Summary of learning!!!!
Throughout the duration of this semester in EC&I 833 – Foundations of Educational Technology: History, Theory, and Practice, the collaborative impact of our class community has played a pivotal role in molding and enhancing my understanding of the various topics examined within the course curriculum.As I gear up to present my “Summary of Learning” on my blog, a surge of anticipation courses through me, igniting my curiosity about the myriad paths my tech journey could traverse in the days that lie ahead. The prospect of exploring new horizons and embracing fresh challenges fills me with a sense of exhilaration and wonder.I still have lots to learn when it comes to this technology.I learned a great deal of insightful information about educational technology from this program! The origins of educational technology, it turns out, go well beyond my wistful recollections of my favorite elementary school days spent with the TV Cart. I thought it was really insightful that we discussed the development of educational technology throughout history as well as current trends.
For my Summary of Learning, I’ve opted to craft a narrative that illustrates several pivotal insights and viewpoints I’ve acquired during this course.
Here is the link of my summary of Learning
I am filled with gratitude as I reflect on this remarkable semester. It marks my second course with “Katia” and my second venture into the realm of educational technology. In this video, I aim to present my Summary of Learning. Throughout this semester, the everyone have contributed numerous insightful points, and each presentation has been executed with brilliance. Engaging in classroom discussions has been immensely beneficial, allowing me to glean valuable knowledge that I’ve been able to apply in my daily life. Over the course, I’ve delved into learning theories, online education, the integration of audiovisual aids in teaching and learning, assistive technology, and coding in the classroom. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have participated this semester; it has truly been a joyous and fulfilling experience.here is the link for my summary of Leaning.I’m genuinely enthusiastic about hearing your thoughts and perspectives on this matter. Your input is invaluable to me. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for being an integral part of my learning journey. Your contributions have enriched my understanding and expanded my horizons. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue learning and growing together in future classes.
Suruchi Verma
When I think of artificial intelligence, I think of robots talking to you, self driving vehicles and the Jetsons. But it isn’t futuristic, it is now and we have been using it for a long time. According to the Alan Turing Institute an “AI system means any computational system (or a combination of such systems) that uses methods derived from statistics or other mathematical techniques to carry out tasks that are commonly associated with, or would otherwise require, human intelligence and that either assists or replaces the judgment of human decision makers in carrying out those tasks.”
As I was doing my research I did not realize how many things I used that is AI. The first tasks for humans I remember being replaced by a machine was thinking of your next word when texting on your block of a phone. Predictive text is AI. Shout out to my millennials, who remembers T9 texting! Search engines uses artificial intelligence to locate information faster. Siri is AI task manager and researcher summoned by your voice; this technology was inputted on the iPhone in 2011. I use google home to shut my lights off, lock my doors, turn on tunes, and tell me the weather. I know Netflix and other apps give me recommendations which is are all AI algorithms. Generative AI is a category of AI which is defined as programs that learn and train to be able to create products for humans based on the prompts given. Not only can they do tasks, but now they can construct new products.
An industry that has been taken over by generative AI is customer service and it sucks. I feel like the old person that just wants to talk to a real person for help. A lot of the AI I have experienced does not think outside of the box quite yet and the training they get is very black and white. If there isn’t an option given they cannot help you.
Due to EC&I 833, I have been diving into new programs to help make my job easier. I have been using Brisk Teaching Chrome Extension to give feedback, MagicSchoolai to create questions from YouTube videos, showed kids how to use Quilbot paraphrasing tool, used ChatGPT to locate research for myself and used Arlinear to create quiz questions.
The benefit to these tools is they all save us time or make things more convenient. In regard to teaching, generative AI tools gives teachers time to give more thorough feedback, or differentiate lessons quicker and adapt for our students better so students can participate in meaningful ways. My EAL students can watch the videos I have assigned in their own language or translate documents or help them paraphrase. These are all assistive technologies to help them be successful.
In other realms of our world generative AI has helped to detect fraud, identify diseases efficiently in healthcare and facial recognition for security purposes.
