The Maker Movement and Learning to Code

The Maker Movement is a hands-on approach to engage students in problem solving using technology.

One component of the maker movements is 3D printing where machines build 3D models based upon blueprints. The high school within my district has recently acquired a 3D printer, as has the local library, which speaks to the excitement around this new technology and the drive to get young people excited about this emerging software.

Although coding has been around for much longer than the 3D printing movement, only more recently, have educators started incorporating coding and programming basics into primary and secondary curriculum. The following aps have all been used as resources to help students even in primary school; learn how to code: Scratch, Diary and Dinosaur, Kodable Pro, Cargo-Bot. In an earlier blog post I shared about my experience coding through Khan academy and it’s “Hour of Code” campaign where in only one hour I learned basic HTMl and CCS, showing that people of all ages can learn coding.

When a teacher is deciding on the right apps to use in their classroom to support coding initiatives, one of the factors when making software selection policies is whether the software is open to public use or not. Software that is open to the public at little to no cost is considered open-source software as this software can be edited, copied and modified by the general public.

Alongside regular programming, students can also be taught through educational aps, how to compose and calculate in programs like Excel and Word. Composing and calculating skills are normally hard skills that are taught in math or writing classes but these same skill sets can be applied across word processing and spreadsheet software. In a writing class, students can be taught digital writing which combines traditional writing skills (grammar, conventions, punctuation, voice, tone) and newer skills like learning how to write for a blog, wiki or email. Tone and voice are skill being taught but using more modern platforms.

The last element I’m going to talk about regarding emerging technologies and integrating those technologies into the classroom and curriculum is the use of digital games and game-based learning. I know from personal experience how much my students loved playing Kahoot to help them study for finals, use Waggle to practice foundational knowledge components and I’ve seen them play the same math games over and over. Games are now available on every browser and every network and can be based around any content. Teachers who are not using technological based games in their curriculum really are missing out on great opportunities for fun learning.

Netiquette and the 12 Be-Attitudes

Blessed are those who use careful grammar and spelling for they are sure to not look like idiots in front of their coworkers…

The guide to careful netiquette and the Top 12 Be-Attitudes (linked here) gives careful reminders of how academics can maintain their professional relationships and veneers through simple checks and stay away from some of the easy pitfalls that net neutrality easily lends.

Although for the most part these 12 rules are common attitudes and courteous behaviors that all people should follow regardless, it is good to stop and reflect at this time in our introduction to emerging technologies on how our own behavior and attitudes can be maintained or changed.

As an educator, I am constantly finding new resources that could help support my classroom. For instance, while doing some light Googling I will come across the perfect PowerPoint or worksheet that will help support learning in my classroom. I quickly download it, print off 70 copies and thank my lucky stars that educators before me found the perfect wording/images to express a new concept. But in that rush to create and disseminate new materials and contribute to the learning in my classroom, I have *GASP* forgotten to abide by Netiquette Rule #5-Be Respectful of Copyrights. My mentor teacher is a champ of respectfully using copyrights. At the end of each of her PowerPoints or at the bottom of a worksheet, I often saw credit being given to the original author/creator often in the style of MLA, which students are familiar with.  This is a standard I should hold myself to more often if not just to avoid possible legal trouble for myself, or my school, but also to essentially teach my students about citations and plagiarism through osmosis.

One of the ways to ensure that my students are learning proper netiquette is through an acronym that I often use in class-A.T.T.P. This stands for Audience. Text. Tone and Purpose. Before any writing assignment, students should self-reflect on these four subjects before beginning their writing to understand how their writing should be structured. If I start to incorporate this acronym into smaller written assignments on a regular basis, instead of just major essays, perhaps the repetition will lead to students applying this policy of thought to daily interactions over email, text and chat as well. Additionally, I believe that students should be directly taught safe internet procedures through deliberate and direct instruction in technology classes.

A key component of digital citizenship is giving students the materials and instruction they need to interact with technology in a responsible, and safe way protecting both their information and themselves from harm. Many resources (including this one) are now out there that can give advice, resources and talking points to teachers, parents, and mentors on safe technology practices-some of which the adults need refreshing on as well! Technology is rampant in our society. To ignore the progress and to not match our education up to it, is to potentially put ourselves, and our futures at risk.

References

Berk, R. A. (2011). Top 12 be-attitudes of netiquette for academicians. Journal of Faculty Development, 25(3), 45-48.

Ribble, M. (Ed.). (n.d.). Digital Citizenship. Retrieved May 08, 2017, from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/