design thinking, can we make a change that will truly be a positive shift in our educational..." Read more

"...job synthesizing the principles of effective leadership and design thinking while incorporating real-world examples and practical guides to help you..." Read more

"...An inspirational book with many innovative, tried approaches; including reference guides in the appendix." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging.

"...the lens that Gallagher and Thordarson look through in their extremely readable text may be exactly what a building/district leader is interested in...." Read more

"...Small, intentional changes. Excellent read for any one interested in making meaningful changes in our schools." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

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Fred B. Ende
Great Read to Help Bring Focus to a Design-Thinking Lens!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2018
Verified Purchase

Design Thinking for School Leaders was an excellent read. As educators throughout our region are considering different frames with which to lead work in their schools, the lens that Gallagher and Thordarson look through in their extremely readable text may be exactly what a building/district leader is interested in. The book explores elements of design thinking and sets the stage for a variety of necessary roles that members of a district community must take on if this work is to be successful. As I read, I found myself considering which of the roles I take on and when, and appreciated the tips and strategies shared across each role; readers will find the relationships between roles, and how they come together as part of the whole, to be a compelling part of the text, and one that works well for the book's main audience. I also enjoyed the segment that Gallagher and Thordarson put together on empathy interviews; it was clear how I might embed some of this work into my own practice. Included is a helpful appendix with tools that can be utilized immediately. Kudos on a well-written and timely text!

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Barbara Miller
Many leaders don’t like to have things (especially processes and old school culture) ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Schools need change. Students have changed but schools have not changed enough to meet the needs of their students. School leaders now need to embrace a learning mindset, understanding that everyone is in a state of change. Design Thinking for School Leaders provides ideas for leaders to create, support and sustain a culture of learning that will be essential to changing schools.
Rulebreaking can be uncomfortable. Many leaders don’t like to have things (especially processes and old school culture) questioned. This is true in both education and industry. Many leaders in education don’t welcome those who challenge their received wisdom. The authors of Design Thinking for School Leaders provide both a rationale for questioning rules and a simple process that helps you understand which rules to question. Small, intentional changes. Excellent read for any one interested in making meaningful changes in our schools.

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3 people found this helpful

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Gregory Land
As a principal and an elected school board member, ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2018
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As a principal and an elected school board member, I found this book to be what is needed in our educational system right now. We need to challenge the norms of our educational system to help all of our students. Traditional leadership has constrained our educational system for decades and only with this type of thinking, design thinking, can we make a change that will truly be a positive shift in our educational system. What I appreciated the most about the authors are their hands-on approach for all of us to embrace. Their 5 roles help us define the work of all educational leaders today! This book was an inspiration for the work I do in education! It's a must read for any educational leader today!

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2 people found this helpful

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Shane J
Inspiring, insightful and informative
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2019
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This book does an amazing job synthesizing the principles of effective leadership and design thinking while incorporating real-world examples and practical guides to help you apply those principles. Highly recommended for anyone who thinks of themself as a leader in their school and is interested in taking an active role in its transformation.

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Mark
Filled with great ideas for today’s educational leaders!
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2018
The more educational leaders whose leadership is informed by design thinking the better schools and districts will get. Are you and education leader? Read this. It will change the way you do things. Already into design thinking? Read it anyway, it’ll help you tighten up your game.

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2 people found this helpful

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Peter Noble
Every class, every school deserves influence of this book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018
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For any educator, administrator, parent who is passionate about making a difference in the education of our children.
An inspirational book with many innovative, tried approaches; including reference guides in the appendix.

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2 people found this helpful

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angie mulero
Ready to make changes in our school by designing learning
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2019
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I would definitely use Design Learning in our school. It help me to clarify my path as a leader of change.

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Ryanm
Very applicable to all!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019
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Talk practical tools for teachers and admin. Appreciated the connection to innovation and design beyond the classroom!

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