The idea that AI can support my career, my students learning, and make the world a safer and more efficient, convenient place is great but there are problems. We need to critically analyze this technology. The training that some AI has raises concerns such as bias, prejudices and discrimination. Also most generative AI does not exhibit emotion, interpersonal skills and morality. Humans have emotions which play a role in doing a job well in my opinion. Considering other emotions is critical. With that said, AI’s ability to understand humour and emotions is advancing. I experienced this recently when the AI DJ on spotify used humour by playing a song they thought was a summary of all my favourite music this year and it was a yodelling song. If artificial intelligence can do a task with consideration of all societal constructs, law, feelings and without bias and discrimination that would be amazing, right? Maybe yes, but machines doing all tasks better than humans, I don’t think is great either, some yes, but not all. Humans bring value to some tasks and those tasks also bring value to humans. Interaction between people is important and I think AI might slowly take this away. We will only have relationships with machines. I don’t think that would help our economy or benefit society for machines to be doing everything. Humans will lose their knowledge and livelihood.
I understand this is a bold statement and maybe far in the future, hopefully, but I think it is something to think about.
It is important to be weary of new technology. We have seen already what search engines, and social media apps have done to our society. This technology with these AI algorithms has created a confirmation bias with in our society. In history I am unsure if we have ever seen such divide between people among what is right and wrong. Social Media apps use AI to manipulate you into using their apps to make money. How is that a good thing? So this generative AI that creates a paraphrased piece of work for a student, is this beneficial? It is assisting them to help them be successful, but it also does not help them learn to critically think on their own. They will lose the skill of using a thesaurus and finding new words and to create their own work. Is this a pointless skill to have because the machine will do it for you? As Ted Talk explains humans knowing how to do the task or having the knowledge how to do it can be beneficial. I think machines doing some tasks to make our lives easier is great but we need to keep the enhancing our skills of connecting, constructing, evaluating, and critiquing to be functioning intelligent beings. We need to stay smarter than the machines! If we don’t machines will pass on knowledge to machines and humans won’t have a purpose. For now I am still going to be cautious about generative AI but I do believe we should embrace it as well and adapt our education accordingly because this is where the future is going.
Generative AI tools are already changing the way teachers and students engage with each other.
While there is a lot of discussion about potential dangers, there are also numerous chances to rethink how we approach education in the era of Generative AI.
AI has the capacity to positively impact education by aiding teachers in concentrating on instruction and enabling students to undertake more ambitious projects.
In our fast-paced world, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly significant. Artificial intelligence has been integrated into every aspect of our lives, from automating repetitive jobs to transforming entire sectors. Generative AI is one aspect of AI that has great potential for both industry and education. Generative AI, a subset of artificial intelligence, focuses on creating new content, be it images, text, or even music, based on patterns and examples it has learned from. This ability to generate novel content has far-reaching implications, especially in the field of education. Imagine a classroom where students can interact with AI-generated simulations, bringing abstract concepts to life. From exploring the depths of the ocean to traveling through space, generative AI opens doors to immersive learning experiences that were once unimaginable. By engaging students in these virtual environments, educators can foster curiosity and exploration, making learning more captivating and memorable.
AI has vast potential in education, including personalized learning plans and coaching, robot teachers, automated administrative tasks, and ensuring equal access for all students.
if I talk about china which is the one of the fastest-growing countries in the world. China is using computers that can think to help students learn better. They have special programs that watch how students are doing and change the lessons to fit each student. One big company in China, called Squirrel AI Learning, offers extra lessons after school using these smart computers. These computers figure out what each student needs to learn more and what they already know well. Over 2 million students are using this system, and there are many places where students can go to learn. Even kids in rural areas, where there aren’t many good teachers, can use this technology to learn just like kids in big cities. The company says that students who use these smart computers do better in school and need less time to study. But the computers aren’t meant to take the place of teachers—they’re just there to help.
In China, schools are using special cameras that recognize students’ faces. First, students use these cameras to enter school instead of showing an ID card. They can even use their faces to pay for things like lunch. Then, inside classrooms, more cameras watch if students are paying attention or not. In one school, these cameras check students every 30 seconds! The information from these cameras is sent to teachers, parents, and school leaders right away so everyone knows who is focused in class. But whether students like this idea is still unsure.
In the past, students relied on textbooks that were updated annually. However, these textbooks often became outdated as they were passed down to new students each year. This became a problem, especially in our rapidly changing world. Digital textbooks offer a solution to this issue by allowing for real-time updates.
