EdTech - is it a "thing"?

Last night, I had the privilege of being a panelist for the General Assembly and Teach For America event (EdTech - Taking Stock and Forging Ahead) at Austin's WeWork Co-working Space.

Prior to attending, we were asked to rate our opinion on five different questions. During the event, the audience was polled on those same questions and we were asked to explain our opinions.

Each time I present or engage in conversation with other educators, I am filled with new questions and arguments. Last night was no exception.

The premise was on EdTech. As the conversation moved forward, it was clear we all have different views of what EdTech is. Is it a business? Is it a way of thinking? Is it a subject? Is it a set of tools? Frankly, I don't know. And, that's why I don't think it should be a "thing."

In every area, there is the mainstream and there are the innovators. Within education, EdTech were the innovators to me. However, the idea of EdTech is no longer new. It should not be considered another pathway. Rather, it is mainstream, regardless of whether or not it is fully integrated. Though we don't all have SmartPhones, it would be unusual to say that SmartPhones were not mainstream. EdTech as a pathway is education.

As a business, edtech has been around for a while and will probably continue to be a "thing" for a while. We use technology for our infrastructure and what better name for it than - educational technology.

We do need to get away from the idea that EdTech is tools. Or, maybe it is...If it is, then we need to get away from EdTech. I'll admit that I've been that company girl. I jumped into various company-given certifications immediately, partly because I love a challenge, but also because I was excited about a product. That was five years ago, though. Now, I'm excited about ideas. I believe in ideas, thinking processes, and pedagogy as the means for change. The technology will fit into those thinking processes. Unfortunately, when I attend conferences and when I listen to others, I hear tools mentioned. I don't see as much on thinking processes. I see limited information on how to change the way we ask students to think. We forget that technology is already there. It continues to change. As it changes, the way we interact with it changes. The way we need to think about it changes. Yet, we continue to teach the same thought processes. This is what we need to focus on.

Companies like Google have created services on some of these thought processes. In fact, Google offers a computational thinking course that is completely free. There are Maker Faires across the globe. There are even maker schools - or design-based schools. These thought processes do exist in schools, but they are limited. Rather than focusing on these processes, we look for tools to fix them.

There is a huge push for computer science in schools. And, I am one of the ones trying to making computer science and STEAM programs available to more students. However, last night, my boyfriend who has a computer science degree and is a Web Developer for a living, told the panel audience that he is not a supporter of making computer science mandatory for all students. Several gasped at the "absurdity" of his statement. His point - not everyone loves it. You could argue that not everyone loves science or English, but they are required to take it. But, instead of making it a separate course - another thing to find time for - integrate the principals of computer science, the thought processes behind it, into other classes. Use computational thinking methods in English; in history. What are the reasons making it mandatory? Can they be solved by integrating it into the curriculum, by changing the way we think?

There is no tool that will solve it all. There, I said it. There is no magic tool. Last night, I brought up my belief that it is the pedagogy that surrounds education that glues it together. So, an audience member asked if there was a tool I'd recommend for easing the demand of teachers in pedagogy. My answer - no. We need to stop looking for tools to fix education. We need to look at educators, parents, students. We need to ask who is making the tools? Are we adopting tools that have been created for us and then, figuring out how to use them in the classroom? Or, are we making solutions for our needs?

This is a hazy area. I'm a Google Ninja (or Google Nerd - probably the latter), but I admit that they are a company. They created a product and I found a way to use it in the classroom. They need educators to survive (GAFE does, at least). Yes, they are responsive to teacher requests, but they are the ones who developed it. Educators fit it into the curriculum. We need to provide more support to grassroots change. The more we ask educators to take a product and fit it into their curriculum, the more we make this about tools and not about people.

My former girls coding club decided they were not satisfied with the girls coding programs around the globe. So, they made their own non-profit and are now providing training to area elementary schools. This is a needs-based edtech company. They have a need and they are providing support for it. One trend is classroom teachers moving out of the classroom to train for edtech companies or start their own. And, while this is needed for the best training, they can also lose relevancy. So, who do we look to - we look to our students. What are the needs they have? Let's support those needs.

Another audience member brought up a point I've noticed after switching to a private school this year. At first, I was shocked by the lack of technology at my private school. I thought they would be in abundance. But, they were not. The focus is different than that of the previous schools I worked at. Disparity in income - disparity in how tech is used. His point - lower-income schools throw a lot more technology at students in a consumption-manner than higher-income students. At first, I disagreed because my private school is lacking in technology. But, after thinking - I believe the difference is not in the tools; it's in the community. At my current school, many students come from households where the parents are heavily involved in their education. The parents understand the technology and the material their children bring home. In lower-income schools, this is not always the case. Parents may be working more, which makes them less involved. They may also not know how to use technology in creative ways. Most students have access to a SmartPhone at home - regardless of income - but in lower-income homes, the devices are used in a consumption manner far more frequently. Therefore, when those students enter school, they are lacking the creative thinking that goes with those devices. This is the backbone of the disparity. We need to find more ways to support communities.

