![]() At the culmination of this 6-8 week project, students’ exhibits would be evaluated by their audience, which would consist of visitors aged from 8 to adult. Inspired partly by Austin’s TEDxYouth and Hackidemia’s interactive play space in 2013, we challenged our grade 8 students to conceptualize, design and develop a living room, alive with interactive exhibits that elementary level students could interact with. That same marriage of technology opportunity and real-world need led to our Living Room project. ![]() For example, we’re using Lego Mindstorms to ask students to prototype robots that serve humanitarian needs. ![]() But, sometimes you can wrap a larger idea around the potential of a device. But, all the device’s beauty lies within its simplicity: When we show budding inventors that it may replace your everyday input/output hardware, can register a keystroke by literally completing a circuit, and is “plug and play” with any even slightly conductive material, the opportunities unfold.Īny seasoned technology integrationist knows there is danger in building the project around the tool. I’ve seen just as many cardboard furniture projects, Caine’s Arcade doppelgängers, and recycled art projects as I have critiques of the simple Makey Makey circuit board. A musical staircase is novel too, and who doesn’t like the idea of playing Dance Dance barefoot in the forest, as the video suggests? Yes, anyone can wire a few bananas, load a piano on the cloud, and riff on Twinkle Twinkle. Unfortunately, I’ve lately read some negative feedback about this simple board, and I feel the urge to defend its use some write that it’s far too simple to offer any educational value.Ĭertainly if we use their very fun and playful marketing video as the instructor’s manual, a Makey Make is a simple kit toy. I’m a big advocate for Makey Makey in the classroom, because - as their byline suggests - it’s truly an invention kit for anyone. Makey Makey projects can teach kids about user interface and design cycles and empathy while having fun.
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