I think Teachers are Becoming Coaches .As technology like AI becomes more involved in classrooms, teachers’ jobs are changing. In the future, teachers and machines will work together to help students learn in a faster and better way. This means teachers will have more time to focus on other parts of their job. With AI helping with things like tests, grading, and creating personalized lessons, teachers can spend more time teaching social skills. So instead of just giving lessons, teachers will become like coaches or guides. They’ll be there to support students emotionally and help them find their way. They offer a more engaging learning experience and deliver personalized content to the reader.
Enhancing Science Education with AI: A Teacher’s Perspective
As a science teacher, incorporating AI into my classroom can change how students learn. I could use special AI systems to help each student with their studies. These systems make sure everyone gets the help they need to do well in science. Also, AI can create cool simulations that show difficult science ideas in a fun way. For example, students can see how molecules work or how ecosystems function. This makes learning science more interesting and easy to understand. Using AI to analyze real data helps students learn how science works in the real world. They can practice using scientific methods and learn how to think critically. AI also helps students do experiments faster and understand the results better. Lastly, talking about the good and bad sides of AI in science helps students think deeply and understand its effects on society. Overall, using AI in science class helps both teachers and students learn better and enjoy science more. Besides these, there are various other types of AI tools available for teachers to use in science classrooms.
In the future, as computers become more important in teaching, classrooms might change. For example, instead of just listening to lessons, students might do more group activities in class. This new type of computer technology, called Generative AI, isn’t just a passing trend. It’s a powerful tool that will affect many parts of our lives. But the biggest challenge for education might not be the risks of using this technology, but rather making sure we use it in the best way to help students learn and grow.
During this week’s class, where we read, watched videos, presented in groups, and did activities, I learned much about coding and maker spaces. I never knew much about coding or maker spaces before, even though I’ve seen my brother messing around with code on his computer. But now, after this class, I understand the basics of coding and why it’s important in today’s digital world. Each class session has been a journey of discovery, presenting me with new concepts and perspectives I had never encountered before. I’ve learned a lot about coding basics and the many things you can do in maker spaces. Coding, I’ve learned, is not just about writing lines of code; it’s a tool for problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. Similarly, maker spaces provide students with a collaborative environment to explore, experiment, and innovate. Reflecting on what I’ve learned, I realize the immense value of integrating coding and makerspaces into educational settings. These concepts not only equip students with essential skills for the future but also foster a culture of lifelong learning and innovation. As I continue to explore this fascinating field, I look forward to uncovering more insights and opportunities for growth.
Photo by on Pexels
Teachers are aware that learning to code has many advantages for children, that it is the new lingua franca and the language of the future, and that it is a skill that will be in high demand in the job market in the future. Coding is crucial for children of all ages, not just those who plan to study computer science and information technology in school and pursue careers in the field. for both present and future generations, the ability to code is quickly becoming a necessary literacy skill. Why is that so? Mostly because technology is all around us, and since computers and other gadgets can’t communicate with us using our language, we must instead utilize the machine code that they can understand, which is written in binary or hexadecimal.
why coding is important in the classroom
Before taking this course, I never tried coding or even thought about Makerspace. It’s a completely new concept for me, but I’m eager to incorporate it into my teaching. I believe it’s an excellent way to teach math in the classroom. I’ve learned a lot about how coding and Makerspace can enhance teaching and learning. They help students become more creative and better at solving problems. However, using coding isn’t easy for every teacher or student. Sometimes, gamification can be distracting, leading students to spend more time playing video games than learning to code. Even though more students are participating, there’s still a lack of focus on problem-solving and practical coding skills. I’ve noticed that some kids struggle to apply what they learn or get sidetracked by games. Additionally, I’ve seen courses that focus too much on instruction and don’t emphasize practice enough. If students don’t practice coding regularly, they might forget what they’ve learned. Many students find it challenging to apply their knowledge in practice and end up forgetting. While there are many practice sites available, students may not know about them or lack the motivation to use them. Engaging students in coding, especially online or without guidance, is a significant challenge for teachers.
In conclusion, it’s reasonable to believe that coding is one of the most beneficial activities for children to pursue. It not only helps them develop skills like perseverance, communication, creativity, and critical thinking, but also opens doors to numerous opportunities beyond just career prospects. It’s evident that technology and computer programming are becoming increasingly integral to our daily lives. Just 15 years ago, cell phones were not as widespread, and paper products dominated. Now, even young children are adept at using devices like iPads and computers. As time progresses, computer programming will only become more crucial for success in various fields. By teaching children these skills, we not only empower them to navigate and utilize technology effectively but also equip them with a significant advantage for their future endeavors.