So, is EdTech a "thing"? What is it? Our communities have advanced enough to where EdTech is just education. We are not all there yet, for sure. However, that doesn't mean that it is not education. Even though we have not all caught up, there is no denying that it is not a necessary part of the education umbrella. So, rather than treating it as separate, let's accept it. Let's change our way of thinking. Let's work on the pedagogy and focus on humans.

Jazzing up your makerspace with light sabers!

This year is our first year of having makerspaces on campus, so it's a year of recruitment and a year to get others interested. With that in mind, I spent the first few months of the year securing spaces and resources. By December, I was ready to bring in students so I started with a maker party - code your own ugly sweater or upcycle an old book into a purse, tool box, or other accessory.

Though only a few students attended our December maker party, they started to make use of the space in their own ways. They asked if they could return to finish. They asked if they could create more. They asked when there would be more. They wanted to keep using the space. In my idealistic vision, I imagined the space as a revolving door - a place for students and faculty to come in and innovate - with hours similar to that of a library.

As more students and faculty use the space, I'll have to solidify a few basic rules and offer some training courses on the tools. But, for now - for this first year - it's about engagement and recruitment.

So, I decided to finish off 2016 with monthly maker parties open to all students and staff during open lunches (a time when students are not required to eat in the dining hall and teachers do not have duties). For January, I hosted a Makey Makey challenge and a light saber creation event. I split up middle school and high school students for more personalized events and better crowd control.

Today, the middle school students entered - 15 of them (we only have 200 middle school students) ready and armed to make. I assumed all were in for the light saber creation, but was pleasantly surprised when several girls asked to explore the Makey Makeys. Some even asked if they could complete some of the projects from last month.

This is the completed version

We began with an introduction of the space and how to use it most effectively. This was an important step in this makerspace since the space is rather small and has not been fully defined for maker.

After a brief introduction to the space, we were ready to create. I found this great Instructables tutorial previously (which I still recommend consulting), which I used to guide the maker event. Before sharing this with students, though, I made one myself. ALWAYS make one yourself first.

First, gather the supplies. I sectioned mine off into various corners of the makerspace for better traffic flow.

Supplies:

• Clear tube guards for fluorescent bulbs (here are the ones he used). Get the T8 size. These make the blade portion of the lightsabers.
• Small 9-LED flashlight from Walmart. The kind needed are typically found on aisle-end displays and cost $1. Here's a link.
• A cardboard tube that fits both the flashlight and the plastic tube guard.We used wrapping paper tubes
• Duct tape (Any color)
• Electrical tape
• Peel-and-stick craft foam
• Cutting mat
• Hobby knife or scissors - we used scissors

Organization:

• Place items around the makerspace by step. For instance, the tube cards and the wrapping paper rolls were on the same table. 
• Determine what is best for your office.

Tube guards and wrapping paper rolls went on same table

Example in center. Idea (plastic) mats in center with each step at a different corner of table in counter clockwise order

Next, it's time to get to work! To make best use of the tubes, we cut ours in half. However, in the original example, he only cut off about 12 inches. It's up to you.

We used scissors to cut the rolls and the students (12-14 year olds) did great

Then, cut the wrapping paper rolls. We measured from the base of our hand/top of wrist to the tip of our middle finger and cut. This will be the shaft. 

Now, it's time to insert the flashlight into the wrapping paper shaft. Most wrapping paper rolls are too wide for the flashlight so we placed duct tape around the flashlight (leaving the battery end & seal open) until the flashlight could be inserted, but would not fall out if we held up the wrapping paper roll.

Duct tape of any color to top of flashlight

After, students inserted the clear tube into the wrapping paper shaft (with flashlight). Again, the wrapping paper rolls are typically to wide so we added duct tape to the base of the clear tube until it would insert into the wrapping paper shaft without sliding out easily.

Then, we removed the black plastic covering at the end of the tube. In it's place, we placed a piece of duct tape (sticky side up) on top of the hole (leave a little on the sides so that it hangs out - you'll clean this up later). Then, we put the plastic covering back on, securing the duct tape. To make sure the light does not escape, you may need to wrap electrical tape around the top and sides of the plastic covering. I had to do this for mine and so did the students.

