  The role of design in K-12 education has increased in recent years. We argue
that many of these design experiences do not help develop important habits of
mind associated with Human Centered Design (HCD). In this paper, we present an
approach for developing higher-order thinking processes associated with HCD as
part of embedded design practice - an approach for teaching design thinking to
younger children using principles of cognitive apprenticeship. First, we
identify fundamental design habits of mind, discuss why it is difficult for
young learners to develop such habits, and then draw upon cognitive
apprenticeship principles to propose a concrete approach for design education.
Finally, we present an illustration of embedded design practice to show how the
situated context offers opportunities for designers to learn more about the
needs of young learners while providing learners with opportunities to learn
more about design practices.
