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Week 7 Topic 7: Constructionism and the maker movement
Constructionism:
Donaldson, (2014) suggests that constructionism is a theory being developed by Seymour Papert.
Maker movement (makerspaces)
Bower, (2023) mentioned a definition of the term, 'Makerspaces', from Oliver, (2016a). Which was... "a physical space with shared resources to pursue technical projects of personal interest with the support of a maker community..." (p.160). Support of a maker community is through students', other peers and the teacher conducting the 'makerspace' lesson (Bower, et al., 2018).
(Bower, 2023)
Caine's Arcade
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), 2018 suggests that "a Science and Technology curriculum emphasizes on design, system, computational and scientific forms of thinking for solving complex and authentic problems. Caine thought of a technological design project, which was to build an arcade. Caine decided to use the cardboard boxes for his arcade (sustainability). He thought about the system of how each game is to be played. Caine has fostered his own creativity, through the idea of designing an arcade out of cardboard and materials around his home.
Fostering students' creativity:
Cups, Strings, Rubber Bands
The maker movement involves students' 'making, tinkering and inventing' (Martinez, 2014), through two "maker stations" (Bower, et al., 2018 p.81). Maker stations comprise of an 'offline' (range of materials) or an 'online' (apps) set of activities (Bower, et al., 2018 p.81). The 'offline maker station' (shown in the images to the right and the video below) is an activity where students can be creative in learning how to do skills without using their hands. Students for example, are challenged to stack cups using the rubber band and string tool. To then, work as a team by pulling each strand of string to achieve stacking the cups into a pyramid.
Micro:Bit - Irrigation System
The maker movement involves students to combine the approach of an 'online and offline maker station' (Bower, et al., 2018 p.81). Where, the offline maker station is represented through materials (straw, cups, paddle pop stick) seen in the visual images and videos surrounding this text. The online maker station is represented through the coding platform; microbit.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) establishes that the Digital technologies learning area, "provides students with practical opportunities to use design thinking and to be innovative developers of digital solutions and knowledge".
Digital Technologies:
Designing an irrigation system that could transfer water automatically into a box of soil (aka the cup) without human impact overtime. Designing an irrigation system gives students' an opportunity to explore their creativity, digitally.
Pedagogical Issues:
Students design a coding system using mirco:bit can introduce the pedagogical issue of students having trouble to navigate code blocks that aren't built-in, in the coding system.
Designing an automatic irrigation system can introduce the pedagogical issue of students 'jumping ahead' into the construction phase, without any design plans of their irrigation system.
References:
Bower, M. (2023). Digital Creativity and Learning: Constructionism and the Maker Movement [Lecture Slides]. iLearn.
Papert, S. (1986). Paradigm of Constructionism as an expression of the Constructivist pedagogical approach to teaching.
Bower, M., Stevenson, M., Falloon, G., Forbes, A., & Hatzigianni, M. (2018). Makerspaces in primary school settings: advancing 21st century and STEM capabilities using 3D design and printing. Available at http://primarymakers.com
NESA. (2017). Science and Technology K–6 | NSW Education Standards. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/science/science-and-technology-k-6-new-syllabus
ACARA. (2022). The Australian Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum; ACARA. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Donaldson, J. P. (2014, January 23). The Maker Movement and the Rebirth of Constructionism. Hybrid Pedagogy. https://hybridpedagogy.org/constructionism-reborn/
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