This week, we’ve delved into the intricate realm of Artificial Intelligence! With AI tools rapidly permeating our classrooms, it’s imperative for educators to not only familiarize themselves with these technologies but also effectively integrate them into teaching practices.
The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced significantly in recent years, especially with the introduction of generative AI. Thanks to this revolutionary technology, which is powered by sophisticated algorithms and neural networks, creativity, originality, and problem-solving abilities have never been greater. We’ll dive into the intriguing field of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in this blog, looking at its possible effects on several facets of our lives as well as its capabilities and applications.
Whenever someone Bring up Artificial Intelligence in a room and people’s minds wander to shiny robots who will take our jobs or a lot of science fiction. If we look at the Oxford dictionary definition of Artificial Intelligence, this is what we get: ‘the study and development of computer systems that can copy intelligent human behavior.’
For most of society, this means very little, however, if you work or are surrounded by the tech industry, you have our personal definitions. The limitation of the definition that Artificial Intelligence is primarily based on computers imitating human intelligence does not give us a broad understanding of what Artificial Intelligence actually is? What’s the difference between types of AI? What type of AI is Siri? What’s the difference between machine learning and deep learning? We at AI Time Journal believe that the majority of society should have a better understanding of Artificial Intelligence and how it’s part of our everyday lives and this is what this article will go through.In the world of technology and computer science, Artificial Intelligence relates to human-like intelligence constructed by a computer. It refers to the capability of a computer/machine to imitate the characteristics of the human brain by replicating its intelligence.
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in the classroom, teachers like me are in a unique situation that calls for both anticipation and introspection. AI has a plethora of potential benefits, including customized learning experiences, flexible curriculum delivery, and cutting-edge teaching tools that can be adjusted to each student’s needs. These developments have the power to completely change the traditional classroom environment, offering chances for more student engagement and more effective learning results.Nevertheless, despite our excitement, we must proceed cautiously and critically when integrating AI into the classroom. The ethical implications of implementing AI must be carefully considered, and we must make sure that its use promotes equity, student well-being, and the development of critical thinking skills. This necessitates tackling concerns like protecting data privacy, reducing algorithmic biases, and preventing AI systems from potentially escalating already-existing educational disparities.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Why People Should Learn About it
To be frank, considering the remarkable capabilities of AI, there are scarcely any assignments that cannot benefit from AI assistance in some capacity. It’s essential for teachers to remain mindful of this reality and, as previously mentioned, strive to infuse assignments with personalization to ensure they resonate uniquely with each student. Moreover, it’s imperative to initiate discussions about AI within the classroom, fostering safe and open dialogues regarding topics such as cheating and plagiarism. Reflecting on past perceptions, reminiscent of when some educators viewed spell check as cheating, underscores the evolving landscape shaped by technological advancements. With AI continuously advancing, merely blocking access to AI-driven resources is not a viable solution. Hence, integrating AI education into the curriculum becomes increasingly vital, recognizing its profound implications for both teaching methodologies and learning outcomes in the foreseeable future.
Integrating coding and MakerSpaces into education has become increasingly necessary in today’s quickly changing technology landscape. These novel methodologies not only provide students with valuable technical expertise but also cultivate creativity, analytical reasoning, cooperation, and problem-solving proficiencies. Now, let’s explore the importance of coding and MakerSpaces in education, as well as the misunderstandings that exist around these subjects. I am going to address the questions from our weekly plan – 
The advantages for students
Introducing coding and MakerSpaces to students provides a wide range of advantages. First and foremost, it fosters computational thinking, allowing students to analyze intricate problems by breaking them down into smaller components and devising systematic solutions. This talent is valuable in a wide range of fields and practical situations.
Moreover, participating in coding and MakerSpaces fosters creativity by offering a forum for students to investigate and articulate their ideas through practical projects. It promotes experimentation, creativity, and the cultivation of a growth mentality, where setbacks are seen as chances for learning and progress.
