{"data":{"ID":347,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1383346660,"CreatorID":79,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Go to the Gemba","Handle":"Go_to_the_Gemba","ShortDescription":"Have you ever looked at your school experience through the eyes of a student?  Have you lived as a student for a day?  As educators, we are \"designers\" of the student experience, yet do we understand how the implications of our design directly impact our students?  In this session we will look at our schools through the lens of a student.  What can we do to make sure that we are designing the best possible learning environment for them?","Description":"Inspired by Deb Adler\u2019s talk at TedxRVA about her experiences as a designer and \u201cgoing to the gemba\u201d, I realized that we are \u201cdesigners\u201d of the student experience in our schools.  \u201cGemba\u201d is a japanese word that refers to the place where all the action happens.  As an academic technologist, my gemba is the student using technology in their classes.  Though I thought I knew what that looked like for our students, to be honest I wasn\u2019t sure. \r\n\r\nInspired by her talk, I embarked on a project in my school to find out what the actual student experience looks like.  We make decisions and changes based on what we think will make their experience more valuable, but is it really happening?  \r\n\r\nJoined by my colleagues, we set out to research our student technology experience in PK-12 to find out what is working and what changes need to be made.  We shadowed students for entire days and conducted surveys of students to see what their days were like. \r\n\r\nIn this session, we will share our findings as well as the way our project changed how we look at our role as designers, not just technology coordinators.","Link":["http:\/\/www.tinyurl.com\/educongemba"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"In this session, we will practice a \"gemba circle\" and reflect on the process of going to the gemba.  Each participant will leave with an action plan for designing their own gemba.","Presenter":["Carey Pohanka"],"PresenterAffiliation":["St. Christopher's School"],"PresenterEmail":["pohankac@stcva.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":35,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":79,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":3}}