Now begins the aesthetic stage. I put duct tape over my wrapping paper shaft for cosmetic effect. It was not necessary. I also put electrical tape at the end and top of the shaft to secure it and make it look more polished. In this step, you can cut out the peel and stick foam to add grips to your shaft. Be creative and have fun.

In the final step, we colored the tubes with permanent marker. And, then, we used a low grade sand paper to sand down and diffuse the color. This helped diffuse the light.

Now, your students are ready to wage light saber war. And...hopefully, this will help jump start your makerspace. The key is finding topics that catch your students' attention. Here is a list of our maker parties for reference.

Happy making!

Seeking Wonder Junkies

"Would like me to make you a birthday cake," my three year-old niece, Emma, screamed as she climbed onto the kitchen stool. 

"Of course! What will you make me?" I asked as she looked through the kitchen drawer for supplies.

"Ummmm...how about a dragon cake!" she squealed louder. "Dragons are soooo cute! The cake can roar and the dragon can jump out of it," she exclaimed, getting more animated as the ideas came. 

At three, Emma's a wonder junkie. 

Emma reached for every color of food coloring and dumped them in the icing. "No!" someone yelled from the corner. "You don't want all of those colors in there. Pick three."

At three, Emma's told how something is supposed to appear. 

Emma grabbed the plastic spatula of a thousand colors and dumped it on the cake, crumbling beneath her. What remained was a crater of color. 

She beamed. "Happy birthday, Christy! It's a dragon! Rawrrrrr! Do you like it?" 

What's not to like? 

(Dragons are fictional, right?)

We assign preconceived ideas of how something should be to tasks that are meant to be holistic. We assign random numbers to learning development. We say that a seven year-old must be doing a set of tasks and, if they are not, they are failing. We assign right and wrong values to art. We decide how a fictional character like a dragon should appear. 

In our efforts to standardize education, we've stopped behaving as wonder junkies. Somewhere along the journey, we have started behaving like correctional officers. Wonder does not need to be corrected. It needs to be cultivated and then, shared. 

I challenge you to bring back the wonder. Even in restrictive environments, there is room for wonder. There is room for making. We are all makers. But, only some of us recognize it. 

Recently, I took the wonder junkie challenge to my staff. Not only is it my first year at a private school, it's my first year at this private school, and it's the first year for my position at this school. It's a year of firsts. So, it seemed perfect to introduce the idea of the makerspace. 

To get the climate ready for the idea, though, involves patience and willingness to explore for a year. During that first year: 

1. Organize a focus group of students and staff who are excited about the idea of making (start with the passionate folks in order to generate momentum).
2. Meet monthly with the focus group to establish the direction of the makerspace. For instance, will you have a classroom-based makerspace, a library makerspace, an after school makerspace, or several makerspaces around the school. We opted for several smaller makerspaces that each focus on a topic of interest (coding, wearables, recycling, etc.)
3. Host monthly maker parties. I made this list for our school year. These should be both high tech and low tech activities to bring in a diverse crowd. Keep each party limited to two activities for easy management. I kept the parties to 45 minutes. However, I found that students came throughout the next few days to the space to finish; thereby encouraging the use of a makerspace
4. Hold a kickoff party. We did this in the form of a Maker Night or a Maker Faire. We staged nearly ten booths plus a photo booth and invited all staff, students, and families. 

Create a space for wonder. Once you create that space and cultivate the climate, allow for it to shape itself. 

The kickoff party started with 8 booths:

• 3D Printing
• Google Cardboard
• Cardboard Arcade Challenge
• Upcycling
• Raspberry Pi Tinkering
• Makey Makey Challenge
• Short Circuit Robots
• 6 Word Memoir Stop Motion Animation

However, it evolved into so much more. 

Students found duct tape, LEDs, cardboard, C-Cell batteries, and cell phones to make talking robots

Students wrote their life in 6 words, drew it, and then animated it with stop motion

Students disassembled old electronics and created new inventions

They turned computer parts into jewelry

They used SketchUp to construct their own structures and then, 3D printed them

They made their own virtual reality tours with Cardboard Camera

They turned cardboard into fortune telling machines

They made messes - lots of them. And, it was okay.

They created without instruction - only ideas

They explored

They turned bananas into music

They set up stands made from recycled materials

They turned books into art kits

They had snacks (for extra encouragement)

Most importantly, they had fun

 It evolved into engagement and excitement. There were no rules of what something was supposed to be or not be. It was holistic. 

We are born to be makers. We are born to tinker and explore. However, we have been trained to follow a formula.  

Break the formula and get started. We are 9 months into our maker journey. We do not know where it will go or how long it will take and we're okay with that. 