Furthermore, these programmes foster teamwork and enhance communication skills as students collaborate in teams, exchanging ideas, resolving obstacles, and collaboratively completing their projects. This cooperative setting replicates real-life situations, equipping students for future vocational pursuits.
Ensuring inclusivity and accessibility
While engaging in coding and utilizing MakerSpaces can provide a multitude of advantages, it is crucial to priorities inclusion and accessibility for all students. Although the majority of students might greatly gain from these experiences, a subset may encounter difficulties as a result of circumstances such as learning disabilities, inadequate prior exposure, or restricted access to resources.
In order to tackle these difficulties, educators can implement differentiated instruction strategies, which involve offering a range of approaches and support systems that are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of each student. Moreover, cultivating a nurturing and all-encompassing educational setting promotes students’ willingness to confront difficulties, seek help when necessary, and commemorate one another’s accomplishments.
Overcoming Challenges
Although coding and MakerSpaces offer evident advantages, certain educators may encounter challenges when integrating them into their educational environments. Typical obstacles encompass insufficient financing for tools and equipment, inadequate professional development opportunities for teachers, and curricular limitations.
In order to surmount these challenges, educational institutions can actively pursue external financing opportunities, establish partnerships with community organizations, and offer continuous professional development for teachers. Incorporating coding and MakerSpaces into current curricula and utilizing interdisciplinary links can optimize learning results while also resolving time limitations and curriculum objectives.
The idea that coding and MakerSpaces should exclusively be taught by individuals with technical expertise is a widely held misunderstanding. Proficiency in technology is advantageous, but proficient teaching in these fields necessitates a varied range of abilities, such as pedagogical experience, creative thinking, flexibility, and an enthusiasm for motivating student learning.
Teaching by “Techies”
Teachers from diverse fields can participate in professional development, work together with technology specialists, and utilize existing resources to successfully incorporate coding and MakerSpaces into their teaching methods. Prioritizing interdisciplinary collaboration and recognizing the importance of varied viewpoints enhances the educational experience and guarantees inclusivity for every student.
Ultimately, coding and MakerSpaces are crucial components of contemporary education, granting students with vital abilities and cultivating a climate of originality, cooperation, and creativity. Through early resolution of obstacles, the active promotion of inclusiveness, and the use of a wide range of specialized knowledge, educators may fully harness the power of coding and MakerSpaces to equip students with the necessary skills for triumph in a constantly evolving world.
Once I started diving into this topic it wasn’t as scary as I thought. It is honestly a lot of what I already know and have tried a bit in my own way with in the restrictions of our curriculum, time, money and space. My prior knowledge among coding was minimal; I always thought coding was extremely complex process which gave instructions for a program, apps, or computer to process. I also thought it was only for people who had training or schooling due to its complexity.
It turns out like many aspects of learning new things there are simpler easier ways to start coding. It does not need to start or look like the image above. The program we were shown in class was Scratch Jr and I can see the benefits of teaching coding. Students could create stories or timelines on many topics. It lets students create, problem solve, and infer. This would help them with attention to detail, and particularity by having to break things down into steps. It is all very high levels of thinking according to Bloom’s taxonomy which is very beneficial for our students. It definitely falls under the high level of the cognitive learning theory and fits the constructivist learning theory as well.
I just did a project in science where they had to analyze history of atomic theory by creating a timeline of models and changes throughout history. Coding could be a great way to order and differentiate between scientists findings through creating a story of some sort. This hits the outcome at an even higher level for enhancing student learning.
When I saw the word Makerspaces, I was even more in the dark, I had never heard of this. What I have learned is it is a place where people come together to solve a problem. In an educational setting it would be giving a group of students materials, time and space necessary to create something, or come up with ideas to solve a problem.
Makerspaces also fall under the constructivist theory and has many benefits. It gives students freedoms and choice with in the outcome. It supports in collaboration, problem solving and perseverance. The really important one is that attitude of making mistakes is valuable, and when things don’t go right to try again in a new way. This is a wonderful life skill as nothing will go great the first time. It fosters life long learning and resilience.
These skills I have been talking about is extremely important when it come to complex topics in the world of math and science. According to Let’s talk science students are losing interest in the science and math. Over half don’t graduate with a senior level math or science. Also only 12% of graduating students take physics.
