In defense of design

For the purposes of this post, here is my definition of design and the dictionaries definition of aesthetic:
design: using space, shapes, and color to make a document aesthetic
aes·thet·ic:

1. concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
   "the pictures give great aesthetic pleasure"

noun

1. a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.
   "the Cubist aesthetic"

2 hours later...

Have you ever seen this in your classroom?

Student A is creating an online book.  His/her pages are filled with random pictures, different fonts, different backgrounds, disconnected drawings, and speech bubbles; but there is no content or words.  

Have you ever heard yourself say, "Put the text in first, then you can go back and fancy it up with colors, fonts, and pictures."? (Me.  Yesterday.)

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oI'm all for integrating design into projects.  It adds more bang for your buck as students build spacial and visual skills.  

​But I know all to well there are pitfalls a' plenty.
One "pitfall" is this: Design is not tested on our high stakes state test.  
The other pitfalls often boil down to this:
​Sometimes some students focus only on design and neglect content.  

I get this.  I've seen this.  I know this.  I've done my best to stop this.  But here's the thing:

If I was always using plain sheets or word processing options, I would still have this same problem:  Distracted and unengaged students.


​I argue that if I allow for design in learning opportunities that will increase my percentage of students who are engaged and learning. 

And here are my reasons why:

• ​When students have an opportunity to include drawing, shapes, color, fonts, and sizes into learning experience, they use a different part of their brain.  Specifically, the creative part.  Writing is creative.  Math is creative.  Science is creative.  We allow for these ways to express creativity, but often neglect (and downplay) the visual and spacial aspects of creating.
• A quick search for "Jobs that require visual and spacial skills" comes up with a plethora of options from surgeons to poets to graphic designers.  (Jobs that require spacial and visual skills)  By integrating design, we support the students who will enter careers that require visual and spacial skills.   
• The world values strength in reading, writing, math, and science.  I take it as part of my mission to value art and design and music in my classroom.  I strive to encourage and support my students who have strengths in these areas.  
• In a world of tests and worksheets and black and white and more tests, integrating design makes for a happier learners (my students and myself:).  
• In my experience, integrating design motivates my students.  Students beg me to let them write new stories in Book Creator.  Students ask me to draw before they write a story.  I'm sometimes hesitant, but at ICE 2019 last week, Manuel Herrara (@manueldraws, http://manueldraws.squarespace.com) encouraged us to let students draw FIRST.  Create a storyboard.  Their writing will be more detailed when you do so.  
• Choice.  Students who have a choice as to how they will show what they know have a stronger investment and feeling of autonomy.  

In summary, there are pitfalls to offering design as part of a project, but I believe the benefits outweigh the potential negatives.  I challenge myself to keep offering design opportunities in the learning experiences I plan for my students.  I believe in them.  And I believe in them.