Transforming students, teachers, and schools through design education
NuVu brings creative education to students around the world. Our mission is to empower the next generation of young designers, entrepreneurs, makers and inventors who will impact their communities and world through their work and ideas.
We are more engaged when we are solving meaningful problems.
We should actively pursue new ideas and diverse perspectives.
Students thrive when they set their own personalized learning goals.
Collaboration is key to addressing complex challenges.
Our Core
Mission
Our Core
Beliefs
JOSELYN McDONALD
Innovation School
Partner School Network
Full time immersive studio school for 60 students/year
Empowers schools around the world to deliver innovative learning experiences
NuVu Innovation School
Cambridge, Massachusetts
7-12th Grade, Studio-based, Full-Time
Cyborg Enhancements
Deep Sea Robots
Musical Prosthetics
Intersection of Design Pedagogy, Creative Skills, Technology & Cutting Edge Topics
At the heart of NuVu’s curriculum are studios, a series of immersive activities that guide students through the creative design process. NuVu Studios provide semi-open ended challenges, allowing students to create innovative final projects with relevance to the real world.
What is a "STUDIO"?
NuVu's curriculum is studio-based. Our studios are interdisciplinary, project-oriented, collaborative, and follow the design process.
Studios
Studios involve real-world topics, and focus on both conceptual and technical skill development
Each Studio or Design Sprint follows the the steps of NuVu's Design Process:
Studio Attributes
Studio Attributes
Involves learning by doing and actively engages students in testing an idea, solving a problem, or making something
Studio Attributes
Students are interested in the topic and seek to explore its context and develop deeper understanding in the subject matter
Studio Attributes
Students feel a sense of value by seeing their work in their communities or larger world
Tiny House Architecture
Drawing Machines
Cyborg Enhancements
WorldCraft
Studios come in varying lengths of time, reflect important real-world issues, and prepare students for the future of work.
Studio Examples (15-50 hours)
Geometry /Art / Engineering/Physics/ Tech/ Fashion/Digital Fab/
Social Studies / Geometry/ Art & Design, / Urban Studies / Digital Fab
Geometry /Art / Engineering/Physics/ Tech/ Robotics /Digital Fab/
Design / Social Studies /Art / Design / Science Geometry / Math/ Engineering / Architecture
Throne for Two
Cultural Textiles
Copy Copy
Tales in the Shadow
Sprints Examples (2-6 hours)
Math / Geometry /Art / Engineering/Tech
Literature / Language Arts / Social Studies / Art & Design, /Science
Social Studies/ Math / Art / Anthropology/ Media Studies
Design / Social Studies/Art / Design / Geometry / Math/ Engineering
Shorter, faster-paced versions of Studios that are more guided and focused. Outcomes are generally paper and cardboard - we love!
Student Case Study
"For the first time, the focus was not on my dyslexia, but my creativity, problem solving ability, and most importantly, my ideas."
Student Transformation
Pierre
Through this transformational kind of learning, students find success and confidence while also creating impactful and personally meaningful work.
How can I adapt learning on Zoom to match my learning style?
Can we design and implement physical add-ons that break the monotony of virtual environments?
Pierre's Capstone
"Zoom Focus"
Today's Workflow
Schedule
8:15
Introduction
9-11:30
Design Sprint
11:30
Lunch
12:30
Documentation and Cleanup
1:00
Discussion + Reflection
2:00
Wrap-Up / Next Steps
Today's PD is focused on gaining familiarity with the NuVuX design pedagogy workflow.
Next session will focus on applying a hands-on design process to your own curriculum.
Warm Up!
Creative Uses Brainstorm
Grab a piece of paper and a pencil/marker.
Take this object and generate as many creative never-before-considered uses for it as possible in the next 3 minutes!
Your goal will be to generate as many ideas a possible.
Get in small groups and each share a couple of uniquely interesting/fun/exciting ideas you came up with.
Pick your favorite - it can be anyone's idea - and sketch it!
Creative Uses Brainstorm
Let's jump into today's Design Sprint!
Post-Sprint Reflection
Take 5 minutes to reflect on the Design Sprint experience. Picture the beginning, middle and conclusion.
Write down short answers to the following questions:
Discussion
Post Sprint Reflection
1
2
Student Work Showcase
Future Fashion
In this studio, students will imagine and shape the future by designing wearable technologies that merge creativity with historical and cultural inspiration. Through research, design thinking, and rapid prototyping, they will create futuristic, playful wearables for one part of the body. Drawing from ideas of intergalactic travel and speculative futures, students will explore how technology and fashion can come together to tell new stories about who we are and who we might become.
Emotion Mask
Health Wearable Devices
In this Studio, students will design and develop health-related wearable technology products focusing on physical wearable health interventions. Using innovative approaches, materials, and technologies, students will learn how to design wearable tech products that will augment and improve the capabilities of themselves or someone they know
Sound Glove
Pneumatic Push
Erosion Expedition
Given our school's erosion challenges, it's time to take action! In this studio, you are going to become engineers, designing erosion mitigation systems to test and deploy. Through research, sketching, modeling, and iterative testing, you will develop a system to help combat dangerous erosion. Ultimately, your class will build on everyone's best ideas and install a full-scale erosion mitigation system on campus.
Hands-On Work Discussion
NuVu is dedicated to supporting hands-on learning. Questions to consider:
Hands-on Work Discussion
Next Session
Session 2 will focus on applying what we've learned in Session 1 to your own unique classroom experience. We will do a refresh of today!
Come with a curricular unit you're interested in adapting into a hands-on project. Bring the learning objectives, supporting research and possible project outcomes.
Next Session/ Session 2
3/24 8-2:30
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