The Future Ready Learner Design Process utilizes human-centered design to provide a highly creative, people-oriented approach to solving relevant problems and developing action-oriented solutions within a school or district.
In Step 4: Moving from Essentials to Action, you will create a unique and authentic version of a Future Ready Learner to share with your stakeholders.
Consider: After you complete this process with your colleagues, consider repeating the process with a group of students so you can compare and contrast the results
At Future Ready SchoolsⓇ and the Readiness Institute at Penn State, we recognize that no two districts are the same. Each district is working to create its unique and authentic version of a Future Ready Learner, and thus we are providing options that support the various purposes for which the design process may be utilized.
Sample Use Cases:
Example 1: Future Ready Grade [Level] Learner
Rationale: This option is meant to envision one year into the future. Completed toward the beginning of the school year, this step can identify the desired version of a Future Ready Learner in a particular grade level at the end of a school year.
Use Case: An 8th-grade middle school team utilizes Steps 1–3 and Action 1 in Step 4 to create a Future Ready Grade 8 Learner profile that can be used to backward plan the desired skill outcomes for that school year.
Example 2: Future Ready Graduate
Rationale: This option is for districts looking to develop their own unique version of a Future Ready Graduate profile and the skill set the community wants that learner to leave with upon graduation.
Use Case: The FR Unified School District leverages Steps 1–3 and Action 2 in Step 4 to create a Future Ready Graduate outline to build a shared understanding of essentials in an orderly manner.
Example 3: Future Ready Headlines
Rationale: This option is for districts looking to envision what a successful learner might look like 5 to 10 years postgraduation.
Use Case: The FR Unified School District leverages Steps 1–3 and Action 3 in Step 4 to create a Future Ready Headline that will be used by the community in its strategic planning process to envision what learner success might look like in the future.
Teams may elect to do one, two, or all three of the actions.
Objective: Use structured brainstorming with the team to identify new practical and relevant essentials that intersect distinct categories of the FRS framework.
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes (15-25 per team member), black markers (one per team member), large flipchart or whiteboard (per group)
- As a team, review the “gears” of the FRS framework. These will be referred to as “enablers” in the matrix. (10 minutes)
- Create a Future Ready Learner Ideastorm matrix on a whiteboard or large flipchart. Select three to five Future Ready Enablers (selected gears) most relevant for your community and three to five essentials/characteristics selected from Step 2: Future Ready Dot Voting. (5 minutes)
Future Ready Learner Ideastorm Matrix Template
| Big Question | Area of Focus from Future Ready Dot Voting | Area of Focus from Future Ready Dot Voting | Area of Focus from Future Ready Dot Voting | Area of Focus from Future Ready Dot Voting | Area of Focus from Future Ready Dot Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Ready Enabler* | |||||
| Future Ready Enabler* | |||||
| Future Ready Enabler* | |||||
| Future Ready Enabler* | |||||
| Future Ready Enabler* |
Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment; Personalized Professional Learning; Robust Infrastructure; Budget & Resources; Community Partnerships; Data & Privacy; Use of Space & Time; Collaborative Leadership
Remind the groups that the enablers will help turn their essentials into actionable steps. (5 minutes)
Tips and Tricks:
Consider using a different color or larger sticky note for each area of focus to distinguish them as headers.
Sample Future Ready Learner Ideastorm Matrix
Big Question: What are the essential knowledge/skills and characteristics/dispositions that learners need to possess to be future ready?
| Big Question | Problem Solving | Leadership | Growth Mindset | Digital Fluency | Empathy |
| Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment | |||||
| Use of Space & Time | |||||
| Budget & Resources | |||||
| Community Partnerships |
(The sample matrix was developed to help the facilitator understand the matrix process, but it could be used as an example for the whole group. It is not intended to be “the” matrix.)
3. Use the intersections of the matrix cells to spark new and unconventional essentials of what could be feasible. Working independently and quietly, invite each team member to generate as many essentials as possible to add to the matrix. These should be creative essentials of what could be done, not things that are in place already. (10–15 minutes)
Referring to the sample matrix, use these examples:
- Where could Empathy intersect with Use of Space & Time? What might that look like?
- Where could Digital Fluency intersect with Community Partnerships? What might that look like?
Tips and Tricks:
- Instruct team members to write one idea per sticky note using their black marker, using a mixture of drawings and words, and encourage them to think about what could be feasible, not what’s currently in place.
