In the commons area at Warhill High School in Williamsburg, dozens of rising ninth grade students scramble about, racing against a timer to build something out of mundane materials like scraps of fabric, duct tape, pipe cleaner, plastic buckets, belts and their own wild imaginations.
The challenge — to create a more innovative backpack — was being led by Mark Hofer, professor of education, and Lindy Johnson, assistant professor of English education at William & Mary. It was intended to serve as an example of design thinking — a concept these students will come to know very well during their freshman year of high school. Continue Reading