Hence, students need to be inspired in these courses. We need to be given the time and money to get tools and tech to allow students to problem solve in interesting ways. Especially in math, it has been pencil and paper and drill and practice for so long. Our math courses are so jam packed not only do we have barely enough time to just traditionally teach the outcome, let alone get them explore it and play. The other problem is when trying to do the outcome at a higher level, kids need basic skills and they are not coming to high school with those solid skills. There is a lot of reteaching to get the basics hence we don’t have enough time for creation and innovation a lot of the time. There needs to be some change in our curricula for this to happen.
Sometimes the issue with doing something that is a higher order of thinking than the outcome is asking for, is students are working so hard to create that sometimes they completely miss the mark in the analyzation of the content that was asked for. I have seen this many times when I try something cool that my weaker students get left behind. Is it great for those students to try these things, yes, but sometimes it can be very overwhelming and they aren’t successful. This is when differentiating the assessment would be and encouraging your excelling students to try these innovative projects. On the contrary, when students realize one way will be more “work” than others assessments it is hard to inspire them to dive in. Maybe maker spaces should be more for non-curricular clubs to avoid this problem. But then the government needs to give more funding to education. Hard enough to get funding for curricular items, I can’t imagine trying to get more money for makerspaces!
Even though there are issues around materials, money, motivation and time in some areas, I think education is moving towards finding ways to help our students be innovative and solve problems. Central Collegiate in Moose Jaw where I work is doing some great things! We have innovation club at our school which work with drones, the 3D printer and create computer games and much more that I don’t even know about. We have coding and drafting classes which all involve collaboration and creation. In science we are giving students materials and building anything from houses to protect objects, terrariums to roller coasters. It is happening but we just need to push for more time, and more money to give our students the best education possible.
I like to think that I am quite tech-savvy and have been known to be the “Go To” for anything related to MySchoolSask, but when it comes to coding, I feel like a complete novice. I am familiar with coding and conceptually I understand what it is, but to make it happen is a complete mystery to me. It was nice this week to check out different programs that teach elementary coding like Scratch as an opportunity for students to learn at a young age how this process occurs. I found it helpful to read more about coding in the classroom through the following website which provides a thorough guide for teachers to learn how to incorporate coding in their classroom. I think to fully integrate coding into the classroom, it would be important for educators themselves to deeply understand how it works, its applications, and why it would be necessary for students to learn.
However, I would like to spend more of my post exploring Makerspaces. Makerspaces focuses on the fundamental processes of building, constructing, deconstructing, and learning exchanges during these moments. It can involve the newest and brightest technology or the most primitive tools to explore and play. Personally, I love it when I have time to get into a woodworking project that involves all different types of tools and processes that I have limited experience with. This has served me well, and poorly in many various occasions, but it has been a great learning experience for me each time. So, I love the concept of allowing students to explore, and play with various types of materials and tools. Here is a video below that provides a thorough explanation of what this process could look like.
One of the trickier parts of this process requires finding the space, and equipment to set up this style of learning for students. It can seem daunting to start this process in your school if there is no program that is offered for students, but I stumbled upon this blog that offers great insight into how this transition could start in a school that can have a big impact. As well, on the Makerspaces website, they even craft a step-by-step process to how this concept could be applied to each individual context. This step-by-step process is quite intensive, but it does provide a framework for how this could work and operate within a school, or a community-based organization. And, after reading more on the topic, it feels it would be a great way to blend community resources and school-based projects all in one to maximize the impact of this program.
As a Math teacher, I took a class at university that focused on the major contributions of mathematicians over the course of history. Sir Issac Newton was one of the prominent figures in this elite list, and it was very interesting to learn more about his life and upbringing. Newton, from an early age, was known for taking things apart and building them back together. His approach was quite pragmatic in design, but offered great insight into how things function by inversing steps, ultimately to move in a full cycle. Many scholars have praised this problem-solving approach to the many inventions and discoveries that Newton made over his lifetime, and a few of those discoveries include modern calculus, laws of gravity, and fundamental laws of motion. So, these seem like pretty small impacts on the grand scale of mathematical contributions.
Newton had a keen interest in the practical side of constructing objects, and this process could be argued as a catalyst for his inventions and contributions to the math world. He did not inherently exude greatness or innovations in his educational journey, but his pragmatic approach to solving problems created countless opportunities to deepen his learning.
