One of the most satisfying projects I completed during in-person learning for my Master's Degree in Educational technology was creating a light-up name tag by building a circuit out of foil tape, a watch battery, a mini-led lightbulb, and some determination. Making a light-up name tag may not seem like a huge accomplishment or even something appropriate for a Grad School program, but I learned about more than circuitry during the process.
Before the in-person learning, I hadn't had much exposure to Maker Tools. MakerEd is learning through doing and creating. Maker's tools are anything to facilitate that learning. The tools can be as simple as paper and glue or as complex as robots that are programmed using a computer. "Maker education isn't about the stuff we can make, it's about the connections, community, and meaning we can make, and who holds the power to decide what our futures hold" (MakerEd.org, n.d.).
Brainflakes a maker tool for learning.
I recall having a traumatic experience trying to model a three-way switch for a project in elementary school and miserably failing. I wasn't excited about reliving that experience in front of my classmates. What I found out was much more different than I anticipated. Making the name tag wasn't about the name tag.
We started the activity by using a Makey-Makey. A Makey-Makey is an invention kit used to build simple circuits, a sensor, or even make a piano keyboard out of fruit. We first got to play with the Makey-Makey to figure out how it worked. After playing for a few minutes, our challenge was to collaborate and make a video game controller with the Makey-Makey and various conductive items. I remember when we got it to work because I let out a little yelp because I was so excited.
That activity not only helped me learn about circuits but also about collaboration, perseverance, and creativity. Now I know why I failed at my elementary school three-way switch. I "learned" about circuits by being shown a picture in a book and my teacher drawing a few diagrams on the chalkboard. I had little knowledge of how a circuit worked before being asked to build a model of one.
If given the time to play and experiment back in elementary school, as we did in my grad program, I would have had the opportunity to try and fail before trying and failing at my project. Experimenting and failing provided the chance to troubleshoot. In troubleshooting, questions like "what went wrong" and "what do I need to do differently" helped me learn more than if a teacher told me how to fix the project. I couldn't transfer my knowledge about circuits because I lacked initial understanding and didn't have an opportunity to ask myself questions about the process. "Transfer can be improved by helping students become more aware of themselves as learners who actively monitor their learning strategies and resources and assess their readiness for particular tests and performances" (Bransford et al., 2000).
Karen Artabasy helping another student with her name tag.
After experimenting with the Makey-Makey, and having some success with creating circuits, our next task was creating our light-up name tags. I felt more confident about building a circuit this time, and I succeeded. Even though I completed my name tag, I had a little trouble getting my light to stay consistently lit, but I persevered and was ecstatic when it lit up. I finished before some other students and was able to help them troubleshoot, which reinforced the learning. "Opportunities to use knowledge to create products and benefits for others are particularly motivating for students" (Bransford et al., 2000).
I learned a lot through the use of maker tools. The learning progressed further when I was preparing to write this blog. I was re-watching part one and part two of the Everything is a Remix video series created by Kirby Ferguson. As the title suggests, Ferguson talked about how creations like videos, memes, social media, movies, language, and music are all remixes (2021). They are all created by taking something that already exists and making it into something new. My original thoughts on what this blog would discuss were very different before I re-watched the videos. The moment when I made the connection that the MakerEd movement is a remix of teaching pedagogy was like a light switch went on.
Karen Artabasy with her light-up name tag
Teachers using maker tools use other teachers' lessons, social media, and conferences to find ideas and make their lessons. Teachers are taking something already created and making something new. Students using maker tools during learning experiences are taking something already created and making something new. Everything, including education, is a remix.
References & Image Credits
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., Cocking, R.R., Donovan, M.S., Pellegrino, J.W. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9853.
Davis, V. (2014, July 21). The DIY World of Maker Tools and Their Uses. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/maker-tools-and-their-uses-vicki-davis
Ferguson, K. (2021, September 7). Everything is a Remix, part one. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MZ2GuvUWaP8
Ferguson, K. (2021, December 14). Everything is a Remix, part two. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HhMar_eYnNY
MakerEd. (n.d.) What is Maker Education?. https://makered.org/about/what-is-maker-education/
[Website about the Makey-Makey]. (2012-2022). https://makeymakey.com/
Wever, M. (2021, July 26). Brainflakes, a Maker Tool for Education. [Photograph] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DQXboxgMEjkG-smpisvw_t4Fnfwd0Lrv/view?usp=sharing
Wever, M. (2021, July 28). Karen Artabasy Helping, Another Student. [Photograph]. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dVXF7sAN3cA6-jC5lKNxewJhkvrod8sv/view?usp=sharing
Wever, M. (2021, July 28). Karen Artabasy Wearing Her Light-Up Nametag. [Photograph]. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T8BBty233GwT6ZQ1WsNduRCS3H87wjA2/view?usp=sharing
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