Find New Ways to Connect the Dots

That’s When the Magic Happens

June 6, 2018 | Beth Singer, Principal

Educators will tell you about the extraordinary gratification when they see the “light bulb” go off in a student’s head, it makes all their efforts seem priceless.

We had the pleasure of experiencing one such moment at BSD recently.

You might already know, but for the past 10 years Howard and I have been busy developing design thinking curriculum for elementary age kids…teaching them 21st century protocols for solving problems and creating a fertile environment for innovation. We’re coaching them to use the right and the left sides of the brains in the same progression. And we believe it’s not a moment too soon, because we are leaving these kids with uber challenges to confront in their lifetimes—food security, digital privacy, national security, healthcare equity, and wealth disparity, to name a few.

We met Noah Golden, a second grader, at a design-thinking lesson we recently delivered for 80 kids. He stood out, head and shoulders, above the others. He had a sophisticated grasp of the content, and showed an advanced creative intellect.

Feeling compelled to give this student more, we were able to find a way to connect a path of far-reaching dots to mentor him at our studio. And I’m so glad we did. Noah’s ideas and enthusiasm combined with our tutelage, enabled him to win first prize in a logo contest at our synagogue, Temple Rodef Shalom, for a reading program called Rodef Reads. He became an instant design rock star!

The mentoring experience was transformational for all of us. We learned as much from him as he learned from us. Noah’s experience at BSD was written up on the popular design blog on Logolounge.com, the largest community in the world for identity and logo design. Logo Lounge Director of Communications Ellen Healy writes, “The results are sure to stun all who witness.” Click here for the full story

When you read it, you’ll follow Noah’s developing, yet agile, mind at work, and experience a very inspiring account of connecting seemingly unrelated dots, culminating in an award winning idenitty for "Rodef Reads."

“Personally, I feel as if we might have set this young man on his trajectory. He’s going to be an advanced problem solver, and has tremendous potential to tackle some of the most pressing quandaries he will face in the future,” says Beth.

If you have a hunch about connecting people, places, organizations or situations in ways that make unlikely bed-fellows—go forth, act on it. You never know when the magic is going to happen!