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VISIONING:
PROGRAM VALUES
The first step on our visioning journey is to reflect on what hands-on, creative learning looks like in your organization and your community, and to think about the values that your organization holds when it comes to your maker-centered learning programs.
OBJECTIVE: Identify the value maker-centered learning holds for learners in your program.
What do we mean by values?
When we talk about values at Maker Ed, we think about what is most important to us to weave into everything we do. In our work with educators and organizations we talk about program values and learning values.
Learning values are complex learning outcomes that guide planning and assessment of learning experiences, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity
LEARNING VALUES
Programmatic values are abstract ideas that guide your organization’s planning, action, and reflection around a specific program
PROGRAMMATIC VALUES
This module focuses on programmatic values.
GETTING STARTED
This module can be completed on your own; however, you’ll have a much richer discussion if this is a collaborative effort with colleagues and partners.
WHO YOU'LL NEED
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
COLLABORATIVE VISIONING JOURNAL
shared with your colleagues who will be working on visioning ​
VIRTUAL
Miro, Padlet, or Jamboard
PHYSICAL
whiteboard, post-its, chart paper, and markers
TIME TO COMPLETE
The program values module will take you and your team at least three hours to work through the first time. Remember this is an iterative process - you may need to come back and revise your thinking after you work through other modules.
LET'S PLAN!
PART ONE: Culturally-Relevant Community Audit
1.
Reflect Individually
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Read through “Envisioning a culturally relevant maker learning program” (Digital Promise)
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Use the prompts from “Envisioning a culturally relevant maker learning program” to journal about your community, your program, and future possibilities
2.
Discuss with Colleagues
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Discuss each of the three areas outlined in “Envisioning a culturally relevant maker learning program”
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Record your thinking in a collective space – on a whiteboard or with post-its if in person or on the provided slidedeck if virtual
3.
Synthesize your Thinking Together
Add your synthesis statements to your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
PART TWO: Identifying your Why
Note: If you’re doing this activity with a group, everyone will complete steps 1 and 2 independently, then collectively mark one copy of the resource (below) and discuss the themes that emerged with the whole group.
What do you notice about the similarities and differences in your answers for these two questions? Should there be differences in the two?
1.
Identifying Beliefs Individually
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On a sticky note, write down answers to these prompts (one answer per sticky note):
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I believe education is important because…
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I believe maker-centered learning is important because...
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2.
Identifying Values Individually
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Read through the statements in Maker Ed’s Values Mapping Grid and pick the top three you, as a member of your organization, agree with most strongly agree.
3.
Discuss and Synthesize with Colleagues
Collectively mark one copy of the resource.
Discuss the themes that emerged with the whole group.
Pull together your collective thoughts for this last section. If you’re doing this activity with a group of colleagues at your organization, count up the number of votes for each category and use the top three themes.
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Once you’ve selected three statements, find the corresponding letter and number along the row and column headers (a la bingo) for each statement. Using these labels (e.g., A3, M2, etc.), match the statements you selected with their corresponding values categories (in yellow). If you disagree with these categories, consider what in the original statement you identified with, and create a new category.
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Add your groups’ top three statements and values categories to your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
PART THREE: What are your programmatic values?
A reminder: Programmatic values are abstract ideas that guide your organization’s planning, action, and reflection around a specific program.
1.
Choosing Values
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Based on your reflections in part 1 and part 2 of this module, choose 3-5 programmatic values. See some examples by clicking the sheet to the right. If your organization already has organization-wide values, are your programmatic values the same as these or different and aligned? Record your thinking in your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
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2.
Writing Values Statements
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Write your values statements. What does your organization and program believe is true about each of your values? How do you envision enacting them? Why are these values important to your work? See some examples by clicking the sheet to the right Record your thinking in your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
