The Mind Lab: Tinkercad (3D modelling and 3D printing)

A rainy Saturday afternoon playing with Tinkercad in preparation for this weeks face to face session. Tinkercad is used to make 3D models, which can printed using a 3D printer!

You can turn your models into build-able lego brick designs (how cool if you don't have access to a 3D printer but want to make your models) or as a part of the Mine-craft world! 

Tinkercad is accessible through any browser (Safari, Chrome and so on), it is free just requires you make a log on so that you can save your models. It does require a mouse, without one I think you'd find it very frustrating! It is most suited to upper primary and high school aged kids. 

“Research indicates that strong spatial thinking, a skill necessary for creating three dimensional objects, is directly linked to success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics...spatial thinking can be taught and improved through practice." (Karon, 2015). 

Karon, P. (2015). Teaching 3D Modeling to Children. CG Cookie. Retrieved from https://cgcookie.com/2015/05/29/teaching-3d-modeling-children/

Research Informed Teaching

Week #4 at The Mind Lab was all about research informed teaching (and leadership). 

Being a research informed teacher (and leader) means being able to lead in your practice by having the knowledge and skills to use evidence and critical thinking to support innovation and lead others to change.

We created "memes" to share our understanding...here a a few of my favourites!

Collaboration, constructivism and constructionism.

 We had a play with the coding programme 'Scratch' and a 'Makey Makey' to create a magical music machine at The Mind Lab this week. After completing this task we were asked to reflect on what constructivism, constructionism and collaborative learning looked like in this task. 

Constructivism

Constructivism is learning by doing a task. The knowledge doesn’t come from the teacher, but knowledge is constructed as the task is worked on (Cashman et al, 2005). Constructivism fits with the theory of Vygotsky, he brought us "ZPD" (the zone of proximal development). He believed that a more knowledgeable other could support us in our learning. In the 21st century learning this 'more knowledgeable other' could be technology. 

We learnt by ourselves how to make a drum kit using Scratch and a Makey Makey.

We only got a simple brief of what we needed to achieve “A magical music machine”. 

None of us were experts in using Scratch or a Makey Makey but as we worked out through trial and error we shared our learning with each other as we went along. 

Constructionism

Papert & Harel (1991) state that constructionism is the idea of learning-by-making and that these activities display qualities of "learning-richness": 

During this activity we “constructed” a drum kit.

The drum kit was the product of the hands-on learning that we did around the Scratch coding program. 

Through having the goal of creating a “musical machine” we were able to figure out the different steps we, as a group, needed to take to create our drum kit. 

Collaboration and Cooperation

Dillenbourg (1999) identifies the difference between collaboration and cooperation as defined by a degree in the division of labour. In cooperation, partners split the work, solve sub-tasks individually and then assemble the partial results into the final output. In collaboration, partners do the work 'together' (Dillenbourg, 1999). 

During the task, we utilised both styles - although we ‘worked together’ in collaboration, we also ‘divided the labour’ during the process. 

For instance, one member of the group completed the coding task via Scratch, whilst the other two created the physical ‘Drum Kit’. 

These features were then combined at the end to create the finished product.

These educational theories will feed into my digital assignment #1. 

Cashman et al. (2005). Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom (4th Ed.) Cambridge: Course Technology.

Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed.). Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches. Oxford: Elsevier

Papert, S. & Harel, I. (1991). Constructionism. Alex Publishing

Innovation = Adding value to what you do in the classroom!

Our flipped preparation for this weeks session was to read the article, 'Conditions for classroom technology innovations'. The article shares the findings of a 2002 study that looked into what makes a classroom innovation successful or a failure. My first thought was, what did they know about technology innovations in 2002? After reading I discovered that the technology they were writing about was outdated but the conditions for classroom technology innovations were just as true today, in 2018, as they were back in 2002. 

The article identifies three factors that impact the success or failure of classroom technology innovation, the innovator, and the context. 

"Factors associated with the innovator, the teacher - in our study appeared to play a more significant role than other domains. That is, when the teacher was strong, the projects seemed to have a better chance to succeed!"

The innovator is the teacher. 

Can the teacher use the technology?

Do they know what enables the technology to work? 

Does the technology match what they are trying to teach? 

Is the teacher reflective?

Do they know who to ask for help, support, money, resources and so on? 

How comfortable is the teacher with the classroom shifting from private (four walls) to public (online and shared with others)?

The innovation is the value that is being added to the classroom using technology. 

What is the distance of the innovation from the existing school culture, classroom practice and availability of technology? 

How far away is the innovation from the teacher's current practice?

How much does the innovation depend on other outside of the teacher authority?

The context is the school's networks and organisation.

Is the teacher socially savvy? Do they know who to talk to?

What technology is already available?

What "I.T." support is available in the school?

Does the teacher have the support of the school leadership?

All of these questions will be important to consider when deciding the on "innovation" (how am I going to add value to what I do in the classroom?) in assignment #1 for our digital course. 

Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S. & Byers, J. (2002). Conditions for classroom technology innovations. Teachers College Record, 104(3), 482-515. Retrieved from https://www.rtsd.org/cms/lib/PA01000218/Centricity/Domain/96/Conditions%20for%20Classroom%20Tech.pdf

Playing with Google Cardboard VR!

Our flipped preparation for digital this week was to build our Google Cardboard VR and have a play! So here it is after watching a short YouTube tutorial it was easy enough to put together. 

After having a quick flick through the App store, I discovered Google Cardboard VR apps where you can explore the the lunar surface, fly a plane, go scuba diving, look up at the night sky or plan an expedition! 

A simple low cost piece of tech, BUT it does require a smart phone. 

20th and 21st Century Skills

How do 20th century and 21st century skills differ?

Simply, if kids are learning 20th century skills the teacher is in control of teaching of a set of basic skills and foundational knowledge. The skills are contained, controlled, predictable, measurable, scalable and repeatable.

If kids are learning 21st century skills they are learning how to think critically and solve problems. It looks like kids asking more questions than they are answering. The learning is creative, messy, dynamic and reflective. The teacher is a facilitator of learning, the kids have control of their learning journey.

Do we need both?

I think kids need to learn basic skills and foundational knowledge alongside critical thinking and problem solving.   

"Taking the time to think about the balance that between constant innovation and yet the strengths of of core traditions that make us strong."

I believe some children need to spend more time on learning basic skills than others. These basic skills can be taught in a 21st Century way, using online tools to accelerate learning, make learning rewindable and accessible inside and outside of the four walls of the classroom. 

This balancing act of 20th and 21st century skills can be simply put as one word, 'Dewey'. Dewey believed that great learning happened when teachers found a balance between the kids and the content. He believed the key to finding the perfect balance was innovation and giving the kids ownership of their learning journeys. Above is a quote by John Dewey (thought there is no evidence he actually said or wrote it!).