- Continue to emphasize that these intersections are often not within our typical thought process; this is intentional and forces teams to think differently about possibilities.
4. Encourage the group(s) to share and reflect on the new essentials. Have the group(s) continue to fill each cell of the matrix with unconventional essentials, thus aiming for quantity over quality at the start. Continue to discuss each idea as it gets added and rearrange them as groupings emerge. As a group, reflect on the developed themes and process what action steps could be taken. (15–25 minutes)
Note: Ensuring equity is a core tenet of schools that are future ready. For each new idea, consider asking, “What would equity look like in this area?”
Objective: Create an outline to build a shared understanding of essentials in an orderly manner, and collaborate to build a shared understanding of how the Future Ready Learner Design Process will function as a resource within your system.
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes, large flipchart or whiteboard, black markers
1. Draw a 6 x 4 grid template (reference the template and sample below) on a large flipchart or whiteboard. The five areas of focus generated in Step 2: Future Ready Dot Voting activity will be used as the foundation for this exercise. (5 minutes)
Set up your customized matrix using the voting from Step 2 and the FRS framework. A template and an example are here to help you:
Future Ready Why?, How?, and What? Matrix Template
| Why? | How? | What? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area of Focus from Step 2 | |||
| Area of Focus from Step 2 | |||
| Area of Focus from Step 2 | |||
| Area of Focus from Step 2 | |||
| Area of Focus from Step 2 |
Sample Future Ready Why?, How?, and What? Matrix
| Why? | How? | What? | |
| Problem Solving | |||
| Leadership | |||
| Growth Mindset | |||
| Digital Literacy | |||
| Empathy |
Note: If a different number of focus areas (essentials) were selected during “Future Ready Dot Voting” in Step 2, adjust your customized matrix accordingly.
2. Working individually, answer on individual sticky notes, Why?, How? and What? for each essential. (15 minutes)
Tips and Tricks:
- Encourage team members to include one item per sticky note, keeping each small in scope.
- Remind team members that this is an individual activity at the start.
- Encourage team members to spend approximately 3 minutes on the Why?, How?, and What? for each essential.
- Discourage side conversations or sticky notes added without discussion. This, again, is where the facilitator turns into a coach and encourages meaningful conversations.
3. Take turns individually sharing notes, plotting their personal considerations on the matrix, and responding to the topics. Discuss each idea that was added. (15–20 minutes)
4. Encourage the group(s) to share and reflect on the essentials. Have the group(s) continue to fill each cell of the matrix with unconventional essentials, thus aiming for quantity over quality at the start. Discuss each idea as it gets added and rearrange them as groupings emerge. As a group, reflect on the emerging themes. (10 -15 minutes)
Objective: Create an outline to build a shared understanding of essentials in an orderly manner, and collaborate to build a shared understanding of how the Future Ready Learner Design Process will function as a resource within your system.
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes, large flipchart or whiteboard, black markers
- Start with the brainstorming template to outline your ideas (15 minutes).
- Use the three to five essentials generated from Step 2: Future Ready Dot Voting activity for the foundation of this exercise. Have each team choose a publication to mirror (e.g., Time, Newsweek, EL Magazine) and which would write about the concept, and complete the following: (30 minutes)
- Date the magazine at least 5 to 10 years into the future.
- Write a newsworthy headline and a subheading that amplifies the future success of your Future Ready Learner.
- Draw an illustration for the cover artwork.
- Write the main story on the inside spread of the magazine.
- Draw illustrations and/or write brief stories to highlight the main story, outline the main characteristics, skills, knowledge, and dispositions to highlight what future success in the workforce and citizenship could look like. Consider including callouts, quotes, and sidebar stories.
Tips & Tricks:
Encourage team members to use a variety of ways to capture their essentials in addition to written text. Pull quotes and images bring a story to life. Bring all the pieces together and experiment with different layouts until the team believes the magazine properly highlights the future success of today’s Future Ready Learner, and they are satisfied with the result.
3. Have teams plan and select how they will “pitch” their Future Ready Learner design to the other groups. (5 minutes)
4. Have each group share their Future Ready Learner Headline (success story). Hang the Future Ready Headlines for all to view and provide time for reflection. (10 minutes)
Now that you have gone through the process, it’s time to share your work with Future Ready Schools so we can add it to our gallery of exemplars.
Also, consider repeating this process with students as the stakeholders so you can compare and contrast.
Developed in collaboration with:
