I did manage to get my hour of coding done before she arrived, but didn't get a chance to check out the paper circuitry and 3-D printing until this morning. I'm sure you guys are super busy too. Between this class, 678, and the upcoming summer institute, I feel like there's no shortage of stuff to do!
3-D Printing:
I've been fascinated by 3-D printing ever since I heard about it. One of the videos that I have my students watch and comment on is a TedTalk about 3-D printing. My kids always come up with some stellar ideas about what they would print if they had access. Our ITRT wrote a grant and received enough funding to purchase a 3-D printer this year, so we're looking forward to incorporating it into our makerspace and science classes next year. I think that Sansing (2015) makes an important point about 3-D printing, students need to have a certain amount of ownership in each project. Although it's fine to start out with pre-made designs, eventually students should be creating their own designs that are relevant to their own lives. Sansing (2015) also discusses the amount of upkeep needed to maintain the printers. I'm excited to see how 3-D printing is used in our library next year!
Paper Circuitry:
I had never heard of paper circuitry until this week. I thought it was such a cool idea, and could definitely see paper circuitry being utilized in a makerspace or within science classes. I think it would be really cool to introduce the concept within a science class, and then challenge students to use that knowledge across different content areas. I did a basic google search on paper circuitry and was blown away by some of the things people have created. Did you guys know that there's something called "conductive paint"?!?!? This website had the coolest examples I've seen. If you have a second, I'd definitely recommend checking it out : )
Coding and Computational Thinking:
So, when I learned that I would need to complete an hour of coding this week, I was a little overwhelmed. I started by watching the lecture on on computational thinking, and instead of being reassured, got even more overwhelmed. I believe that computational thinking is an integral skill that all students should leave school with. No matter what you intend to do with your life, it's imperative that you are able to identify a problem, break the problem down into manageable parts, eliminate nonessential information, consider possible solutions, and recognize patterns to maximize efficiency. Although I had heard the term "computational thinking" before, I had never given thought to what it meant or why it might be important for students. Coding gives students the opportunity to learn computational thinking skills in a risk-free environment. Those skills can be applied across the curriculum and outside of school.
I decided to complete the Moana: Wayfinding with Code challenge. I've never coded before, so I figured I'd better stick with "beginner" level. Moana: Wayfinding with Code was a self-led tutorial that included brief video interviews with Disney coders. As I moved along within the challenge, the coding became more difficult. My biggest struggle was determining whether my character was supposed to be turning left or right. Seriously, I don't know how many times I messed that up - but it was more than twice.
I was able to complete the challenge in about an hour, and the feeling of accomplishment when I got my certificate was real.
I think that Sansing (2015) makes an excellent point in the article, "Coding Skills Empower Us All," when he discusses the fact that we ask students to decode math problems, chemical formulas and poetry, so the idea of asking them to use coding shouldn't be a stretch.
Sansing, C. (2015, May 11). Coding skills empower us all. Retrieved July 09, 2018, from,
http://www.slj.com/2015/05/technology/coding-skills-empower-us-all-the-maker-issue/
Sansing, C. (2015, May 4). 3-D printing: Worth the hype? Retrieved July 09, 2017, from
http://www.slj.com/2015/05/technology/3-d-printing-worth-the-hype-the-maker-issue/#_
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