Making = Happiness

I like to make messes. I like to clean messes. I'm one of the few eccentrics out there who enjoy both. So, the idea of making intrigues me deeply.

At the age of five, I wanted to sew my mom a purse. But, I didn't want to ask her for the sewing machine and I knew she'd say I was too young. So, I found some fabric at school, found a pair of childproof scissors, and grabbed a stapler. I cut out a purse of my own and stapled it shut. Then, I found some popouri in the bathroom and poured it in her purse. Her purses always smelled like lilies so I assumed she carried them around. It wasn't until I gave her the purse that was only a myth.

I wrapped the purse in newspaper and made her a hand-drawn card. With a gigantic smile on my face, I handed her my prized creation. My mom stuck her hand in the purse and immediately scolded me for using the stapler. But, I didn't care. I had made my first purse. I was an artist.

A few days later, I went to my parents bathroom and saw my purse, staples and all, hanging from the bathroom door as an air freshener. I had never been more proud. At that moment, I knew I was born to make.

I've never stopped making.

From the nickname of "mess-maker" to my storage box of "junk" in the garage, I was ready to recycle anything.

I have created mosaic coat hangers from cabinet doors, stained glass tables from barn doors and windows, light sabers from wrapping paper (let's face it - who hasn't?), purses from old books, and that's just the start.

When I started sharing my projects with others, my friends called me the "crafty one." But, I never understood why it had to be a thing. Why couldn't they do it too?

Making gives me inspiration. Making is a part of me.

But, I'm no exception. We are all makers. We are all inspired by making. My 3 1/2 year old niece loves nothing more than to create something. She feels empowered.

I challenge you to make something. Feel empowered. Add more making to your classroom. Create a space for invention and innovation.

Do it.

Finishing what I started

Procrastination. That's not a word I typically associate with myself, but it's a word I'm learning reflects on me fairly well. And, I'm not the exception.

I'm one who lives by to-do lists. I get anxious when others don't complete their tasks by certain times each day. As a child, I used to call my mom at lunch each day if my brother had not already completed his chores. Yes, I was that kid. I am still that type-A person.

But, when I reflected on myself and my own stress, I realized I have procrastinated on myself - not my tasks, but myself.

I read an article recently that focused on "what should you be learning now" to do what you want in the future. Who do you want to be? What do you want to be? When you know that, you should direct yourself in those directions. Your decisions should be based upon that.

I'm in the process of moving right now, which means cleansing time. I've moved a lot. In some ways, I hate it. It stresses me. I'm a pack rat so I have a ton of stuff. I love to craft so I never want to throw stuff away because I never know "when I could upcycle it in the future." However, as I clean and pack, I go through each item and decide if it needs to stay with me on my next stage in my journey. A few days ago, I discovered a note I wrote to myself in 2009. And, it's one of many that I have found over the course of 25 years that I have written. What remains constant is my love for art, nature, exercise and family. That's why I feel stressed when I don't get time for each of those.

I am diligent about doing art multiple times a week, but that still doesn't feel like enough. I've wanted to merge art into my job for a while, but I realized that I've put it off. I've stopped taking classes to learn new things. I've stopped making it a priority. I put it aside so I could get through my week.

I was reactive. I was not purposeful.

When I look back on my life, I don't want to ask "was that it?" Life needs to be purposeful. I don't want my life to be a series of reactions to events. Rather, I want it to be about purpose - a purpose I set out to create.

So, starting January 1, I decided this year would be about finishing what I started.

What did I start?

• Books - countless books - I've started but have not finished
• Art projects - I do a lot of art, but I have also started a lot of art, been side-tracked by another art project and finished it instead. I was reactionary.
• Travel - I do travel, but there is more that I want to see
• Career - I want to set out to make art, exercise, and nature a priority - not something I find time for. I let this go.
• Writing - I've started many writing projects and have put them aside to finish something else. This year, I want to finish those things.
• Purchases - I get into buying habits around the holidays and I find it hard to break them. I want to spend less, save more. I want to use the items I have and use them in new ways.

In finishing what I started, I hope to make 2016 a year of purpose. Going forward, I want to keep moving toward my purpose. When I reach my last days, I want to be able to say, "that was one hell of a journey!" I don't want to ask, "was that it? Was that all?"

What final question or statement would you make to yourself? 

Drop Attack

There's nothing like a start to a blogging series that begins with a drop attack, is there? To help bring awareness to Meniere's disease, I'm using this blog to recount my own journey with the disease and to search for a cure. I'm focusing on health, happiness, adventures, reflection, and humor. Today, I begin with health. Stay tuned to more as I recount what Meniere's is as well as I manage mine.