Makerspaces is a prime example of offering space and materials for students to develop their inner genius. And I believe that Newton would be a primary advocate for these programs to foster this innate ability that he developed over many years of tinkering and deep thought in these environments. Therefore, it would be really intriguing to see how schools and community organizations could unite to provide these rich learning environments for students to explore the inner workings of what could birth the next Sir Isaac Newton. In the worst-case scenario, students develop practical skills and self-confidence that could create numerous opportunities in their future.
Please let me know how you think Makerspaces could impact an educational setting, or if you have been directly involved with one.
Thanks!
This week’s presentation made me think a lot about the future of my teaching and classroom. Returning from a leave is always interesting because it feels like there’s an even “blanker” slate than the start of a new school year. I find myself thinking about what I want the atmosphere of my classroom to be like and what I want to focus on moving forward.
In terms of coding and makerspaces, I have just a bit of experience. I’ve used programs like code.org with my grade 7 students as an additional activity, typically for those who finish curricular work and/or benefited from the extra challenge of tinkering with code. I have less experience with makerspace, incorporating it here and there but not true to its intended form. The presentation and articles this week have truly given these avenues (especially makerspaces) renewed purpose for me.
One of the points discussed in my small group during class around coding was that it is difficult to figure out where it “fits” in the curriculum. With pressure to cover the outcomes and often feeling like there isn’t enough time to even do that, how can we justify coding programs or dedicating blocks of valuable teaching and learning time to makerspaces? The rule follower in me does not jive well with this. But, as we can (or at least should) all agree, there is more to school and learning than what is laid out in the curriculum. The value that coding and makerspaces can provide goes beyond the outcomes. This Common Sense article outlines some of these benefits of coding, including providing a creative outlet and opportunity and teaching problem solving skills, both of which are extremely beneficial when applied to basically anything in life (including curriculum outcomes). So, in a roundabout way, coding (and makerspaces) are curricular – they help provide and practice the skills students need to be successful in learning outcomes well!
Thinking about who might not benefit from learning coding, a bit of research informed me that the future of coding is going to involve more integration with AI, eliminating the need for as much human input. This means that learning more of the basic coding and programming skills might not be necessary, thus not benefiting students who do not pursue computers or programming further than this basic level. However, students who do intend to pursue careers in computers, programming, software development etc., learning the basic coding skills is valuable and a foundational building block in learning more advanced aspects of code creation and function. We don’t know where our students will end up, so providing a range of learning opportunities is critical in ensuring students have practice and experience in a variety of areas. How can they know they’re interested in something that they’ve never tried?
Over my 11 years in the classroom, I haven’t engaged in coding or makerspaces near as much as I’d like. The main reason for this is honestly time. I often feel like I have to allocate more “minutes” to math or ELA to support student learning, review tough concepts, or make up for the many interruptions that take away teaching and learning time. But I need to remind myself (and will need to continue reminding myself) that there is more to teaching than covering the curriculum. Yes, I know that legally speaking this is my job. Yes, I will do what I am obligated to do in the classroom. But I also want to find more ways to incorporate coding and makerspace opportunities as they allow students to explore new skill sets and apply them to all of their learning.
Another challenge, particularly for makerspaces, is the open-ended nature of this pursuit. I’ll admit that I enjoy order and systematic learning that is clear cut and organized…though in a middle years classroom it rarely ever ends up this way anyway. Letting go of control and letting students learn in whatever direction their creations take them is hard for me, but I know that despite the mess and absolute chaos that ensues during projects like this, I can’t deny that this is where the magic happens. Sometimes it’s hard to see this in the moment past the piles of felt and cardboard and the fact that I can’t see the floor. Having a dedicated area as a makerspace, as the pictures show in this article, would provide a decent “happy medium” I think! Another to think about when I set up my classroom in the fall.
While coding and makerspaces “experts” can help provide valuable knowledge and insight, I absolutely do not believe that it needs to be taught this way. A friend of mine who taught middle school math for many years shared that growing up, she struggled with this subject. She feels like this has been an asset to her teaching now as she can better connect with struggling students and teach in ways that once would have helped her. Letting go of the idea that teachers need to be the “keepers of knowledge” is crucial in letting coding and makerspace journeys reach their full potentials. Learning alongside one’s teacher can be just as valuable (if not sometimes moreso) as having an expert dispense their knowledge.
