2026 MDC Lakewood Johnson Winter Academy Template PBL JOURNEY by

Team Photo

futureprepd2 — 2025-10-22 14:35:47 UTC

Our Driving Question

futureprepd2 — 2025-10-22 14:35:47 UTC

Create a furniture concept that provides individuals with unique needs, or for use in various environments (public spaces, private spaces, natural environments, business spaces, industrial spaces).

futureprepd2 — 2025-10-22 14:35:47 UTC

Entry Event

2026-01-08 21:25:28 UTC

Students were given a variety of STEM materials, and asked to create their "dream" piece of furniture.

Creative DNA

2026-01-08 21:26:36 UTC

In order to work well as a team, we needed to learn about what our strengths are, and how we can use those to work well together.

Digging Deeper

2026-01-13 21:19:25 UTC

Students used both the driving question and the information on the Design Challenge website to really analyze what the information is most important to consider as we learn about furniture design. Students captured key words and phrases on stickies, and then rewrote their own simplified driving question on a notecard to share with the group.

Stakeholder Map

2026-01-13 22:05:45 UTC

We brainstormed WHO might be impacted by whatever product we create.

Creating Interview Questions

2026-01-13 22:07:49 UTC

What do we need more information about? What are we curious about or wondering? Students brainstormed questions that would help them develop their ideas and understanding. They then shared with a partner, and narrowed them down to their "favorite five."

2026-01-16 15:15:18 UTC

2026-01-16 15:15:56 UTC

Family Hope Foundation

2026-01-28 18:19:55 UTC

AEIOU-Furniture Edition

2026-01-28 18:26:40 UTC

We took the AEIOU protocol, and customized it to furniture. Students spent time in classrooms of students with autism and cognitive impairments, as well as our school sensory room. They were able to observe and see what kind of adaptive furniture pieces are already available for students to use.

Interviews

2026-01-28 18:27:04 UTC

We interviewed Jane and Jenn from the Family Hope Foundation, along with Ms. Karp, an ASD teacher at our school. They provided great insight into the needs of students with special needs.

Interviewing

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:02:59 UTC

Our final interview questions

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:03:56 UTC

Notecard blueprints

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:06:48 UTC

Students began sketching their designs on large notecards, creating a variety of possible solutions.

Poster Session

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:07:27 UTC

Once we landed on our three ideas, students chose which ideas they'll felt most passionately about, and began creating posters, fleshing out their designs.

Spark, Chill, Ignite

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:08:11 UTC

We loved this protocol at the CTC - we reflected on feedback that "sparked" new ideas or modifications, parts of our ideas that should be "chilled" and then what feedback "ignited" new thinking or changes to our design.

Critical Friends

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:08:45 UTC

High school students at the CTC provided great feedback and helped us think about things that we hadn't yet considered. We love when we can push our thinking!

Getting feedback at the CTC

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:09:21 UTC

THE SIDE BY SIDE SOFA

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:09:51 UTC

THE SNUGGLE SWING

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:10:44 UTC

THE SNW

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-12 22:11:05 UTC

Saturate and Group

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-18 22:32:59 UTC

Students took their notecard sketches, shared them out with the group, and then talked through how to combine and group them.

Thoughts from a student....

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-19 14:25:55 UTC

I love doing PBL because my friends are there to support me and I get to create many things like posters and prototypes. Overall this was a super fun experience that I will miss a LOT!!!

Thoughts from our Family Hope Foundation guests

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-19 14:43:11 UTC

Creating our Prototypes

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-20 14:09:18 UTC

Thoughts from the teacher

carriejohnson7_1 — 2026-02-20 21:28:51 UTC

Working with this group of kids was the highlight of each week. Watching them build empathy, problem solve, and create was inspiring. There is no doubt that this group of kids will do amazing things in the years to come.