Human-Centered Design

Human-centered design helps us shift our thinking from technology-centered design to designing for and with humans. While technology is cool, innovative, and certainly brandable, at the end of the day, technology should always be understood as a tool that helps us achieve human-centered outcomes. Technology serves as a means to a human-centered end. One such … Continue reading Human-Centered Design

Economic Mobility + Social Connection

“If you grow up in a place where low income and high income people are interacting more, you are much more likely to rise up in the income distribution yourself.”This finding by Raj Chetty's team leads to the question: “What might we do to increase cross-class friendships?” Chetty’s research finds that it’s not enough to … Continue reading Economic Mobility + Social Connection

What Tests Measure

“The tests are not measuring how much students learned or can learn,” says Tienken. “They are predominately measuring the [social] capital of the student.” Social capital is "the potential ability to obtain resources... or information from one's personal connections."We can focus on improving curriculum all we want, but at the end of the day, we … Continue reading What Tests Measure

Artistic Vocabulary

https://youtu.be/BEa49Be84y4?si=RhJIohPKTvC8yk6s It such a joy to listen to an expert in their field demonstrate the vocabulary and history of their field. This interview with jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and talk show host Dick Cavett is an excellent example of this kind of demonstration. This demonstration includes:The Stride Piano of Art Tatum The Two Fingered Percussiveness … Continue reading Artistic Vocabulary

An Inclusive and Interesting Tech Economy + Society

THE PROBLEMThe way that technology is taught and practiced in most spaces is not inviting or inclusive. This is problematic because it leads to a tech workforce and ecosystem dominated by white men. And since technology in an of itself amplifies whatever it is assigned to amplify, it amplifies homogenous values. THE RESPONSEIf we teach … Continue reading An Inclusive and Interesting Tech Economy + Society